Church Heritage Record 616349

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Shipton Sollars: St Mary

Name:

This is the church’s legal name as given by the Church Commissioners.

Shipton Sollars: St Mary
Record Type:

A classification of the current status of the building

CCT Church
Church code:

This is a unique identification number supplied to each church building by the Church Commissioners.

616349
Diocese:

Name of diocese in which the church building is located at the time of entry.

Gloucester
Archdeaconry:

Name of archdeaconry in which the church building is located at the time of entry

Cheltenham
Parish:

This is the legal name of the parish as given by the Church Commissioners.

Shipton Oliffe with Shipton Sollars and Cold Salperton

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Statutory Designation Information

Listed Building?

The decision to put a church building on the National Heritage List for England and assign it a listing grade is made by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport. The decision is normally based on recommendations made by Historic England, the government’s adviser on the historic environment.

This is a Grade I Listed Building
View more information about this Listed Building on the National Heritage List for England web site
Scheduled Monument?

The decision to schedule a feature (building, monument, archaeological remains, etc.) located within the church building’s precinct or churchyard is made by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport. The decision is based on recommendations made by Historic England, the government’s adviser on cultural heritage.

There is no Scheduled Monument within the curtilage or precinct

National Park

National Parks are areas of countryside that include villages and towns, which are protected because of their beautiful countryside, wildlife and cultural heritage. In England, National Parks are designated by Natural England, the government’s advisor on the natural environment.

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Conservation Area

Conservation areas are places of special architectural or historic interest where it is desirable to preserve and enhance the character and appearance of such areas. Conservation Areas are designated by the Local Council.

The church is in the following Conservation Area: Shipton

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Heritage At Risk Status

On Heritage At Risk Register?

The Heritage at Risk programme is run and managed by Historic England, the government’s advisor on cultural heritage. It aims to protect and manage the historic environment, so that the number of ‘at risk’ historic places and sites across England are reduced.

This church is not on the Heritage at Risk Register
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Approximate Date

Approximate Date:

Selecting a single date for the construction of a church building can sometimes be very difficult as most CoE buildings have seen many phases of development over time. The CHR allows you to record a time period rather than a specific date.

The CHR records the time period for the building’s predominant fabric as opposed to the date of the earliest fabric or the church’s foundation date.

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Exterior Image

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Summary Description

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The church would appear to be early 13th-century in origin, as betrayed by the chancel arch, the doorways and a lancet in the chancel. Externally this is a very simple church, the nave slightly wider and higher than the chancel. There are doorways in the north and south walls, the south door is of battened oak and looks late medieval.

Visiting and Facilities

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The church is closed for worship.
Date closed for worship:
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Church Website

Church Website:

www.holytrinitylyonsdown.org.uk

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Sources and Further Information

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Basil Fulford Lowther Clarke (1923) Canon Basil Clarke Collection Notebook Volume 27 Page 91 1973-75 [Archive/Document]
http://archives.lambethpalacelibrary.org.uk/CalmView/Record.aspx?src=CalmView.Catalog&id=CLARKE
Church Buildings Council (2019) Church Bells 1 Bell [Archive/Index]
1 Bell

If you notice any errors with the below outlines of your connected churchyards, please email heritageonline@churchofengland.org with the corrections needed.

This could include information on new churchyards, edits to the boundaries shown, or different land characteristics. 

We are working on adding the consecrated land found within local authority cemeteries, and in time, this data will be shown on the map.

Grid Reference: SP 031 184

To zoom into an area hold the SHIFT key down then click and drag a rectangle.

Administrative Area

County:

The administrative area within which the church is located.

Gloucestershire County

Location and Setting

This field describes the setting of the church building, i.e. the surroundings in which the church building is experienced, and whether or not it makes a positive or negative contribution to the significance of the building.

The villages of Shipton Sollars (sometimes spelt Solers) and Shipton Oliffe form a continuous strip of pretty stone-built cottages, located on a quiet side road 8km east of Cheltenham.  The church of St Mary is set just off the main road down a narrow lane, the churchyard raised above the lane and enclosed by a dry stone wall.  There is a low range of late 17th-century converted stone buildings along the north side of the churchyard, and the much restored manor house to the east, with parts of the moat still visible.  There are also remains of the deserted medieval village of Shipton Solers and other earthworks in the vicinity, and the site must be considered to be of high archaeological significance.

