Cheltenham Minster, St Mary's

Heritage listing

Details Minster church, formerly parish church, of mid-C12 origins, with mid-C13 lower stage to tower, with C14 rebuilding, enlargement and spire. It is otherwise of the early C14, with a late-C15 north porch. Restorations were undertaken in 1859-61 by DJ Humphris, with the spire being restored in 1866 by Ewan Christian. A much more thorough restoration was undertaken by Christian in 1875-77. In 1890 the south porch was added by Middleton, Prothero and Pillott, who also converted the north porch into a baptistery. A vestry was added in the late C19 and the stained glass was inserted between 1876 and 1893. The interior was reordered in the C20 and 2012. MATERIALS: it is constructed from limestone ashlar with a stone slate roof. PLAN: the church is orientated north-west to south-east, though liturgical compass points are used throughout this description. It is cruciform on plan with a four-bay, aisled nave with north and south porches, transepts, a three-bay chancel and a central tower with a spire. EXTERIOR: it is almost entirely in the Decorated style, though the presence of mullions in the south aisle west window, the east window and south transept south window presages the Perpendicular style. It has a chamfered plinth and lateral buttresses and angle buttresses, both with offsets. The window and door openings are pointed with hoodmoulds with either label or animal or human-head stops. All gables are stone coped. The south face has a gabled porch of 1890 with a pointed, moulded doorway. Its spandrels are carved with a foliage motif within which are set quatrefoils with floral carvings. Over the doorway is a hoodmould with stops carved with the crests of the Diocese of Gloucester and of the Borough of Cheltenham. To the gable there is a recessed plaque which contains a

From the Historic England List Entry under OGL v3.