Holy Jesus' Church, Lydbrook
Encyclopedia
Holy Jesus' Church at Lydbrook
is a Church of England parish church
in the English
county of Gloucestershire
.
s in each aisle of the nave
, with access to the secondary portion via a passage near the side walls was particularly criticised. A passage up the middle of each aisles preferred instead. The article concludes that the most objectionable feature was the two floating buttress
es to the rear of the tower, "which seem to penetrate the lofty roof of the nave and lead one to expect a most substantial substructure within. But alas ! internally they are found to be corbelled off above the westermost clerestory
windows."
The interior and ornamental parts are built of Bath Stone
, the exterior being of the Grit Stone
of the neighbourhood. The Clerestoriel Nave of five bays is approximately 50 feet in height, 56 feet long and 50 feet wide. The arcades are of cylindrical columns rising to pointed arches. The windows are in the Geometrical Decorated style. The roof is a unique forest of wind bracing wooden trusses. The chancel roof consists of scissors-beam trusses.
of the Church is 80 feet in height, the saddle back roof being an unusual feature for the Forest, but quite common elsewhere in Gloucestershire, such as St Margaret's, Bagendon.
s - Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, with Christ the King at the centre. Below each of the Evangelists is an Angel holding a shield portraying the Evangelist's symbol. Below Christ are two Angels holding a shield bearing his name (IHS = JES)
. Above the Risen Christ is the Holy Spirit in the form of a Dove radiating down. To each side of the Dove is an Angel, respectively holding shields bearing the initials Alpha and Omega. Originally the Window was provided by Richard and Ann Thomas in memory of their children. The original inscription on the brass plaque ran "To the Glory of God, and in memory of the following members of the Thomas Family - William George, Sydney Lovelock and Ann Lillian, who rest in this Churchyard, Samuel Treherne and Alfred Ivor, interred at Lantwit, Neath, and Stanley Rendell, interred at the English Cemetery, Rome". The Window was dedicated 20 October 1908 by the Bishop of Gloucester. Sometime after 1917, with the deaths of Richard (1916) and Ann Thomas (1914), and Richard Beaumont and Elizabeth Mabel their children, a new plaque replaced the original with the additional names.
The stained glass window at the east end of the south aisle is in memory of the Reverend Henry Hoitt and was given by his wife in 1911. Henry Hoitt had served as Vicar for forty-two years. To complement this window an Altar (The Lady Altar) was placed underneath, with plans to screen it off, in effect to form a Lady Chapel. However the Screen was never put in place. The Eagle Lectern
also in memory of Henry Hoitt was added in 1909 replacing an earlier, simpler lectern.
The sedilia in the south wall of the sanctuary are worth noticing for the delicate stone traceried rere-arch above them. Behind the Altar lies some attractive stone carving.
adorn the walls of the Church. First is the War Memorial by the Lady Chapel Altar. Second is a memorial to Caroline Hodges (d. 1920) who was for thirty-six years a nurse in Lydbrook. The memorial is placed by the font, where many of the babies she delivered were baptised. The third memorial is to Jack Priest (d. 1983) who was a member of the Choir and a Churchwarden.
The War Memorial was erected in two stages. The right and left tablets stood together to commemorate those who gave their lives in the Great War. The larger middle tablet was added after the Second World War.
A brass plate mounted on the wall below the Lady Altar window (itself dedicated to the Reverend H T Hoitt) commemorates Annie Mabel Hoitt his daughter and Benefactress of the Church (d. 1967). A record of various gifts is recorded in a frame mounted in the Sanctuary.
, Paten
and Flagon
, made by the silversmith John Keith in 1850 to Butterfields design, and the presently used Chalice and Paten given in memory of Dorothy Joan Harris by her family.
