Gloucestershire Inquisition

COWLEY, Gloucestershire

The church lies in the grounds of the manor house which is now an hotel. I arrived at about 9:30 and found it locked. The church is nothing special externally and has little inside it to excite either. It's just a pleasant and quiet little church - nothing more or less. I did the exterior and then left. While there was a churchwarden listed there was no mobile signal to make a call. I was half inclined to call at hotel reception, but the number seemed like a better option.

I drove up the road and further up a hill the signal returned. I decided to give the number a try. The woman with a double-barrel surname answered the phone and I explained I wanted to see inside the church because I'd found it locked (and I guessed correctly it is normally open but I was just a bit early). She told me it was normally open but I could ask at the manor house and then quickly said she'd come down herself in one of those "doh! why did I tell him that" moments. I could feel trouble brewing; the need to come and check up on me even though the church is normally open. If it wasn't for me ringing her she'd never know I was visiting.

Sure enough, she turned up and unlocked it as promised, but questioning my reasons several times. "I guess you don't need permission to photograph inside" she said. "No", I replied, "but I always ask out of courtesy. So is it ok for me to do so?" She seemed to ignore this, or perhaps she wasn't listening. She watched me sign the visitor's book and then said:

"Can I please have your name and address".
"May I ask for what purpose?"
"Because I don't know who you are"
"Well! I could write down any old name, couldn't I?"
"In that case I'll just have to wait until you go"

Such logic! It's a pity people aren't so supicious with real thieves. What did she think I was going to do? Pee in the font? Would I have called her if I was going to do anything? The mind boggles. I sincerely regretted having phoned - I should have just called at hotel reception or come back later in the day and forgone the inquisition. I gave her my driving license as it was better "proof" but she pushed it away saying she couldn't read it. I then wrote down my name and address, hoping she'd go away and leave me in peace. My wish was granted. Hooray.

I'd almost finished when an elderly chap and his dog came in. He greeted me and said he'd just spoken with the churchwarden. If I hadn't been so wound up I might have been more civil. Regrettably I replied "Hello, so you've come to check up on me too?". However, I was fortunate as he was an extremely nice gentleman; "I come and unlock the church every day. Today I'm a bit late. I come and unlock it so chaps like YOU can do your work" he said gently, pointing at my camera. I decided to change the subject as he was obviously terribly nice and I felt silly. We chatted about the church and then I walked with him to the carpark. He told me some interesting stories about the former owners of the house. The hotel manager arrived and I left them talking.

I then sped off to:


BRIMPSFIELD, Gloucestershire

The church sits on its own in the fields and is reached by a track which is gated off at each end. To the south rise the earthworks of a former castle built by the Giffard family and destroyed when Edward II had Sir John Giffard executed in 1321. The path to the church passes through clipped hedges made into arches. To the north is a shed with remains of stonework, probably from the former priory that lay to the north of the church.

The church itself is rather odd in its interior arrangement. It was open. The central tower has Early English piers which have been cut in half and deep recesses for altars to the north and south. The chancel is odd too; there is no east window and never has been. The chancel contains one of the largest coffin lids I've ever seen. The massive stone has a sword carved on it and was probably for one of the Giffard family.

Also of interest the pulpit dated 1658 and the 15th Century font. As I was about to leave a large group of walkers arrived and wandered around.


WINSTONE, Gloucestershire

In keeping with Brimpsfield this church also has no east window. One gets to the building by a narrow track to the south of the village. It was open. I found the churchyard most amusing. To the south of the porch are a large number of small headstones of the 17th and early 18th Centuries. It looks like a dwarfs cemetary.

Inside it is neat and tidy with only one monument, a nicely lettered stone tablet on the west wall of the nave. The remains of the mediaeval rood loft beams are preserved on the chancel east wall.


MISERDEN, Gloucestershire

A church I'd been to many years ago. At the time I'd arrived late in the day and found it locked. Today it was open. The path to the porch passes through a clipped yew forming an arch.

Inside I found a man preparing the church and doing some cleaning. On the walls are several monuments, but the best monuments lie in the south chapel. In the centre lies a good marble monument to Sir William Sandys and his wife. Two recumbent effigies on a tomb chest. Around the sides are kneeling children. The other monument is to William Kingston. He lies on another tomb chest with a goat eating a cabbage at his feet.


HARESFIELD, Gloucestershire

I returned to finish the interior of the church. I'd already been told that the church would be open. A man and two women sat inside with coffee and cakes ready - ready for visitors who, I knew, would never arrive. It's always sad to see people at a normally locked church go to this effort, thinking people will just turn up, and then be bitterly disappointed when no-one arrives. They told me I was only the second visitor for the afternoon.

The font here is hard to date. It's lead, like other in the county, but has an entirely different pattern. Some "experts" claim it to be 17th Century. I think it is a lot earlier than that.


HARESCOMBE, Gloucestershire

A church in a small hamlet. It was open. Big 13th Century bellcote between the nave and chancel. Nice whitewashed interior with two recently restored monuments flanking the chancel arch. That on the left with nice lettering. The one on the right, to Mr Jonathan Blagge, with a wreath of fruit and flowers and a bust of the gentleman at the top flanked by cherubs. All very rustic.


EDGE, Gloucestershire

A simple Victorian chapel of ease. It was locked so I rang the incumbent. He came and showed me the interior, then we drove on to his other church at:


PITCHCOMBE, Gloucestershire

An early 19th Century church with several minor monuments inside. At the rear a former school house. This church and Edge make an interesting comparison.


BROOKTHORPE, Gloucestershire

A CCT church. Locked, but the large key available from a house in the village. Not a great deal to see inside. Minor monuments put in the tower by the Victorians. Of more interest, the grafitti scratched on the beams in the porch.


MORETON VALENCE, Gloucestershire

My third visit to this church. Before I could try the phone numbers a woman in the churchyard tending a grave asked me if I'd like to see inside - she had a key. On my way to the church I noticed that the path had been dug up (presumably just in the last few days as it was there on my last visit) - the churchyard is apparently being tidied up and a new path installed.

The interior quite light thanks to the whitewashed walls and plaster ceiling. Norman chancel arch. A few minor bits of mediaeval glass in a window.

Then, having thanked the lady for waiting for me, I headed home.