Lydney Parish Church


St. Mary's Church
Photos by John Wilkes of Cam near Dursley, Gloucestershire
The Gloucestershire Photo Library
St. Mary's has been described as aesthetically dull. The nave does however have archaeological interest and the soaring tower has considerable landscape value. This is a large church, mostly Early English, but much restored generally. It consists of nave, North and South aisles, chancel, North chapel, West tower, and North and South porches - the latter a vestry.
The most outstanding feature is the splendid nave with matching 13th Century arcades of five bays with slender cylindrical piers with round moulded capitals. The 13th Century tower's medieval spire was rebuilt in the late 19th Century after the top fell off. There are good wagon roofs in the nave and aisles, with carved bosses. There are stained glass windows by Hardman, Joseph Bell and G.E.R. Smith. The East window in the North Aisle Chapel depicts the Franz Josef Glacier in New Zealand. This window was given in 1941 by Charles Bathurst, 1st Viscount Bledisloe, to commemorate his tour of duty as Governor General of New Zealand 1930-35. One of the detail panels on this montage shows a native Maori, a flightless kiwi bird and native tree ferns all making up a unique sight in a Severn-side Gloucestershire church. This window was designed in 1941 by G.E.R. Smith. The font is a Perpendicular style octagonal bowl with quatrefoils. There is a good and extensive collection of Forest-stone churchyard monuments surrounding the church, nearly all highly original and expertly carved.
Page composition by Allan Taylor of Vancouver, Canada
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