Church Heritage Record 616365

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Core DetailsLocationBuildingInteriorChurchyardSignificanceEnvironmentForumAudit

Little Rissington: St Peter

Name:

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

Little Rissington: St Peter
Record Type:

A classification of the current status of the building

Church
Church code:

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

616365
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.

Little Rissington

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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 II* 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.

The church is not in a National Park

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: Little Rissington

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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.

Medieval

Exterior Image

Exterior image of 616365  St. Peter, Little Rissington
Caption:

603242 

Exterior image of 616365 St. Peter, Little Rissington
Description:

It seems to be the wrong photograph. Provided coordinates come up with another church on geograph.org.uk

Photograph of the exterior of St. Peter, Little Rissington
Year / Date:

2011, April 06

2009, March 24
Copyright:

Keltek Trust

Andy Dolman
Originator:

Keltek Trust

Andy Dolman

Summary Description

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St Peter’s is a building of high significance, on an isolated upland site some distance from the village it serves. The fabric is mainly of the late twelfth and thirteenth centuries, with a tower added in the fifteenth century. The church was restored several times in the nineteenth century and the north aisle, the roofs and most of the furnishings date from that period. The church has a close association with the former Little Rissington RAF station nearby and many airmen are buried in the churchyard.

Visiting and Facilities

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The church is open for worship.
Work in progress - can you help?
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Church Website

Church Website:

www.holytrinitylyonsdown.org.uk

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Sources and Further Information

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Gloucestershire County Council (2017) Gloucestershire Historic Environment Record (HER) HER Number: 8206 [Digital Archive/Data]
http://www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/planning-and-environment/archaeology/request-archaeological-data-from-gloucestershires-historic-environment-record-her/
Andy Dolman (2009, March 24) Interior image of 616365 St. Peter, Little Rissington [Digital Archive/Graphic material]
Interior image of 616365 St. Peter, Little Rissington
Andy Dolman (2009, March 24) Exterior image of 616365 St. Peter, Little Rissington [Digital Archive/Graphic material]
Exterior image of 616365  St. Peter, Little Rissington
Church of England (2021) A Church Near You https://www.achurchnearyou.com/church/14382/ [Digital Archive/Index]
View information on worship and access at this church
Nick Cole (2022 February) Photograph of completed window [Digital Archive/Document]
Photograph of completed window
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 189 199

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.

St Peter’s now stands on an isolated upland site at some distance from the village. The old manor house and some other houses which once stood nearby were apparently demolished in the seventeenth century. The large churchyard includes an area set aside for servicemen who died while stationed at RAF Little Rissington between 1938 and its closure in 1976.

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.

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Dimensions

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Footprint of Church buildings (m2):

Small (<199m2)

Medium (200-599m2)

Large (600m-999m2)

Very Large (>1000m2)

237 m2

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 comprises a chancel, nave with north aisle and south porch and a northwest tower. The earliest part is the nave, which dates from the later twelfth century. The north arcade is of the same date, which shows there was a north aisle. The chancel was rebuilt in the thirteenth century and has the narrow lancet windows typical of that date, while the nave south wall has two-light traceried windows inserted in the fourteenth century.  The small three-stage tower was added in the fifteenth century.

The church was restored several times during the nineteenth century. In 1845 the architect William Butterfield repaired the chancel roof and added a new south porch to protect the twelfth century south doorway. His work was continued after 1850 by the local architect Francis Niblett who restored the nave and rebuilt the north aisle. In 1882 the north aisle was again rebuilt on a wider plan, to the designs of W. Bassett Smith, who also extended the nave by one bay to the west. 

Exterior Description

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

The church is mostly built of local limestone rubble, rock-faced at the west end of the nave and in the north aisle. The pitched roofs of nave, north aisle and chancel are all covered with Cotswold stone slates.

Architects, Artists and Associated People/Organisations

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Who:
Nick Joyce Architects
Role:
Architect / Surveyor ICM55
From:
To:
Contribution:

Building Fabric and Features

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

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Building Materials

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

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Interior Image

Interior image of 616365 St. Peter, Little Rissington
Caption:
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
Interior image of 616365 St. Peter, Little Rissington
Description:
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
Photograph of the interior of St. Peter, Little Rissington
Year / Date:
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
2009, March 24
Copyright:
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
Andy Dolman
Originator:
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
Andy Dolman

Interior Description

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

The principal architectural feature of the interior is the nave north arcade, which has two wide round arches with cylindrical piers and scalloped capitals. A clumsy additional stone pier was introduced, presumably in the fifteenth century, to take the weight of the southeast corner of the tower, which bears on the crown of the western arch.  The pointed thirteenth-century chancel arch has trumpet capitals, much recut. The internal walls are all plastered; the plaster appears to be wholly of the nineteenth century or later.  The open timber roofs also appear to date from the mid-nineteenth century or later, although Verey/Brooks considered that the chancel roof trusses were medieval. The stepped lancet windows in the east wall of the chancel have internal arches on detached shafts. Most of the interior furnishings date from the two later Victorian restorations.