Access is through an iron gate up a steep flight of steps to the grassed churchyard, which appears never to have been used for burials.  The small and externally simple appearance of the two-cell church rather belies its importance, which becomes clear upon entering the church.

Church Plan

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Ground Plan Description and Dimensions

Ground Plan

Provide as written description of the ground plan of the church building and well as its dimensions.

Nave and slightly narrower chancel.

Dimensions

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Nave 15m (46 feet) x 6m (18.5ft).

Footprint of Church buildings (m2):

Small (<199m2)

Medium (200-599m2)

Large (600m-999m2)

Very Large (>1000m2)

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Description of Archaeology and History

This field aims to record the archaeological potential of the wider area around the building and churchyard, as well as the history of site.

The church would appear to be early 13th-century in origin, as betrayed by the chancel arch, the doorways and a lancet in the chancel. Apparently when the church was restored this century a date of 1212 was noted above the chancel arch. Most of the windows now have Perpendicular tracery, probably of the 15th century, at which time the chancel was lengthened. 

The church was apparently derelict from 1862 and was partly restored in 1884-5 when the wooden belcote was replaced with the present stone version. It was again derelict by 1929, when photographs in the Council collection show the church was in a ruinous state, apparently in use as a cow shed with ivy growing through the windows and dark red plaster peeling off the walls, though one would not guess that now. The church was sensitively restored by W Ellery Anderson in 1929-32. The walls were stripped of the Victorian plaster, revealing wall-paintings, these now exposed on a white background, and the surviving historic furniture was restored. 

Exterior Description

This field aims to record a written description of the exterior of the church building and the churchyard.

Externally this is a very simple church, the nave slightly wider and higher than the chancel.  There are doorways in the north and south walls, the south door is of battened oak and looks late medieval.  The south door is similar but has a new external facing with blind tracery which is much more recent, perhaps c 1885.  Both doorways have hood-moulds over with angle stops, and double-chamfered arches, in the same style as the chancel arch.

The east window has a similar hood-mould, but the tracery of the three-light is Perpendicular, with cinquefoiled heads to the main lights and smaller lights above. The west window is identical.  The tiny pointed lancet low down in the south wall has already been mentioned. There is a further single light with a cinquefoiled head opposite it. The south windows are square-headed under labels, a two-light in the chancel and a three-light in the eastern part of the nave walls, the lights again with cinquefoiled heads.  The north windows are the same but with pointed heads and hood-moulds as the east and west windows.

There is a break in the masonry at the western edge of the chancel two-light in the north wall which might indicate the original return of the much shorter early 13th-century chancel.  The gable ends have simple kneelers and coping stones, and there is a wheel cross finial to the east gable (13th-century, reset) and simple stone crosses on the east nave gable and belcote.

Architects, Artists and Associated People/Organisations

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Building Fabric and Features

This field is an index of the building and its major components

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Collapse Building Fabric and FeaturesBuilding Fabric and Features
STAINED GLASS (1930)
STAINED GLASS (1930)
STAINED GLASS

Building Materials

This field is an index of the building’s material composition

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BATH STONE
LIMESTONE

Interior Image

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Interior Description

This field aims to record a written description of the interior of the church building.

The interior is light and welcoming, and full of surprises. The walls of the nave and chancel arch are covered in fragments of wall paintings and black lettering, the walls otherwise white-washed.  This was done after the dark red paint and black lettering above the chancel arch had been removed.  This work revealed two layers of post-reformation texts within round-headed panels in black lettering on the north wall, the lower with a dark red frame, the upper with a yellow frame. There is also a better preserved square panel within a yellow frame which might be readable on the south wall in the west corner.  Fragments survive in patches elsewhere, especially above the chancel arch and on the chancel arch itself. 

There are 17th and 18th-century monuments on the walls, and the pulpit and two chairs have survived from the mid 17th century (see below). There are also several well-preserved painted consecration crosses in red in the chancel and in the nave.

Peeling back the tatty red carpet revealed several 18th and 19th-century ledger slabs set into the stone flagged floor, which could not be properly recorded.  There are quarry tiles in the chancel, to which one steps down from the nave. The chancel has a 13th-century piscina and aumbry in the south wall. The roofs are of a simple tie-beam and king-post construction supporting a waggon roof, probably 15th-century.  The east bay of the nave has a boarded ceiling.  

Internal Fixtures and Fittings

This field is an index of the building’s internal, architectural components. This includes its internal spaces and those areas’ fixtures and fittings (building components which are securely fixed to the church or cathedral).

