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