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St Michael And All Angels

Bishop's Cleeve

Gloucestershire

Circa 1160-1190, partly rebuilt early C14

Architectural Features

C17, tower c1700 by James Hill of Cheltenham, restored c1900 by Henry Prothero.

C12 west end with single large C15 raking buttress.

Central C20 fielded-panelled doors within a C12 roll-moulded arch supported on engaged columns, two further arches with chevron decoration on columns, 2 restored

Square C12 stair turrets, formerly leading to a western gallery with chevroned arcading and pyramidal tops with finials.

Offset pilaster buttress at the south west corner of the C12 aisle

battlemented parapet and gargoyle dating from the C14 heightening

C12 projecting gabled south porch with C13 upper storey

battlemented parapet with three gargoyles, two eroded.

C12 south transept largely rebuilt C14 but retaining offset C12 pilaster buttresses at the south-west corner and the remains of two string courses, now interrupted by a pointed 3-light C14 window with cusped intersecting tracery

Chancel with side and angle buttresses. with offsets and three pointed 2-light windows with scroll-moulded hoods with carved head stops including a sheep.

Plank priest's door within a pointed arched surround decorated with ball flower and deep ogee hood with carved head stops and ball flower decoration.

Pointed C19 five- light east window with its original early C14 surround enriched with ball flower.

Chancel north wall: three C14 two-light pointed windows with scroll-moulded hoods with beast's head stops

C12 north transept with offset pilaster buttresses at each corner

string course half way up the wall now interrupted by a C14 pointed window with cusped intersecting tracery and hood with carved head stops.

Corbel table with varying decoration and a blocked C12 doorway with plain tympanum, now partly obscured by the north wall of the chancel.

Early C14 north aisle with side buttresses with offsets and three 3-light pointed windows with cusped intersecting tracery

4 gargoyles, two now without heads.

battlemented parapet with moulded cornice with gargoyles, crocketed pyramidal pinnacles to heavy pedestals.

The upper chamber conceals a well preserved section of the C12 corbel table.

Cl9 double fielded-panelled door within a fine C12 archway of 2 orders with crenellated and chevroned arches and hood decorated with dragons with interwined tails and beak head stops.

The aisle side of the inner doorway has C12 facetted ball flower decoration and dragon head stops in shallow relief.

Compartmented lean-to roof dated 1671, supported on reused C12 corbels to the north aisle.

C12 nave arcade of 3 bays with massive circular piers, with renewed circular scalloped capitals

C17 arches, inserted when every second pier of the original 6-bay arcade was removed.

C12 arches with crenellated and chevroned decoration either side of the chancel arch leading into the transepts.

Two reused possibly C12 pieces of stone one with an incised Anglican cross, one with bands of foliate decoration and the inscription ' ME: JESU/ ' reset in the north wall.

Stone steps changing to a C15 ladder stair with wooden block tread and panelled wooden balustrade from the opposite corner.

C14 cinquefoil tomb recess with triple cusps and an ogee arch with ball flower and crocketing in the south wall of the south transept

Plain octagonal stone font of 1570-1580 at the west end of the nave together with some Tudor pews

an ancient log chest, beneath a fine C17 Jacobean musician's gallery supported on turned wooden columns which match the balustrading, frieze with paired dragon, lunette and 'S' scroll motifs.

C17 pulpit with plain moulded wooden panelling.

C12 foliate scrollwork painting in red in the splay of the window in the west wall of the south transept.

The north transept east wall has the remains of a C13 Crucifixion painting in black and red.

Traces of a C14 painting with part of an inscription in late black-letter

Fragments of C14

C15 glass in the C12 west window of the south aisle.

Monuments: recumbent Knight of c1270 within a later tomb recess on the south transept.

Classical marble monument to Mary Smith, died 1787, by Bryan of Gloucester with palm leaf decoration also in the south transept.

Recumbent lady of c1500 at the east end of the chapel within the railed enclosure belonging to a richly and gilded alabaster monument to Richard de la Bere, died 1636 and his wife (q.v. The De la Bere Hotel, Southam) comprising two recumbent effigies in front of two pairs of black columns between which is a segmental arch decorated with heraldic shields and garlands

Chancel south wall: Baroque stone tablet to Edmund Bedingfield, died 1695

simple slate and stone monument

similar but smaller monument to Catherine Norwood, died 1711

small pedimented slate and stone monument to Jane Reed, died (17)16 with skull and hourglass at top.

C19 white marble monument to Mary Ramus, died 1809, by Bowd of Cheltenham.

Chancel north wall: monument to R.L. Townsend, died 1830, with draped urn by Gardner of Cheltenham.

Photo coming soon