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ALTAR (Early 13th Century)
BELL (1 of 1)
FONT (OBJECT) (15th Century)
LECTERN (1930)
ORGAN (OBJECT) (1930)
PULPIT
REREDOS (1930s)

Portable Furnishings and Artworks

This field is an index of the building’s movable, non-fixed furnishings and artworks.

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If you notice any errors with the below outlines of your connected churchyards, please email heritageonline@churchofengland.org with the corrections needed.

This could include information on new churchyards, edits to the boundaries shown, or different land characteristics. 

We are working on adding the consecrated land found within local authority cemeteries, and in time, this data will be shown on the map.

Grid Reference: SP 031 184

To zoom into an area hold the SHIFT key down then click and drag a rectangle.

Ecology

This field aims to record a description of the ecology of the churchyard and surrounding setting.

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Ecological Designations

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The everyday wildlife of burial grounds means much to those who visit and cherish them but many burial grounds are so rich in wildlife that they should be designated and specially protected. Few have the legal protection of a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) or, in the case of local authority owned cemeteries, Local Nature Reserve. This makes it even more important that they are cared for and protected by the people looking after them.

Many have a non-statutory designation as a recognition of their importance. These non-statutory designations have a variety of names in different regions including Local Wildlife Site, County Wildlife Site, Site of Importance for Nature Conservation or Site of Nature Conservation Importance (Local Wildlife Site is the most common name). Their selection is based on records of the most important, distinctive and threatened species and habitats within a national, regional and local context. This makes them some of our most valuable wildlife areas.

For example, many burial grounds which are designated as Local Wildlife Sites contain species-rich meadow, rich in wildflowers, native grasses and grassland fungi managed by only occasional mowing plus raking. When this is the case, many animals may be present too, insects, birds, amphibians, reptiles and mammals. This type of grassland was once widespread and has been almost entirely lost from the UK with approximately 3% remaining, so burial grounds with species-rich meadow managed in this way are extremely important for wildlife.

These designations should be considered when planning management or change.

If you think that this or any other burial ground should be designated please contact Caring for God’s Acre (info@cfga.org.uk) to discuss. Many eligible sites have not yet received a designation and can be surveyed and then submitted for consideration.

There are no SSSIs within the curtilage of this CCT Church.

There are no Local nature reserves within the curtilage of this CCT Church.

There are no Local Wildlife sites within the curtilage of this CCT Church.

Evidence of the Presence of Bats

This field aims to record any evidence of the presence of bats in the church building or churchyard.

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Burial and War Grave Information

This field records basic information about the presence of a churchyard and its use as a burial ground.

It is unknown whether the church or churchyard is consecrated. Work in progress - can you help?
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It is unknown whether the churchyard has been used for burial. Work in progress - can you help?
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It is unknown whether the churchyard is used for burial. Work in progress - can you help?
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It is unknown whether the churchyard is closed for burial. Work in progress - can you help?
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It is unknown whether the churchyard has war graves. Work in progress - can you help?

National Heritage List for England Designations

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There are no Listed Buildings within the curtilage of this CCT Church.

There are no Scheduled Monuments within the curtilage of this CCT Church.

Ancient, Veteran & Notable Trees

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Churchyards are home to fantastic trees, in particular ancient and veteran trees which can be the oldest indication of a sacred space and be features of extraordinary individuality. The UK holds a globally important population of ancient and veteran yew trees of which three-quarters are found in the churchyards of England and Wales.

There are more than 1,000 ancient and veteran yews aged at least 500 years in these churchyards.

To put this in context, the only other part of western Europe with a known significant yew population is Normandy in northern France, where more than 100 ancient or veteran churchyard yews have been recorded.

Burial grounds may contain veteran and ancient trees of other species such as sweet chestnut or small-leaved lime which, whilst maybe not so old as the yews, are still important for wildlife and may be home to many other species.

Specialist advice is needed when managing these wonderful trees. For more information or to seek advice please contact Caring for God’s Acre, The Ancient Yew Group and The Woodland Trust.

If you know of an ancient or veteran tree in a burial ground that is not listed here please contact Caring for God’s Acre.

There are currently no Ancient, Veteran or Notable trees connected to this CCT Church

Churchyard Structures

This field is an index of the churchyard’s components.

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Significance

Setting Significance Level:

Significance is the whole set of reasons why people value a church, whether as a place for worship and mission, as an historic building that is part of the national heritage, as a focus for the local community, as a familiar landmark or for any other reasons.

