Yanworth church
Encyclopedia
The Church of St. Michael is the parish church of Yanworth
, Gloucestershire
, England. The church is a Grade II* listed building dating from the late-12th and 15th centuries. The church stands isolated from Yanworth village adjacent to Church Farm.
, isolation of the church from the village was likely due to the Black Death
, which swept through Gloucestershire
and Oxfordshire
in the 14th century. In order to try to contain the epidemic, many houses were destroyed and burnt to the ground, leaving only the church and a few substantial buildings standing.
. The north wall of the chancel
is made of limestone rubble mixed with some dressed stone, suggesting that this wall was once part of an earlier building. The roof is of stone slate except for the nave
, which is leaded. A 12th century moulded plinth surrounds the church. A miniature tower, dating from the 15th century, stands flush with the west wall. Gargoyles can be seen on the north and south sides of the church but most have been defaced.
Marks on the wall of the north transept may be the result of shrapnel damage from the Civil War
.
Yanworth
Yanworth is a small rural parish located in the county of Gloucestershire, England 14 miles south east of Cheltenham and 88 miles North West of London. Its has a population of 300. The village itself is part of the Stowell Park estate owned by Lord Vestey. Yanworth church is set apart from the...
, 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....
, England. The church is a Grade II* listed building dating from the late-12th and 15th centuries. The church stands isolated from Yanworth village adjacent to Church Farm.
History
Like many churches in the CotswoldsCotswolds
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...
, isolation of the church from the village was likely due to the Black Death
Black Death
The Black Death was one of the most devastating pandemics in human history, peaking in Europe between 1348 and 1350. Of several competing theories, the dominant explanation for the Black Death is the plague theory, which attributes the outbreak to the bacterium Yersinia pestis. Thought to have...
, which swept through 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....
and Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
in the 14th century. In order to try to contain the epidemic, many houses were destroyed and burnt to the ground, leaving only the church and a few substantial buildings standing.
Exterior
The exterior of the church is mainly ashlarAshlar
Ashlar is prepared stone work of any type of stone. Masonry using such stones laid in parallel courses is known as ashlar masonry, whereas masonry using irregularly shaped stones is known as rubble masonry. Ashlar blocks are rectangular cuboid blocks that are masonry sculpted to have square edges...
. The north wall of the 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...
is made of limestone rubble mixed with some dressed stone, suggesting that this wall was once part of an earlier building. The roof is of stone slate except for 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...
, which is leaded. A 12th century moulded plinth surrounds the church. A miniature tower, dating from the 15th century, stands flush with the west wall. Gargoyles can be seen on the north and south sides of the church but most have been defaced.
Marks on the wall of the north transept may be the result of shrapnel damage from the Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
.