Holy Rood Church, Ampney Crucis

Aug 4th, 2021

A treasure I happened to found open. I think its daily opened at daylight hours. I just saw it on the map and went down to see if I had luck, but didnt know how beautiful it was The dedication of this church to the Holy Rood (Holy Cross) is rare and ancient. At the time of the Doomsday Survey in the year 1086, the village was already known as Holy Rood Omenie (Ampney), the name Ampney being taken from the name of the brook. The cross in the churchyard, which dates about 1415, reflects this dedication. At first glance seems modern, perhaps Victorian, for it is in such fine condition that it is hard to believe it is original but it dates to 1410. It has for unique carvings, one on each face. The east face shows a Crucifixion scene, the west a Virgin and Child. The north and south figures are more worn, but the south possibly represents Giraldus, the first Abbot of Tewkesbury Abbey, or St Laurence. The north face shows a figure of a knight holding a spear, which is generally taken to be a depiction of Robert FitzHamon, the founder of Tewkesbury Abbey. The condition of the carvings of the cross is good, mainly because the top of the cross was saved from damage by the iconoclasts of the 17th century by being walled up inside the Rood Loft staircase. It was re-discovered in 1840 and re-installed on the pedestal in about 1860. The church has a cruciform plan. The door is saxon. The oldest part is the north wall of the nave, where you can still see evidence of late Saxon or early Norman stonework. There are a pair of ancient windows with wide splays at the east and west end of the nave, and a blocked north door of similar age. The chancel, with its chevron design, was rebuilt around 1180 when the transitional Norman arch was added. It was altered again in the late 13th century and transepts were added. In the south-east angle of the chancel is an interesting late Norman pillar piscina; though not unique, it is fairly unusual to find a free-standing piscina of this date. The rest is of later centuries. There are a number of interesting detailed features, both outside and inside the church. On the right side of the porch entrance is an old scratch dial, used to indicate the times when Mass would have been said. On the south side of the church tower is the trace of an old sundial. There is a monumental tomb of George Lloyde, Lord of the Manor of Ampney Park, who died in 1584, in the north transept. The carving on Lloyde's effigy is quite marvellous, with every curling hair on his head outlined beautifully.The beautifully decorated tomb canopy was discovered in the cellar of the manor by later owners and restored to the church. Also here are visible remains of wall paintings including St Helena, St James the Great, and St Paul, an unidentified archbishop, and coats of arms to local families, including the DeMareys, and Robert FitzHamon, founder of Tewkesbury Abbey. Among the paintings is a likeness of Edward the Confessor, one of only two known depictions of the saintly king in an English parish church (the other is at Faversham in Kent). There are also numerous fleurs de lys and other decorative forms. In the nineteenth century, before the nave paintings were lost, the signature of a painter was to be seen by a figure of St Christopher on the North wall - Thomas, ye paintere of Malmseburie - the only known signed wall painting in England. The Perpendicular west tower of 3 stages with string courses was built in the 15th century, when the current roof was built. It has a peel of six bells, which are regularly rung by a team of local bell ringers. The tenor bell is pre-Reformation manufacture and has on it in latin the words 'Pure Gracious Virgin take into Thy care all those who I may call together here'. The others date from 1620 to 1780. On the east wall of the chancel are plain tablets to members of the Pleydel family, long-time Lords of the manor at Ampney since 1594. There is a 14th century wall painting of the martyrdom of S.Erazmus. The pulpit is from the 15th century.
Mar 8th, 2021

Mar 23rd, 2020

Aug 7th, 2019

I saw it only from outside, it is a lovely.
Apr 1st, 2019