St Peter's Church, Southrop
Encyclopedia
St Peter's Church is an Anglican
church in Southrop
, a Cotswolds
village in the English county of Gloucestershire
. It is an active parish church
in the Diocese of Gloucester
and the archdeaconry of Cheltenham. It has been designated a Grade I listed building by English Heritage. The church—on the site of an older structure—dates from the 12th century.
times; the earliest part of the current structure date from the 12th century. The Rev. John Keble
was vicar of St Peter's from 1823–1825. During his time at Southrop, he found a Norman
-style circular baptismal font
in the church wall.
St Peter's was designated a Grade I listed building by English Heritage
on 16 January 1961. The Grade I designation—the highest of the three grades—is for buildings "of exceptional interest, sometimes considered to be internationally important". In his 1982 work Cotswold Churches, David Verey described St Peter's as a "most precious" church.
An active parish church
in the Church of England
, St Peter's is part of the Diocese of Gloucester
, which is in the Province of Canterbury
. It is in the archdeaconry of Cheltenham and the Deanery
of Fairford.
Model Kate Moss
and guitarist Jamie Hince were married at the church on 2 July 2011.
rubble and has a stone slate roof. The masonry has herringbone
work. The plan consists of a nave
with a south transept
and porch
to the north, and a chancel
to the east. The north entrance is Norman-style; the round arch of the porch has roll moulding
. The church doorway's jamb
shafts have capital
s with volute
s. In the hood mould
there is a tympanum
with a diaper
pattern.
The north and south nave walls each have a window dating from the 12th century, and a later two-light window from the 19th century. The nave also has a three-light Perpendicular style window with tracery
. The east window in the chancel contains stained glass
from 1852 designed by Thomas Willement
.
e (basins) in the south wall of the chancel. The baptismal font discovered by the Rev. John Keble
in the 1820s is circular. It has eight arches and relief
figures that include the Virtue
s (depicted as trampling the vice
s underfoot) and Moses
. Monuments inside the church include effigies
to Thomas and Elizabeth Conway, and memorials to the Keble family.
Anglicanism
Anglicanism is a tradition within Christianity comprising churches with historical connections to the Church of England or similar beliefs, worship and church structures. The word Anglican originates in ecclesia anglicana, a medieval Latin phrase dating to at least 1246 that means the English...
church in Southrop
Southrop
Southrop is a village and civil parish in Gloucestershire, England. It is situated on the River Leach. The Grade I listed St Peter's Church dates from the 12th century. Nearby villages include Eastleach Turville, Eastleach Martin, Little Farringdon, Claydon and Hatherop....
, a Cotswolds
Cotswolds
The Cotswolds are a range of hills in west-central England, sometimes called the Heart of England, an area across and long. The area has been designated as the Cotswold Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty...
village in the English 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....
. It is an active 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 Diocese of Gloucester
Diocese of Gloucester
The Diocese of Gloucester is a Church of England diocese based in Gloucester, covering the non-metropolitan county of Gloucestershire. The cathedral is Gloucester Cathedral and the bishop is the Bishop of Gloucester...
and the archdeaconry of Cheltenham. It has been designated a Grade I listed building by English Heritage. The church—on the site of an older structure—dates from the 12th century.
History and assessment
A church existed on the site in Anglo-SaxonAnglo-Saxon
Anglo-Saxon may refer to:* Anglo-Saxons, a group that invaded Britain** Old English, their language** Anglo-Saxon England, their history, one of various ships* White Anglo-Saxon Protestant, an ethnicity* Anglo-Saxon economy, modern macroeconomic term...
times; the earliest part of the current structure date from the 12th century. The Rev. John Keble
John Keble
John Keble was an English churchman and poet, one of the leaders of the Oxford Movement, and gave his name to Keble College, Oxford.-Early life:...
was vicar of St Peter's from 1823–1825. During his time at Southrop, he found a Norman
Norman architecture
About|Romanesque architecture, primarily English|other buildings in Normandy|Architecture of Normandy.File:Durham Cathedral. Nave by James Valentine c.1890.jpg|thumb|200px|The nave of Durham Cathedral demonstrates the characteristic round arched style, though use of shallow pointed arches above the...
-style circular baptismal font
Baptismal font
A baptismal font is an article of church furniture or a fixture used for the baptism of children and adults.-Aspersion and affusion fonts:...
in the church wall.
St Peter's was designated a Grade I listed building by English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
on 16 January 1961. The Grade I designation—the highest of the three grades—is for buildings "of exceptional interest, sometimes considered to be internationally important". In his 1982 work Cotswold Churches, David Verey described St Peter's as a "most precious" church.
An active 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 Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
, St Peter's is part of the Diocese of Gloucester
Diocese of Gloucester
The Diocese of Gloucester is a Church of England diocese based in Gloucester, covering the non-metropolitan county of Gloucestershire. The cathedral is Gloucester Cathedral and the bishop is the Bishop of Gloucester...
, which is in the Province of Canterbury
Province of Canterbury
The Province of Canterbury, also called the Southern Province, is one of two ecclesiastical provinces making up the Church of England...
. It is in the archdeaconry of Cheltenham and the Deanery
Deanery
A Deanery is an ecclesiastical entity in both the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of England. A deanery is either the jurisdiction or residence of a Dean.- Catholic usage :...
of Fairford.
