Nave looking West, Dymock
Heading over the Gloucestershire border Dymock church was my first port of call, and a fascinating building it is too. Tucked away in its leafy enclosure of a churchyard St Mary's is still largely a Norman building though with many later modifications. The section of blind-arcading on the south side of the chancel is the biggest initial indication of 12th century work (formerly this would have been connected to the now lost apse, replaced by the usual square termination in the following centuries). The south doorway in the porch is also Norman work with a foliate design on the tympanum. The tower with its short spire at the west end is a 15th century addition.
Upon entering the church one is first distracted by the window to the left of the Norman doorway, for this contains 15th century glass, presumably gathered here from another window inside the church (I don't think I've seen this situation before, where the church's most valuable remaining medieval glass is relegated to the porch, but at least it can be easily studied).
Inside the nave is rather dark and tunnel-like thanks to the long Norman walls (sadly scraped of their plaster in the Victorian period) that become more punctuated towards the east end by windows and arches into chancel and transept. A plaster ceiling above at least dispels some of the gloom below. It is an intriguing space that takes some time to explore, with a few memorials and older features of note, and some early windows by Kempe.
Dymock church is normally kept open and welcoming to visitors (when signing the visitors book I noticed I'd just missed out on bumping into some friends here from Stroud just the day before!).
Nave looking West, Dymock
Heading over the Gloucestershire border Dymock church was my first port of call, and a fascinating building it is too. Tucked away in its leafy enclosure of a churchyard St Mary's is still largely a Norman building though with many later modifications. The section of blind-arcading on the south side of the chancel is the biggest initial indication of 12th century work (formerly this would have been connected to the now lost apse, replaced by the usual square termination in the following centuries). The south doorway in the porch is also Norman work with a foliate design on the tympanum. The tower with its short spire at the west end is a 15th century addition.
Upon entering the church one is first distracted by the window to the left of the Norman doorway, for this contains 15th century glass, presumably gathered here from another window inside the church (I don't think I've seen this situation before, where the church's most valuable remaining medieval glass is relegated to the porch, but at least it can be easily studied).
Inside the nave is rather dark and tunnel-like thanks to the long Norman walls (sadly scraped of their plaster in the Victorian period) that become more punctuated towards the east end by windows and arches into chancel and transept. A plaster ceiling above at least dispels some of the gloom below. It is an intriguing space that takes some time to explore, with a few memorials and older features of note, and some early windows by Kempe.
Dymock church is normally kept open and welcoming to visitors (when signing the visitors book I noticed I'd just missed out on bumping into some friends here from Stroud just the day before!).