Further activity took place in the 1960s and 1970s;
Under the guidance of the then Vicar, the Reverend Michael Foster, from 1991 until 1993 major restoration and alterations made the building serviceable for community activities under the direction of the Architect, John Sparrow;
The Reverend Michael Foster (Fr Michael) was the last Vicar of Lydbrook, which was served by Priests in Charge to 2006, when the Parish was merged with Ruardean and Drybrook under the new Incumbency of Nicholas Robert Bromfield.
Lydbrook
Lydbrook is a civil parish in the Forest of Dean, a local government district in the English county of Gloucestershire. It comprises the districts of Lower Lydbrook, Upper Lydbrook, and Joys Green.-Introduction:...
is a Church of England parish church
Church of England parish church
A parish church in the Church of England is the church which acts as the religious centre for the people within the smallest and most basic Church of England administrative region, known as a parish.-Parishes in England:...
in the English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
county of Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
.
Structure
The greater part of the Church was built in 1850 and 1851. It is in the style of the 14th century Decorated Period. The architect was Henry Woodyer, a flamboyant character. While the church was being built, an article in Ecclesiologist (new series XLV December 1850) heavily criticised Woodyer's design. The twenty-foot length of the original pewPew
A pew is a long bench seat or enclosed box used for seating members of a congregation or choir in a church, or sometimes in a courtroom.-Overview:Churches were not commonly furnished with permanent pews before the Protestant Reformation...
s in each aisle of the nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
, with access to the secondary portion via a passage near the side walls was particularly criticised. A passage up the middle of each aisles preferred instead. The article concludes that the most objectionable feature was the two floating buttress
Buttress
A buttress is an architectural structure built against or projecting from a wall which serves to support or reinforce the wall...
es to the rear of the tower, "which seem to penetrate the lofty roof of the nave and lead one to expect a most substantial substructure within. But alas ! internally they are found to be corbelled off above the westermost clerestory
Clerestory
Clerestory is an architectural term that historically denoted an upper level of a Roman basilica or of the nave of a Romanesque or Gothic church, the walls of which rise above the rooflines of the lower aisles and are pierced with windows. In modern usage, clerestory refers to any high windows...
windows."
The interior and ornamental parts are built of Bath Stone
Bath Stone
Bath Stone is an Oolitic Limestone comprising granular fragments of calcium carbonate. Originally obtained from the Combe Down and Bathampton Down Mines under Combe Down, Somerset, England, its warm, honey colouring gives the World Heritage City of Bath, England its distinctive appearance...
, the exterior being of the Grit Stone
Gritstone
Gritstone or Grit is a hard, coarse-grained, siliceous sandstone. This term is especially applied to such sandstones that are quarried for building material. British gritstone was used for millstones to mill flour, to grind wood into pulp for paper and for grindstones to sharpen blades. "Grit" is...
of the neighbourhood. The Clerestoriel Nave of five bays is approximately 50 feet in height, 56 feet long and 50 feet wide. The arcades are of cylindrical columns rising to pointed arches. The windows are in the Geometrical Decorated style. The roof is a unique forest of wind bracing wooden trusses. The chancel roof consists of scissors-beam trusses.
Tower
The TowerSteeple (architecture)
A steeple, in architecture, is a tall tower on a building, often topped by a spire. Steeples are very common on Christian churches and cathedrals and the use of the term generally connotes a religious structure...
of the Church is 80 feet in height, the saddle back roof being an unusual feature for the Forest, but quite common elsewhere in Gloucestershire, such as St Margaret's, Bagendon.
East window and the Thomas family
The east window commemorates the Thomas family famous for its national industrial achievements in the founding of the South Wales Steel Industry, and having begun in a modest way at the Lydbrook Tin Works. The window depicts the four evangelistFour Evangelists
In Christian tradition the Four Evangelists are Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, the authors attributed with the creation of the four Gospel accounts in the New Testament that bear the following titles:*Gospel according to Matthew*Gospel according to Mark...
s - Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, with Christ the King at the centre. Below each of the Evangelists is an Angel holding a shield portraying the Evangelist's symbol. Below Christ are two Angels holding a shield bearing his name (IHS = JES)
Christogram
A Christogram is a monogram or combination of letters that forms an abbreviation for the name of Jesus Christ, traditionally used as a Christian symbol. Different types of Christograms are associated with the various traditions of Christianity, e.g...
