St Michael's and All Angels Church, Guiting Power
Encyclopedia
St Michael's and All Angels Church, Guiting Power, is in the village of Guiting Power
, Gloucestershire
, England. It is an active Anglican
parish church
in the deanery of Stow, the archdeaconry of Cheltenham and the diocese of Gloucester
. Its benefice
is combined with those of St Faith, Farmcote, St Mary, Lower Slaughter, St Andrew, Naunton, St Mary, Temple Guiting, St James, Cutsdean, and St Peter, Upper Slaughter. The church contains fabric dating from the 12th century and has been designated by English Heritage
as a Grade II* listed building. It formerly stood in the centre of the village, but the demolition of buildings since 1900 has left it standing at the village's southern end.
doorways remain from this period. The chancel
was added later in the 12th century. The tower was built in the 15th century and at this time the walls of the nave
were raised. Following an increase in the population of the village in the 19th century, the church was expanded. In 1820 the north transept
was added and in 1844 the south transept was built; at this time the southern Norman doorway was moved to the south end of the transept. The ring
of five bells was either restored or replaced in 1869 and a sixth bell was added at this time. By the beginning of the 20th century the church had fallen into a state of disrepair and in 1903 it was restored. The roofs were renewed, and the organ chamber and vestry
were added alongside the north transept. The chancel was completely rebuilt in its original design and stained glass windows were introduced. The organ was installed in 1978 and an additional stop
was added in 1985.
with limestone slate roofs. Its plan is cruciform
, consisting of a nave with north and south transepts, a west tower, and a chancel with a north vestry. The north and south doorways are Norman in style (the north doorway is blocked). The chancel is in Early English style and the tower is Perpendicular. The chancel contains lancet window
s and a priest's door. The tower is in three stages, separated by string courses, and has diagonal buttress
es; its parapet
is embattled
. The top stage contains a two-light, louvered
bell opening on each side.
dates from the 15th century; it is octagonal with a quatrefoil
on each side of the bowl. The pulpit
was built in the 20th century in Caen stone
and stands on stone from an earlier pulpit. The pew
s date from the 19th century. Over the south door is a royal coat of arms
from the reign of George III
. In the bellchamber are boards recording donations to the church. Behind the altar is a wooden plaque dated 1601 depicting Jesus carrying the cross. Four windows in the chancel contain stained glass by Heaton, Butler and Bayne
. In the church are a number of carved stones, and a small sarcophagus
from the Saxon
era; this is considered to be one of the smallest sarcophagi in England.
period. The other is a pair of unidentified monuments dated respectively 1777 and 1787.
Guiting Power
Guiting Power is a small Gloucestershire village in the Cotswolds, England.-Location:It is situated on the slopes above a small valley . There was a late Anglo-Saxon settlement on this site, when it was called Gyting Broc...
, Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
, England. It is an active Anglican
Anglicanism
Anglicanism is a tradition within Christianity comprising churches with historical connections to the Church of England or similar beliefs, worship and church structures. The word Anglican originates in ecclesia anglicana, a medieval Latin phrase dating to at least 1246 that means the English...
parish church
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
in the deanery of Stow, the archdeaconry of Cheltenham and the diocese of Gloucester
Diocese of Gloucester
The Diocese of Gloucester is a Church of England diocese based in Gloucester, covering the non-metropolitan county of Gloucestershire. The cathedral is Gloucester Cathedral and the bishop is the Bishop of Gloucester...
. Its benefice
Benefice
A benefice is a reward received in exchange for services rendered and as a retainer for future services. The term is now almost obsolete.-Church of England:...
is combined with those of St Faith, Farmcote, St Mary, Lower Slaughter, St Andrew, Naunton, St Mary, Temple Guiting, St James, Cutsdean, and St Peter, Upper Slaughter. The church contains fabric dating from the 12th century and has been designated by English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
as a Grade II* listed building. It formerly stood in the centre of the village, but the demolition of buildings since 1900 has left it standing at the village's southern end.
History
The church dates from the 12th century but only two NormanNorman architecture
About|Romanesque architecture, primarily English|other buildings in Normandy|Architecture of Normandy.File:Durham Cathedral. Nave by James Valentine c.1890.jpg|thumb|200px|The nave of Durham Cathedral demonstrates the characteristic round arched style, though use of shallow pointed arches above the...
doorways remain from this period. The chancel
Chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
was added later in the 12th century. The tower was built in the 15th century and at this time the walls of the nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
were raised. Following an increase in the population of the village in the 19th century, the church was expanded. In 1820 the north transept
Transept
For the periodical go to The Transept.A transept is a transverse section, of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In Christian churches, a transept is an area set crosswise to the nave in a cruciform building in Romanesque and Gothic Christian church architecture...
was added and in 1844 the south transept was built; at this time the southern Norman doorway was moved to the south end of the transept. The ring
Ring of bells
"Ring of bells" is a term most often applied to a set of bells hung in the English style, typically for change ringing...
of five bells was either restored or replaced in 1869 and a sixth bell was added at this time. By the beginning of the 20th century the church had fallen into a state of disrepair and in 1903 it was restored. The roofs were renewed, and the organ chamber and vestry
Vestry
A vestry is a room in or attached to a church or synagogue in which the vestments, vessels, records, etc., are kept , and in which the clergy and choir robe or don their vestments for divine service....
were added alongside the north transept. The chancel was completely rebuilt in its original design and stained glass windows were introduced. The organ was installed in 1978 and an additional stop
Organ stop
An organ stop is a component of a pipe organ that admits pressurized air to a set of organ pipes. Its name comes from the fact that stops can be used selectively by the organist; some can be "on" , while others can be "off" .The term can also refer...
was added in 1985.
