A Tour of St George's

We enter the Church by the south door, at the end of the main pathway up to the church. Pause in the porch to look above you at St. George and the Dragon on the centre boss.

To your left is now a toilet. Originally the stairs to the Parvise room went from the porch to the room above. This room was originally lodging for itinerant preachers. New oak stairs to the Parvise Room were built in 1992 which lie to your left as you walk through the main Church doors.

Over in the rear of the North aisle, you will see a carved oak frontal chest , which was made early this century, the work of the Miss Bennett sisters, who lived at Downhouse Farm. (They also carved the panelling behind the altar).

As you walk into the centre aisle of the Church, the Norman font bowl with its nail-head pattern lies to your left, and behind it is the door to the vestry .   Near the vestry door you may see the Pascal Candle which is lit each year at the Easter Vigil service to celebrate Christ’s resurrection. Throughout the year it is lit at baptisms, and also at funerals to remind us that God is the Light of Eternal Life. On the candle are the Greek symbols Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end.

Above the vestry is the Tower Room which was built 1984, and used now for Junior Church. From the Tower Room, a good view over the church can be seen.

As you walk into the North aisle, ahead of you lies the former North Door. In 1969 the plaster was removed exposing the original 14th century north doorway. This is now an alcove holding the Book of Remembrance.
Above and to the right of the former door lies the memorial tablet to Rev. W.C. Holder (9) who built a new vicarage (now Vannincourt) and The National School (now a private house on the north side of the churchyard). The school is shown in low relief on his memorial.
Also on this wall used to hang the painting of St. George and the Dragon painted and presented by Lady Helena Gleichen, one of the official artists to the Army during the first world war. This has been re-hung in the tower room following the restoration work.       In the North Aisle the east facing and the two north facing windows were restored 1991 - 1995 by a generous donation from a parish family. With the help of English Heritage the west facing window was restored in 1998.
In the corner hangs a tapestry St George and Dragon banner.

If we walk to the front of the North Aisle, and re-enter the main body of the Church, on your left is the early 17th century Jacobean pulpit. The high altar table is of the same period but is not usually visible.
Above you, the Tables of Commandments each side of the Chancel arch were painted in about 1850, and restored in 1969.
We can now turn left into the Chancel. This was rebuilt by Rev. George Madan in 1842. In 1991 the ceiling was re-painted and re-gilded. Two of the angel bosses supporting the roof are shown alongside. The walls were cleaned in 1993 with additional lighting installed and also new heaters.
To the right lies the organ . This was moved here in 1887 from the gallery at the west end of the church and placed in what had been the clergy vestry on the south side of the  chancel. The organ was completely restored in 1979.   The High Altar table is of early 17th Century origin. In front of the Altar hangs the sanctuary lamp which reminds us that this is a place of prayer.
The Reredos (the tableau behind the High Altar) is a deep relief carving of Leonardo da Vinci's picture of the last supper. It was given in memory of The Revd. Edward Griffiths, vicar of the parish from 1899 to 1913. The east window above the reredos was given in memory of Herbert Winterbotham who died in 1925. Built into the wall to the right of the High Altar is the Aumbry, which holds consecrated wine and wafers, consecrated during the Eucharist, and used to take communion to those unable to attend Church.   The choir stalls were given in 1939 in memory of William Tyndale, martyr and translator of the Bible, who had connections with the parish.

	As you step out of the Chancel you pass the Eagle Lectern on your left. The window at the East end is in memory of Thomas Morse whose box pew stood here. Note the birds at their nests on the pillars.
	In the corner stands the Mothers Union "Madonna and Child" banner.

Before we go back outside, you may wish to note:

1. Church Registers from 1569 are deposited at the Gloucestershire Records Office.

2. The church Diate is fairly modern, given in 1842 by Mrs. Phelps of Norman Hill. A pair of chalices, given in memory of Leslie Gale in 1993, are in regular use.

3. The clock, in the tower, with its Cambridge chimes, was given in 1905 by Mrs. Ayre of Kingshill House. Until 1998 it was wound twice a week by hand. With the aid of the Heritage Lottery Fund electric winding was installed.

4. Bells: In 1710 five of the bells were recast by the famous bell foundry of the Rudhall family of Gloucester. One has the name "Colonel Hopton" inscribed on it - related to Frances Hopton who in 1730 endowed Cam Hopton School, which is still attended by local children. Another has "Edward Turner", then vicar. The treble bell was added in 1901 and was made by Thomas Blackbourne of Salisbury.

In 1994 the bells were restored and re-tuned. A new treble bell was cast to match the tone of the other five bells and the Blackbourne bell was re-fitted in a new frame with electric action for use as a "calling bell". Details of the bells can be seen on the screen near the font.

If you walk around the church in a clockwise direction you pass the tower. On the south wall of the tower is a very realistic dragon. There are also a ram's head, a bull's head and two gargoyles of horses' heads and a demon playing a pipe.

At the west end, under the Yew tree, a tomb stone to "Joseph White, Thatcher of this parish, who died 12th June 1837 aged 103".

Ahead the churchyard opens out, and downhill to the west lies the newer part of the churchyard and the new Garden of Remembrance. Unlike many churchyards, ours is open for burials and internment of ashes, and we believe we have space for about another 50 years.

In the early 1990's we took back some church land on the opposite side of the footpath that runs through the churchyard which was being used as allotments. The area was levelled and allowed to grass over. A footpath has been put in to open up the area for burials, and the new area will be used in year 2000 for the first time. (Link to Churchyard and Garden of Remembrance rules.)

The Garden of Remembrance was created in 1998, enclosed in a beech hedge to set the garden apart for those who seek a time of quiet, and two seats and the rose garden help create a special atmosphere. The special kerbstones have space for two plaques which allows the commemoration plaques and ashes of loved ones to be together.

If you carry on around the church you get good views of the building and churchyard. The photo (right) is of the east end of the building, with the east window, to the left of that is the organ chamber which sticks out, in front of the south aisle. Behind the south aisle is the porch with parvise room above. Some new holly bushes have been planted (Jan 2000) around the boundary, just behind where the photograph was taken from, to enclose the churchyard.

Following around the southern side of the church you will see the vicarage, and between the vicarage and the road lies the vicarage garden.

This brings us back around to the main drive to the church, and the view of the church that is most popular with photographers and artists, and has formed the backdrop to literally hundreds of wedding photographs!