- Old St Bartholomew's Church, Lower Sapey
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Old St Bartholomew's Church,
Lower Sapey
Old St Bartholomew's Church, Lower Sapey, from the southwestLocation in Worcestershire
Old St Bartholomew's Church,
Lower SapeyCoordinates: 52°14′21″N 2°26′30″W / 52.2392°N 2.4418°W OS grid reference SO 699 602 Location Near Lower Sapey, Worcestershire Country England Denomination Anglican Website Churches Conservation Trust History Dedication Saint Bartholomew Architecture Functional status Redundant Heritage designation Grade II* Designated 29 July 1959 Architectural type Church Style Norman Groundbreaking Early 12th century Specifications Nave width 19 feet (5.8 m) Other dimensions Nave length 34 feet 4 inches (10.5 m)
Chancel length 19 feet 8 inches (6.0 m)
Chancel width 15 feet (4.6 m)Materials Sandstone, tile roofs Old St Bartholomew's Church, Lower Sapey, is a redundant Anglican church near the village of Lower Sapey, Worcestershire, England. It has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade II* listed building,[1] and is under the care of the Churches Conservation Trust.[2] The church is also a Scheduled Ancient Monument.[3] It stands on a steep bank above a stream at the end of a winding lane.[2]
Contents
History
The church dates from the early part of the 12th century. It is likely that an earlier church existed on the site because the Domesday Book records the presence of a priest, but no trace of that church has survived.[4] In the 14th century the south porch was built and a window was added to the south wall of the chancel. During the 19th century further alterations were made, including widening of windows, re-seating the church, and installing a west gallery. It is likely that the chancel arch was removed at this time.[5] The functions of the church were replaced in 1877 by St Bartholomew's Church, Harpley.[4][6] It was then neglected and was used for a time as a farm building.[2] Since 1990 repairs and restoration have been carried out.[2] This has been assisted by the formation of a local trust known as The Friends of Old St. Bartholomew's.[6] The work included reinstating the west gallery. The intention of the restorers was "to make it appear as though we had never been on the site".[7] The church was vested in the Churches Conservation Trust on 21 January 1994.[8]
Architecture
Exterior
St Bartholmew's is constructed in sandstone rubble with tile roofs. The exterior of the church is partly rendered.[1] Its plan is simple and consists of a nave, chancel and south porch. The nave measures 34 feet 4 inches (10.5 m) by 19 feet (5.8 m), and the chancel 19 feet 8 inches (6.0 m) by 15 feet (4.6 m). The east window consists of a single light under a pointed arch. On the south wall of the chancel is a window of two trefoiled lights under a square head, to the west of which is a blocked priest's door. On the north wall of the chancel is a narrow round-headed window. The south porch is built in timber on a rubble plinth. It has a gabled roof over curved wind braces. Its walls are weatherboarded, and its bargeboard is decorated with moulding.[1] The doorway is Norman and consists of a single order with a tympanum.[9] In the west wall is a large square-headed 19th-century window over which is a small 12th-century opening. The north wall contains a blocked doorway and a 19th-century window.[1]
Interior
The interior of the church is plastered.[5] In the north wall of the chancel are two square aumbries, and in the south wall is a piscina and another square aumbry. Over the east window is a blocked 12th-century window. At the west end of the church is a gallery. Also in the church are the remnants of a circular font base.[1] The Norman bowl of the font has been removed to the new church.[9] On the north wall of the nave are traces of medieval paintings.[1]
See also
- List of churches preserved by the Churches Conservation Trust in the English Midlands
References
- ^ a b c d e f "Old Church of St Batholomew, Lower Sapey", The National Heritage List for England (English Heritage), 2011, http://list.english-heritage.org.uk/resultsingle.aspx?uid=1098648, retrieved 18 May 2011
- ^ a b c d St Bartholemew's Church, Lower Sapey, Worcestershire, Churches Conservation Trust, http://www.visitchurches.org.uk/Ourchurches/Completelistofchurches/St-Bartholemews-Church-Lower-Sapey-Worcestershire/, retrieved 29 March 2011
- ^ "St Batholomew's Church, Lower Sapey", The National Heritage List for England (English Heritage), 2011, http://list.english-heritage.org.uk/resultsingle.aspx?uid=1005503, retrieved 18 May 2011
- ^ a b Lower Sapey, Worcestershire, Archenfield Archaeology, http://www.archenfield.com/Lower%20Sapey.htm, retrieved 30 September 2010
- ^ a b Page, William; Willis-Bund, J. W., eds. (1924), "Parishes: Lower Sapey or Sapey Pritchard", A History of the County of Worcester, Victoria County History (University of London & History of Parliament Trust) 4: pp. 328–331, http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=42903#s3, retrieved 1 October 2010
- ^ a b Lower Sapey Parish, Clifton-upon-Teme and The Shelsleys, http://www.clifton-upon-teme.co.uk/lsapey.html, retrieved 30 September 2010
- ^ Church Conservation, Treasure & Son, http://www.treasureandson.co.uk/projects_detail.php?project=Church%20Conservation, retrieved 1 October 2010
- ^ (PDF) Diocese of Worcester: All Schemes, Church Commissioners/Statistics, Church of England, 2011, p. 2, http://www.churchofengland.org/media/811202/worcester%20-%20all%20schemes.pdf, retrieved 7 April 2011
- ^ a b Lower Sapey, Worcestershire, Corpus of Romanesque Sculpture in Britain and Ireland, http://www.crsbi.ac.uk/search/county/site/ed-wo-lsape.html, retrieved 1 October 2010
Categories:- Grade II* listed buildings in Worcestershire
- Grade II* listed churches
- Church of England churches in Worcestershire
- Norman architecture
- 12th-century architecture
- 12th-century church buildings
- Churches preserved by the Churches Conservation Trust
- Scheduled Ancient Monuments in Worcestershire
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