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Icomb is a beautiful little village two miles south-east of Stow-on-the-Wold. St. Mary the Virgin's Church is near the village centre where a Celtic cross is set on a small triangular green. Attractive Cotswold houses add to the tranquil scene.
The present south porch and doorway of the church are Early English and date from 1249. The church tower was built in 1600 and has a gabled saddleback roof and domestic Tudor windows with straight heads. The font is a fine example of the Perpendicular style and is adorned with quatrefoils and tracery. Near the altar there is colourful Godwin encaustic tiling on the floor. The south trancept of the church is a chantry chapel containing the tomb and effigy of Sir John Blaket who died in 1431. The effigy of Sir John rests on a tomb chest with seven canopied and buttressed niches. These niches contain sculptured figures of the Trinity, a kneeling knight and lady, angels with
shields, St. John the Baptist, and St. Michael. Sir John fought with Henry V at the Battle of Agincourt. The beautiful stained glass east window is of the triple lancet type. The glass by James Powell & Sons dates from 1900 and depicts the Risen Christ and the Nativity. Mary is in blue and St. John is in green.
Originally Icomb was under the jurisdiction of Worcestershire despite being an 'island' in Gloucestershire. Icomb was in the 18th Century the hide-out of a brigand band of three brothers, all members of the Dunsdon family who, among other things, looted the Gloucester Mail stagecoach. These three brothers, who ended up either hanged or in chains were the original and eponymous Tom, Dick and Harry.
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