Exterior
St Michael's is constructed in limestoneLimestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
with limestone slate roofs. Its plan is cruciform
Cruciform
Cruciform means having the shape of a cross or Christian cross.- Cruciform architectural plan :This is a common description of Christian churches. In Early Christian, Byzantine and other Eastern Orthodox forms of church architecture this is more likely to mean a tetraconch plan, a Greek cross,...
, consisting of a nave with north and south transepts, a west tower, and a chancel with a north vestry. The north and south doorways are Norman in style (the north doorway is blocked). The chancel is in Early English style and the tower is Perpendicular. The chancel contains lancet window
Lancet window
A lancet window is a tall narrow window with a pointed arch at its top. It acquired the "lancet" name from its resemblance to a lance. Instances of this architectural motif are most often found in Gothic and ecclesiastical structures, where they are often placed singly or in pairs.The motif first...
s and a priest's door. The tower is in three stages, separated by string courses, and has diagonal buttress
Buttress
A buttress is an architectural structure built against or projecting from a wall which serves to support or reinforce the wall...
es; its parapet
Parapet
A parapet is a wall-like barrier at the edge of a roof, terrace, balcony or other structure. Where extending above a roof, it may simply be the portion of an exterior wall that continues above the line of the roof surface, or may be a continuation of a vertical feature beneath the roof such as a...
is embattled
Battlement
A battlement in defensive architecture, such as that of city walls or castles, comprises a parapet , in which portions have been cut out at intervals to allow the discharge of arrows or other missiles. These cut-out portions form crenels...
. The top stage contains a two-light, louvered
Louver
A louver or louvre , from the French l'ouvert; "the open one") is a window, blind or shutter with horizontal slats that are angled to admit light and air, but to keep out rain, direct sunshine, and noise...
bell opening on each side.
Interior
The fontBaptismal font
A baptismal font is an article of church furniture or a fixture used for the baptism of children and adults.-Aspersion and affusion fonts:...
dates from the 15th century; it is octagonal with a quatrefoil
Quatrefoil
The word quatrefoil etymologically means "four leaves", and applies to general four-lobed shapes in various contexts.-In heraldry:In heraldic terminology, a quatrefoil is a representation of a flower with four petals, or a leaf with four leaflets . It is sometimes shown "slipped", i.e. with an...
on each side of the bowl. The pulpit
Pulpit
Pulpit is a speakers' stand in a church. In many Christian churches, there are two speakers' stands at the front of the church. Typically, the one on the left is called the pulpit...
was built in the 20th century in Caen stone
Caen stone
Caen stone or Pierre de Caen, is a light creamy-yellow Jurassic limestone quarried in northwestern France near the city of Caen.The limestone is a fine grained oolitic limestone formed in shallow water lagoons in the Bathonian Age about 167 million years ago...
and stands on stone from an earlier pulpit. The pew
Pew
A pew is a long bench seat or enclosed box used for seating members of a congregation or choir in a church, or sometimes in a courtroom.-Overview:Churches were not commonly furnished with permanent pews before the Protestant Reformation...
s date from the 19th century. Over the south door is a royal coat of arms
Coat of arms of England
In heraldry, the Royal Arms of England is a coat of arms symbolising England and its monarchs. Its blazon is Gules three lions passant guardant in pale Or armed and langued Azure, meaning three identical gold lions with blue tongues and claws, walking and facing the observer, arranged in a column...
from the reign of George III
George III of the United Kingdom
George III was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of these two countries on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland until his death...
. In the bellchamber are boards recording donations to the church. Behind the altar is a wooden plaque dated 1601 depicting Jesus carrying the cross. Four windows in the chancel contain stained glass by Heaton, Butler and Bayne
Heaton, Butler and Bayne
Heaton, Butler and Bayne is the name of an English firm who produced stained glass windows from 1855 onwards.-History:Clement Heaton originally founded his own stained glass firm in 1852, joined by James Butler in 1855. Between 1859-61 they worked alongside Clayton and Bell and were joined by...
. In the church are a number of carved stones, and a small sarcophagus
Sarcophagus
A sarcophagus is a funeral receptacle for a corpse, most commonly carved or cut from stone. The word "sarcophagus" comes from the Greek σαρξ sarx meaning "flesh", and φαγειν phagein meaning "to eat", hence sarkophagus means "flesh-eating"; from the phrase lithos sarkophagos...
from the Saxon
Anglo-Saxons
Anglo-Saxon is a term used by historians to designate the Germanic tribes who invaded and settled the south and east of Great Britain beginning in the early 5th century AD, and the period from their creation of the English nation to the Norman conquest. The Anglo-Saxon Era denotes the period of...
era; this is considered to be one of the smallest sarcophagi in England.
External features
In the churchyard are objects listed Grade II. One of these is the limestone base of a cross shaft dating from the medievalMiddle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
period. The other is a pair of unidentified monuments dated respectively 1777 and 1787.