Saturday 30 July 2016

St Mary Gladestry



Not a great deal I can tell you about this church other than it is around 900 years old still retaining it's earliest architectural features which are the south wall of the 13thC nave and, from the 14thC, the chancel arch and the main south doorway.
Late in the 14thC the nave and possibly the chancel were widened, though a 16thC rebuild for the chancel has also been suggested; on the basis of its windows the north aisle is also 14thC, together with its arcade.
In the 15thC, the nave roof was replaced and the south porch added. In the 16thC windows were replaced in the chancel and its roof replaced. 
The information came from the CPAT website  where you can read more detailed information






Above is a view across the churchyard towards the East end while on the left a view of the south side of the church









The door at the base of the Tower







Here the porch can be see with roses planted ether side







 Some of the older headstones and the spire




The chancel end of the church




Looking at the North side across the churchyard




above shows the squat tower with short spire on top which on the left is a view of the north side showing the tower again.







The porch which hides a Norman Doorway, sorry my photo of the doorway was not good so I'll leave that for now and take you inside

Looking down the nave you cannot help notice the chancel does not look central was where the chancel was widened






The arch looks quite odd off set like it is as you look to the chancel and out to the nave in these photos
















Above the altar & Chancel window with the alter  again here on the right







It was a pity the day was rather dull as the widow must show up well in the sunlight







Some of the kneelers by the altar rails












This lectern really was a piece of art on it's own and I found clearly looked like it was in the Gothic Revivalist stile








On the opposite side was the pulpit and this is the view of the nave you get





The carved stone pulpit on the left and looking down on the lectern to the right













The next three Stained Glass windows are all in the chancel








Showing various scenes and all looking Gothic stile











The north aisle altar

On the north wall is this superb stained glass window







Showing St Michael on the left and St George on the right
both memorials to the Welson Family who were churchwardens




    



St George shows a dedication to William Taylor Welson who dies in Flanders in 1917 and his Father William Welson













St Michael another dedication to William & John Welson















I think the board shows some of the family history. On the rights are the Welsh flag & Union Jack, I did not check what the centre one was









The stained glass window above the North aisle altar




The churchwardens chest below the stained glass window with remembrance poppy kneeler on top
The chest is dated 1692







 

A view along the North Aisle of St Mary




The North Aisle has some quite nice memorial as well
















some a lot easier to read than others because of the white marble used













 I think this is a bequest to the parish rather than a memorial as I first thought







Lancet windows along the North Aisle














This one at the end was one I found the most beautiful








The organ was hard to get a photo of use to the window behind. The WI Banner










Bishops Chair


There is a review for the church on Google where they said walkers were welcome and a kitchen is there open for them to make tea or coffee just leave a donation. And there is the kitchen which can be hidden away.
On the right is the font

The memorial above is in the chancel





The cross on top of the font













The wall at the back has a list of parish priests along with  photos










Last bit from inside is a painting of the church






Outside in the churchyard you find a lot of heastones





Some older ones near the porch





The odd broken tomb with the parts to reassemble it








Near the churchyard entrance is
the village war memorial, unusually it has a plaque with the names of the fallen on.





The memorial and church


Looking up the footpath where the grass is cut nearby and on the centre left to grow wild

Some of the older headstone near the church






Quite a few graves poking out of the grass though the War Grave of J.W.Drew stands in cut grass















For once I did not venture in here rather left them in peace















Looking up towards the porch






The South side of the churchyard is kept cut for the more recent burials people visit







Long the South chancel wall you can see quite  a few memorials the one above to the Pritchard Family






On the left another to the Pritchard Family and on the right the Powell Family











This is another to the Powell Family






Near the church a couple of Tombs

You also see a rather large urn which I think is the Pritchard Family Vault 






It's not the only vault these are a couple more to see














Some of the headstone are eroding through time and the elements 

Headstones near the back entrance to the churchyard

This little seat is near the grave of a little boy no doubt put there so his brother could visit him, I wonder if he still does



I'll leave you with this photo of a cast marker I found near the back entrance to the churchyard
Have a wonderful Weekend