Selsley Church

Selsley Church is the parish church for Selsley in Gloucestershire, UK. It has historical importance, as much of its stained glass is by William Morris and his company Morris & Co.

The architect GF Bodley was responsible for the design of the church. He was given the commission by Samuel Marling, patriarch of the mill-owning family, who lived in the adjacent Stanley Park House.

The design utilises a 'French' saddleback tower - for the design was undertaken during Bodley's early French period and construction took place in 1861-62. Local labour and contractors were used: Harrison of King's Stanley were the main contractors; stone carvings were undertaken by Joshua Wall; woodwork by William English and ironwork by T.J Chew.Bodley designed the pews and choir-stalls using poppy-heads and fleur de lys as key motifs, and the font, the inlaid marble pulpit, communion rails and door iron work all show the attention to design that Bodley paid to all aspects of the church.

However, the most spectacular aspect of the church is the stained glass. Bodley was a friend of William Morris and at Selsley he gave Morris & Co their first commission for ecclesiastical stained glass. Philip Webb provided the scheme for the whole church and the detail of the Creation window at the west end. Burne-Jones, Rossetti, Ford Madox Brown and Campfield were all involved.

Links

* [http://www.grahamthomas.com/history17.html A History of Selsley Church]