Model Kate Moss
Kate Moss
Kate Moss is an English model. Moss is known for her waifish figure and popularising the heroin chic look in the 1990s. She is also known for her controversial private life, high profile relationships, party lifestyle, and drug use. Moss changed the look of modelling and started a global debate on...
and guitarist Jamie Hince were married at the church on 2 July 2011.
Exterior
St Peter's is built of limestoneLimestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
rubble and has a stone slate roof. The masonry has herringbone
Opus spicatum
Opus spicatum, literally "spiked work," is a type of masonry construction used in Roman and medieval times. It consists of bricks, tiles or cut stone laid in a herringbone pattern.-Uses:...
work. The plan consists of a 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 a south transept
Transept
For the periodical go to The Transept.A transept is a transverse section, of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In Christian churches, a transept is an area set crosswise to the nave in a cruciform building in Romanesque and Gothic Christian church architecture...
and porch
Porch
A porch is external to the walls of the main building proper, but may be enclosed by screen, latticework, broad windows, or other light frame walls extending from the main structure.There are various styles of porches, all of which depend on the architectural tradition of its location...
to the north, and a chancel
Chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
to the east. The north entrance is Norman-style; the round arch of the porch has roll moulding
Molding (decorative)
Molding or moulding is a strip of material with various profiles used to cover transitions between surfaces or for decoration. It is traditionally made from solid milled wood or plaster but may be made from plastic or reformed wood...
. The church doorway's jamb
Door jamb
A doorjamb is the vertical portion of the frame onto which a door is secured. The jamb bears the weight of the door through its hinges, and most types of door latches and deadbolts extend into a recess in the doorjamb when engaged, making the "true" and strength of the doorjambs vitally important...
shafts have capital
Capital (architecture)
In architecture the capital forms the topmost member of a column . It mediates between the column and the load thrusting down upon it, broadening the area of the column's supporting surface...
s with volute
Volute
A volute is a spiral scroll-like ornament that forms the basis of the Ionic order, found in the capital of the Ionic column. It was later incorporated into Corinthian order and Composite column capitals...
s. In the hood mould
Hood mould
In architecture, a hood mould, also called a label mould or dripstone, is an external moulded projection from a wall over an opening to throw off rainwater...
there is a tympanum
Tympanum (architecture)
In architecture, a tympanum is the semi-circular or triangular decorative wall surface over an entrance, bounded by a lintel and arch. It often contains sculpture or other imagery or ornaments. Most architectural styles include this element....
with a diaper
Diapering
Diaper is any of a wide range of decorative patterns used in a variety of works of art, such as stained glass, heraldic shields, architecture, silverwork etc. Its chief use is in the enlivening of plain surfaces.-Etymology:...
pattern.
The north and south nave walls each have a window dating from the 12th century, and a later two-light window from the 19th century. The nave also has a three-light Perpendicular style window with tracery
Tracery
In architecture, Tracery is the stonework elements that support the glass in a Gothic window. The term probably derives from the 'tracing floors' on which the complex patterns of late Gothic windows were laid out.-Plate tracery:...
. The east window in the chancel contains stained glass
Stained glass
The term stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings...
from 1852 designed by Thomas Willement
Thomas Willement
Thomas Willement, 1786–1871, was a British stained glass artist, called “the Father of Victorian Stained Glass”, active from 1811 to 1865.-Biographical:Willement was born on the 18th July 1786 at St Marylebone, London....
.
Interior and fittings
The arch between the nave and chancel is Norman-style with no moulding. There are two piscinaPiscina
A piscina is a shallow basin placed near the altar of a church, used for washing the communion vessels. The sacrarium is the drain itself. Anglicans usually refer to the basin, calling it a piscina. Roman Catholics usually refer to the drain, and by extension, the basin, as the sacrarium...
e (basins) in the south wall of the chancel. The baptismal font discovered by the Rev. John Keble
John Keble
John Keble was an English churchman and poet, one of the leaders of the Oxford Movement, and gave his name to Keble College, Oxford.-Early life:...
in the 1820s is circular. It has eight arches and relief
Relief
Relief is a sculptural technique. The term relief is from the Latin verb levo, to raise. To create a sculpture in relief is thus to give the impression that the sculpted material has been raised above the background plane...
figures that include the Virtue
Virtue
Virtue is moral excellence. A virtue is a positive trait or quality subjectively deemed to be morally excellent and thus is valued as a foundation of principle and good moral being....
s (depicted as trampling the vice
Vice
Vice is a practice or a behavior or habit considered immoral, depraved, or degrading in the associated society. In more minor usage, vice can refer to a fault, a defect, an infirmity, or merely a bad habit. Synonyms for vice include fault, depravity, sin, iniquity, wickedness, and corruption...
s underfoot) and Moses
Moses
Moses was, according to the Hebrew Bible and Qur'an, a religious leader, lawgiver and prophet, to whom the authorship of the Torah is traditionally attributed...
. Monuments inside the church include effigies
Effigy
An effigy is a representation of a person, especially in the form of sculpture or some other three-dimensional form.The term is usually associated with full-length figures of a deceased person depicted in stone or wood on church monuments. These most often lie supine with hands together in prayer,...
to Thomas and Elizabeth Conway, and memorials to the Keble family.