. Above the Risen Christ is the Holy Spirit in the form of a Dove radiating down. To each side of the Dove is an Angel, respectively holding shields bearing the initials Alpha and Omega. Originally the Window was provided by Richard and Ann Thomas in memory of their children. The original inscription on the brass plaque ran "To the Glory of God, and in memory of the following members of the Thomas Family - William George, Sydney Lovelock and Ann Lillian, who rest in this Churchyard, Samuel Treherne and Alfred Ivor, interred at Lantwit, Neath, and Stanley Rendell, interred at the English Cemetery, Rome". The Window was dedicated 20 October 1908 by the Bishop of Gloucester. Sometime after 1917, with the deaths of Richard (1916) and Ann Thomas (1914), and Richard Beaumont and Elizabeth Mabel their children, a new plaque replaced the original with the additional names.
The stained glass window at the east end of the south aisle is in memory of the Reverend Henry Hoitt and was given by his wife in 1911. Henry Hoitt had served as Vicar for forty-two years. To complement this window an Altar (The Lady Altar) was placed underneath, with plans to screen it off, in effect to form a Lady Chapel. However the Screen was never put in place. The Eagle Lectern
Eagle lectern
An eagle lectern is a lectern in the shape of an eagle. They are very common in Christian churches and cathedrals. The eagle is the symbol used to depict John the Apostle, whose writing most clearly witnesses the light and divinity of Christ...
also in memory of Henry Hoitt was added in 1909 replacing an earlier, simpler lectern.
The sedilia in the south wall of the sanctuary are worth noticing for the delicate stone traceried rere-arch above them. Behind the Altar lies some attractive stone carving.
Memorials
Only three stone memorialsChurch monument
A church monument is an architectural or sculptural memorial to a dead person or persons, located within a Christian church. It can take various forms, from a simple wall tablet to a large and elaborate structure which may include an effigy of the deceased person and other figures of familial or...
adorn the walls of the Church. First is the War Memorial by the Lady Chapel Altar. Second is a memorial to Caroline Hodges (d. 1920) who was for thirty-six years a nurse in Lydbrook. The memorial is placed by the font, where many of the babies she delivered were baptised. The third memorial is to Jack Priest (d. 1983) who was a member of the Choir and a Churchwarden.
The War Memorial was erected in two stages. The right and left tablets stood together to commemorate those who gave their lives in the Great War. The larger middle tablet was added after the Second World War.
A brass plate mounted on the wall below the Lady Altar window (itself dedicated to the Reverend H T Hoitt) commemorates Annie Mabel Hoitt his daughter and Benefactress of the Church (d. 1967). A record of various gifts is recorded in a frame mounted in the Sanctuary.
Church plate
The Church's silver consists of; a ChaliceChalice (cup)
A chalice is a goblet or footed cup intended to hold a drink. In general religious terms, it is intended for drinking during a ceremony.-Christian:...
, Paten
Paten
A paten, or diskos, is a small plate, usually made of silver or gold, used to hold Eucharistic bread which is to be consecrated. It is generally used during the service itself, while the reserved hosts are stored in the Tabernacle in a ciborium....
and Flagon
Flagon
A flagon is a large leather, metal or ceramic vessel, commonly a pitcher, often used for drink, whether this be water, ale, or something else.-Christian use:...
, made by the silversmith John Keith in 1850 to Butterfields design, and the presently used Chalice and Paten given in memory of Dorothy Joan Harris by her family.
