Downside Abbey in Stratton-on-the-Fosse - Abbey Church of St Gregory the Great

The evening walk around Stratton-on-the-Fosse on our first day staying in the village.

 

 

Checking out Downside Abbey after closing time, and just before sunset.

 

 

The Abbey Church of St Gregory the Great.

 

Grade I Listed Building

 

Abbey Church of St Gregory the Great, Downside Abbey

 

Description

 

In the entry for:

 

STRATTON-ON-THE-FOSSE FOSSE WAY

ST 65 SE (west side)

 

13/187

Abbey Church of St

Gregory The Great,

Downside Abbey and

School

GV

I

The address shall be amended to read:

 

ST 65 SE FOSSE WAY

5/187 (west side)

 

Abbey Church of St

Gregory The Great,

Downside Abbey

 

- I

 

and the description shall be amended to read

 

Abbey church and north cloister. Commenced 1873 and as yet unfinished (west front

and two bays of nave are missing). Main building periods 1872-82, c.1890, 1901-5,

1911-12, c.1923-25, 1938. Architects in date order, A M Dunn and E J Hansom,

Thomas Garner, F.A.Walters, Sir G.G.Scott. Interior fittings and furnishings by

the principal architects and Sir J N Comper. Bath stone ashlar with red plain

tile roofs, the east end chapels roofed very conspicuously in copper sheeting.

 

Abbey church consists of nave with blind aisles and gallery chapels to south over

north cloisters, by Sir G G Scott 1922-25 incorporating temporary west front, in

simplified early Perpendicular style. Transepts with chapels opened 1882 and base

of tower 1884, by A Dunn and E Hansom in early English style; tower finished 1938

by Scott in Somerset Perpendicular. Choir 1902-05 by Thomas Garner in early

Decorated style; east end, ambulatory and radiating chapels with large projecting

Lady Chapel opened 1888 by Dunn and Hansom in a French C13 style. Of the earliest

work by Dunn and Hansom the 2 bays transepts have a rose window to the north,

south transept with tower on south side; tower with much emphasised doorway and

with gabled canopy with figures; with Scott's addition it rises to about 166 ft,

corner buttresses, pinnacles, 3 tiers of 2-light bell-chamber windows. Eight bay

nave with triforium and clerestorey, pierced parapet, 2-light windows, rich

tracery, west end (unfinished) with triple lancets. Chancel of 7 bays, with tall

transomed clerestory windows, pierced parapets, flying buttresses, massive end

pinnacles, 3-light east window. Chapels at east end with much emphasis on

facetted roofs. Interior rib-vaulted in C13 French style; nave with tall

Perpendicular arcades; triforium in Decorated style; richly fitted and furnished

with much high quality work including altars, carvings, tombs, paintings and

stained glass; canopied tomb of Cardinal Gasquet (d.1929) by Sir G G Scott, effigy

by E Carter Preston. The Lady Chapel was decorated, glazed, paved and screened by

Comper.

 

'The most splendid demonstration of the renaissance of Roman Catholicism in

England' (Pevsner) it was built for a community of Benedictine monks, founded at

St Gregory's monastery at Douai in Flanders in 1607, house re-established in

England 1795, present estate purchased 1813.

 

References: Pevsner. Buildings of England, North Somerset and Bristol 1958 and

for full description of church: James, Dom Augustine. The Story of Downside Abbey

Church 1961. Fitzgerald-Lombard, Dom C.A guide to the Church of St Gregory the

Great Downside Abbey, 1981.

 

------------------------------------

 

STRATTON-ON-THE-FOSSE CP FOSSE WAY (West side)

ST65SE

13/187 Abbey Church of St. Gregory The

Great, Downside Abbey and School

-

 

GV I

 

Abbey Church, and north cloister. Work commenced 1872 and as yet unfinished, viz. west end of Abbey Church. For

community of Benedictine monks, founded at St Gregory's Monastery at Douai in northern France, 1601; house

re-established in England 1795, present estate purchased 1814. Bath and Doulting stones, lias; tile and copper sheeting

roofs. Abbey Church consists of nave with blind aisles and gallery chapels to south over north cloister, by Sir G G

Scott c1923-25 incorporating temporary west front, in simplified French Perpendicular style. Transepts with chapels and

base of tower c1882, by A Dunn and C Hansom in rich Early English style; tower finished 1938 by Scott in Somerset

Perpendicular. Chancel c1901-05 by Thomas Garner in Early Perpendicular style; east end, ambulatory and radiating

chapels with large projecting Lady Chapel c1890 by Dunn and Hansom in French Perpendicular style. Of the earliest work

by Dunn and Hansom the 2 bay transepts have a rose window to the north, south transept with tower on south side; tower

with much emphasised door opening, gabled canopy with figures; with Scott's addition it rises to about 160 m, corner

buttresses, pinnacles, 3 tiers of 2-light bell-chamber windows. Eight bay nave with triforium and clerestory, pierced

parapet, 2-light windows, rich tracery, west end with triple lancets. Chancel of 7 bays, with tall transomed clerestory

windows, pierced parapets, flying buttresses, massive end pinnacles, 3-light east window. Chapels at east end with much

emphasis on facetted roofs. Interior rib-vaulted in C13 French style; nave with tall Perpendicular arcades; triforium

in Decorated style; richly fitted and furnished with much high quality work including carvings, tombs, paintings and

stained glass; tomb and recess by Sir Ninian Compter. (Pevsner, Buildings of England, North Somerset and Bristol, 1958;

Fitzgerald-Lombard Dom C, A Guide to the Church of St Gregory the Great Downside Abbey, 1981).

 

 

Listing NGR: ST6550550832

Done