St Mary of the Angels Church, Brownshill

The church was constructed between 1930 and 1937 and designed by W. D. Caröe. David Verey and Alan Brooks, in their Gloucester 1 volume of Pevsner's Buildings of England, describe it as a "late and very distinctive" example of his work. It was built to serve a religious community called Templewood. This had been created in 1927 by Bertha Kessler and Katherine Hudson. Members of the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry in the First World War and observing the mental trauma suffered by servicemen in the conflict, Kessler and Hudson determined to give spiritual healing to people suffering from mental illness. St Mary's was built as a chapel to serve the community, both of the nurses giving £1,000…

The interior of the church is simple. At the west end is a gallery, its panels decorated with diamond-shaped carving. The nave is floored with parquet, and with terracotta tiles. Between the nave and the sanctuary is a large Norman-type arch, decorated with Romanesque chevrons. In the sanctuary is a stone altar table. Three of the windows contain stained glass depicting the founders of the community and a benefactor. Their design is attributed to Douglas Strachan. Under the central window is a panel containing gold mosaic. Between the doors leading to the vestry and the confessional is a niche. The fittings to the doors are in Arts and Crafts style. Adjacent to each entrance door is a holy…