Book of Remembrance
On permanent display in the Church is a Book of Remembrance. Details of entry of names can be gained from the Churchwardens. The display cabinet was made by a local craftsman, Laddy Broadman.Chronology
Although the Church seems to have a timeless quality things have never stood still, as each generation used the building to serve its needs. For example there was a great amount of activity early 1900s;- The Church was restored in 1904 under the Architect, M H Medland.
- The East Window added in 1908.
- The Eagle Lectern introduced in 1909.
- The South Aisle East stained glass window, and Lady Altar added 1911.
- The OrganPipe organThe pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurized air through pipes selected via a keyboard. Because each organ pipe produces a single pitch, the pipes are provided in sets called ranks, each of which has a common timbre and volume throughout the keyboard compass...
once stood where the war memorial stands today, but was moved in 1912 when further extensions to the Church were added by the Architect, A H Pearson; an Organ Chamber continuing the south aisle eastwards and a Choir Vestry on the north side complimenting the South Porch. - The FontBaptismal fontA baptismal font is an article of church furniture or a fixture used for the baptism of children and adults.-Aspersion and affusion fonts:...
originally stood on the left hand side of the South Porch entrance but in 1911 it was moved to the present position on the right hand side at the back of the South Aisle.
Further activity took place in the 1960s and 1970s;
- Between the Chancel and the Nave of the Church stood a wooden choir screen original to the Church, but in 1966 this had to be removed because of woodwormWoodwormA woodworm is not a specific species. It is the larval stage of certain woodboring beetles including:*Ambrosia beetles *Bark borer beetle / Waney edge borer *Common furniture beetle...
. The overall effect was to open up the Church bringing together Priest, Choir and Congregation. - In 1964 the first four pews in the North Aisle (half pews) were removed to allow room for children's work, as by that time the Church Schoolrooms were dilapidated and unable to be used.
- The Lady Altar was refurbished by the Reverend David Lovell and Mrs Lovell in 1971.
Under the guidance of the then Vicar, the Reverend Michael Foster, from 1991 until 1993 major restoration and alterations made the building serviceable for community activities under the direction of the Architect, John Sparrow;
- Lead Valleys on the roof were repaired, and the string course on the Tower was replaced, in addition to weathered stone on the Tower.
- In January 1991 a water supply was brought into Church, a milestone in itself followed by the installation in March 1992 of toilets and a kitchen unit using the Choir Vestry.
- In March 1992 the four back rows of pews were removed and replaced by wooden chairs with cushioned seats and backs. This allowed space for Community activities to begin to develop.
- In 1993, the hot water heating system was upgraded with the addition of convector fan radiators, and an upgraded boiler greatly increasing the wattage output.
- The removal of the remaining nine rows of pews followed in July 1993. 250 comfortable chairs now grace the Church. The visual effect has been to make the Church look brighter and larger.
- Since the building of the Church in 1851, the South Porch had been an external entrance and represented a covered approach to the Church. In June 1992 external doors were fitted to the Porch creating a further small meeting room. The tiled floor to the Porch had been pitted by the weather, and this was restored.
Vicars of Lydbrook
- 1851 - William Deering
- 1852 - Temple H. Chase
- 1866 - Henry T. Hoitt
- 1908 - Fredereck W. Bidwell
- 1912 - Geoffrey A. Hopkins
- 1926 - Henry Thompson
- 1933 - Reginald W. E. Robinson
- 1942 - Bert Prime
- 1951 - Reginald F. Hibbs
- 1961 - (Priest-in-Charge) Eric J. Hoskin
- 1963 - Ernest Rutter
- 1964 - John C. Wilson
- 1967 - David J. Lovell
- 1973 - Wilfred D. Varney
- 1977 - Dennis Bowler
- 1982 - W. A. Stuart Parker
- 1989 - Michael J. Foster
The Reverend Michael Foster (Fr Michael) was the last Vicar of Lydbrook, which was served by Priests in Charge to 2006, when the Parish was merged with Ruardean and Drybrook under the new Incumbency of Nicholas Robert Bromfield.