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Setting Significance Description:
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Fabric Significance Level:
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Fabric Significance Description:
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Interior Significance Level:
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Interior Significance Description:
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Community Significance Level:
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Community Significance Description:
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Church Renewables

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Species Summary

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All of the species listed below have been recorded in close proximity to the CCT Church . A few species which are particularly threatened and affected by disturbance may not be listed here because their exact location cannot be shared.

NOTE: Be aware that this dataset is growing, and the species totals may change once the National Biodiversity Network has added further records. Species may be present but not recorded and still await discovery.

CategoryTotal species recorded to date
TOTAL NUMBER OF SPECIES RECORDED 0
Total number of animal species 0
Total number of plant species 0
Total number of mammal species 0
Total number of birds 0
Total number of amphibian and reptile species 0
Total number of invertebrate species 0
Total number of fungi species 0
Total number of mosses and liverworts (bryophytes) 0
Total number of ferns 0
Total number of flowering plants 0
Total number of Gymnosperm and Ginkgo 0

Caring for God’s Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.

To learn more about all of the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.

‘Seek Advice’ Species

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If any of the following species have been seen close to the CCT Church, it is important to seek advice from an expert. You will need to know if they are present now, and to follow expert recommendations when planning works. All of these species have specific legal protection as a recognition of their rarity. All of them are rare or becoming increasingly endangered, so it is important to ensure that management and other works do not adversely affect them. In addition, there may be things you can do to help these special species. N.B. Swift and House Martin do not have specific legal protection but are included, as roof repair works often impact breeding swifts and house martins which is against the law.

This is not a complete list of protected species, there are many more, but these are ones that are more likely to be found. All wild birds, their nests and eggs are also protected by law, as are all bats and veteran trees. In a few cases, species are considered particularly prone to disturbance or destruction by people, so the exact location of where they were recorded is not publicly available but can be requested. These ‘blurred’ records are included here, and the accuracy is to 1km. This means that the species has been recorded in close proximity to the CCT Church, or a maximum of 1km away from it. As these ‘blurred’ species are quite mobile, there is a strong likelihood that they can occur close to the CCT Church. To learn about these special species, use the link provided for each species in the table below

One important species which is not included here is the Peregrine Falcon. This is protected and advice should be sought if peregrines are nesting on a church or cathedral. Peregrine records are ‘blurred’ to 10km, hence the decision not to include records here. Remember too that species not seriously threatened nationally may still be at risk in your region and be sensitive to works. You should check with local experts about this. You may also need to seek advice about invasive species, such as Japanese knotweed and aquatics colonising streams or pools, which can spread in churchyards.

N.B. If a species is not recorded this does not indicate absence. It is always good practice to survey.

No species data found for this record

Caring for God’s Acre can help and support you in looking after the biodiversity present in this special place. If you know that any of these species occur close to the CCT Church and are not recorded here, please contact Caring for God’s Acre with details (info@cfga.org.uk).

To find out more about these and other species recorded against this CCT Church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas.

The church was the centre of many people’s lives and remains a guide to their cares and concerns. Glimpses into those lives have often come down to us in the stories we heard as children or old photographs discovered in tattered shoe boxes. Perhaps your ancestors even made it into local legend following some fantastic event? You can choose to share those memories with others and record them for future generations on this Forum.

Tell us the story of this building through the lives of those who experienced it. Tell us why this church is important to you and your community.

Upload your photographs, share your videos, or compose your story below using a Facebook, Twitter, Google or Disqus account.

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Oliver LackAdded SourceMon 08 Aug 2022 17:18:45
Oliver LackModified asset data - Modified the Summary DescriptionMon 08 Aug 2022 17:17:01
Oliver LackAdded fabric typeMon 08 Aug 2022 17:16:14
Oliver LackAdded fabric typeMon 08 Aug 2022 17:15:25
Oliver LackAdded fabric typeMon 08 Aug 2022 17:14:54
Oliver LackAdded interior feature typeMon 08 Aug 2022 17:13:51
Oliver LackAdded interior feature typeMon 08 Aug 2022 17:13:21
Oliver LackAdded interior feature typeMon 08 Aug 2022 17:12:35
Oliver LackAdded interior feature typeMon 08 Aug 2022 17:12:20
Oliver LackAdded interior feature typeMon 08 Aug 2022 17:11:18
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