Early furnishings of note include:

  • The fifteenth century stone font at the west end of the nave, which has an octagonal bowl with inset quatrefoil decoration and an octagonal stem 
  • A modest baroque memorial tablet of 1682 on chancel north wall, with cherubs and a skull
  • An early eighteenth-century black stone ledger slab at the east end of the north aisle, now partly under the organ case.

Nineteenth century and later furnishings of interest include:

  • The oak nave benches, apparently introduced circa 1850 (Verey/Brooks)
  • Elaborate Minton floor tiles in the chancel, which may be part of Butterfield’s restoration
  • Simpler red, cream and black floor tiles in the nave and north aisle, probably of the 1850s
  • Oak poppyhead choir stalls, perhaps also of the 1850s
  • Octagonal stone pulpit introduced in 1850
  • Stained glass in the east window by Lavers & Barraud, 1863
  • Elaborate marble memorial tablet on the chancel south wall to Robert le Marchant, Rector of Little Rissington for 53 years, who died in 1915, and also to his wife and children
  • The west window is an RAF memorial designed by J.A. Crombie, installed in 1983.

 

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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Collapse Internal Fixtures and FittingsInternal Fixtures and Fittings
BELL (1 of 1 U/R)

Portable Furnishings and Artworks

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

Work in progress - can you help?

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 189 199

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.

There is a small maternity roost of brown long-eared bats roosting in the church, with common pipistrelles also occasionally recorded inside. The church was part of the Bats in Churches project 2019-2023.

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 Church.

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

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

The church has the following evidence of bats: droppings, urine staining, bats surveys 2017, 2019, 2021, Bats in Churches project

Burial and War Grave Information

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

The church/building is consecrated.
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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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The churchyard has war graves.

National Heritage List for England Designations

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

Designation TypeNameGrade  
Listed Building Row Of 9 Monuments In The Churchyard Of The Church Of St Peter Circa 2 And 1/2 Metres East Of The Cross Shaft Base II View more
Listed Building Group Of 6 Monuments In The Churchyard Of The Church Of St Peter Up To 3 Metres South Of The Chancel II View more
Listed Building Row Of 9 Monuments In The Churchyard Of St Peter Circ 7 Metres East Of The South Porch II View more
Listed Building Plinth For Cross Shaft In The Churchyard Of The Church Of St Peter Circa 6 Metres South Of The Nave II View more

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 Church

Churchyard Structures

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

Work in progress - can you help?

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.

High
Setting Significance Description:
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
The church was listed Grade II* in 1960 and is of high archaeological, architectural and historical significance for the surviving medieval fabric, especially the eastern parts of the nave (as far west as the south doorway), the north nave arcade and the chancel. The modern association of the church, and more especially the churchyard, with the nearby former RAF station of Little Rissington is of moderate-high historical significance. The church is an important element in the Little Rissington Conservation Area.
Fabric Significance Level:
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Work in progress - can you help?
Fabric Significance Description:
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Interior Significance Level:
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
Moderate
Interior Significance Description:
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The furnishings are of moderate significance, with the exception of the fifteenth century font and memorials which are of moderate-high significance.
Community Significance Level:
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
Work in progress - can you help?
Community Significance Description:
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Work in progress - can you help?

Church Renewables

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Open the map of church renewable installations
Solar PV Panels:

This information forms part of the Shrinking the Footprint project.

No
Solar Thermal Panels:
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
No
Bio Mass:
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
No
Air Source Heat Pump:
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
No
Ground Source Heat Pump:
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
No
Wind Turbine:
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
No
EV Car Charging:
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
Unknown

Species Summary

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All of the species listed below have been recorded in close proximity to the 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 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 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 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 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 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.

Refresh
WhoActionWhen
Rosemary RiddellModified asset data - Modified the Ecology DescriptionFri 18 Aug 2023 11:00:48
Rosemary RiddellModified asset data - Modified the Evidence for the Presence of BatsFri 18 Aug 2023 11:00:17
Rosemary RiddellModified asset data - Modified the Burial and War Grave informationWed 16 Aug 2023 10:43:39
Rosemary RiddellModified asset data - Modified the Evidence for the Presence of BatsWed 16 Aug 2023 10:43:07
Rosemary RiddellModified asset data - Modified the Ecology DescriptionWed 16 Aug 2023 10:42:38
Rosemary RiddellModified asset data - Modified the Significance descriptionWed 16 Aug 2023 10:39:31
Rosemary RiddellModified asset data - Modified the Interior DescriptionWed 16 Aug 2023 10:37:13
Rosemary RiddellModified asset data - Modified the Archaeology and History DescriptionWed 16 Aug 2023 10:36:10
Rosemary RiddellModified asset data - Modified the Location and Setting DescriptionWed 16 Aug 2023 10:35:06
Rosemary RiddellModified asset data - Modified the Exterior DescriptionWed 16 Aug 2023 10:34:00
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