Church Heritage Record 616173

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Core DetailsLocationBuildingInteriorChurchyardSignificanceEnvironmentForumAudit

Thornbury: St Mary

Name:

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

Thornbury: St Mary
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.

616173
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

Gloucester
Parish:

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

Thornbury

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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.

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: Thornbury

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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 616173 St Mary,Thornbury
Caption:

603242 

Exterior image of 616173 St Mary,Thornbury
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 Mary,Thornbury
Year / Date:

2011, April 06

2012, September 29
Copyright:

Keltek Trust

This image is licensed for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic licence.
Originator:

Keltek Trust

Philip Halling (of geograph.org.uk)

Summary Description

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The Parish Church of St Mary the Virgin, in Thornbury, South Gloucestershire, is a Grade 1 listed church, dating back in some detail to the 12th century. Thornbury is a historic market town and borough, with a charter dating from 1252. Present day Thornbury is largely a commuter town for the nearby city of Bristol. Christian worship has taken place at the site now occupied by St Mary’s Church since 1170. The building was altered in the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries. The last full restoration was in 1848 by Francis Niblett.

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

http://www.thornburycofe.org.uk

Sources and Further Information

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Philip Halling (of geograph.org.uk) (2012, September 29) Exterior image of 616173 St Mary,Thornbury [Digital Archive/Graphic material]
Exterior image of 616173 St Mary,Thornbury
Church of England (2021) A Church Near You https://www.achurchnearyou.com/church/14208/ [Digital Archive/Index]
View information on worship and access at this church
Robin Gupta (28/08/21) Completion Certificate [Digital Archive/Document]
Completion Certificate
Robin Gupta (28/08/21) Completion Certificate [Digital Archive/Document]
Completion Certificate
Archbishops' Council (2009) Interior Photograph of 616173 Thornbury St Mary [Digital Archive/Graphic material]
Interior Photograph of 616173 Thornbury St Mary
McNeilage Conservation (January 2023) Thornbury Treatment Account [Digital Archive/Document]
Thornbury Treatment Account
Church Buildings Council (2019) Church Bells 8 Bells [Archive/Index]
8 Bells
Hestia Architects (2024) Practical Completion Certificate [Digital Archive/Document]
Practical Completion Certificate

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: ST 634 906

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

Administrative Area

Unitary Authority:

The administrative area within which the church is located.

South Gloucestershire

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.

Thornbury is a historic market town and borough, with a charter dating from 1252. Present day Thornbury is largely a commuter town for the nearby city of Bristol. 

Church Plan

Work in progress - can you help?

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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The church has overall external dimensions of (140 by 60 feet). The roof above the nave is (75 feet), and the top of the tower (130 feet).

Footprint of Church buildings (m2):

Small (<199m2)

Medium (200-599m2)

Large (600m-999m2)

Very Large (>1000m2)

762 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.

Christian worship has taken place at the site now occupied by St Mary’s Church since 1170. The oldest remaining element of church building, the font is located towards the west end of the nave. The building was altered in the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries. The last full restoration was in 1848 by Francis Niblett. The west tower dates from circa 1540, and was restored in 1889 by Frederick W Waller. The dominant style of this Church is perpendicular, dating it to the early 16th century. 

Exterior Description

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

The church is generally rubble coursed, constructed from undressed stonework. There is limited ashlar style construction, with smooth dressed stonework evident in various locations as well as the south chapel and the tower construction. There are embattled parapets with finials to nave and aisles. The dominant style of this Church is perpendicular, dating it to the early 16th century. This style can be seen in the Tower, Nave, North and South Aisles, Pulpit, Chapels, Organ Loft as well as the Porch.

The church tower has finely traced stonework on the tower roof. The tower is four stage, with diagonal buttresses. 

 

Architects, Artists and Associated People/Organisations

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Who:
John Falconer Associates
Role:
Architect / Surveyor ICM55
From:
To:
Contribution:

Building Fabric and Features

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

Work in progress - can you help?

Building Materials

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

Work in progress - can you help?

Interior Image

Interior Photograph of 616173 Thornbury St Mary
Caption:
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Interior Photograph of 616173 Thornbury St Mary
Description:
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Photograph Taken on 17 February 2009
Year / Date:
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2009
Copyright:
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Archbishops' Council
Originator:
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Archbishops' Council

Interior Description

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

The Chancel is of a much earlier decorated style, dating to about 1340, in the reign of Edward III, based on the style of the original Eastern Window and the Sedilia and South Chancel Window over it.

The church has a clerestory above the nave, believed to have been added at a later stage than the original perpendicular construction. This clerestory extends the full length of the nave. The clerestory was completely reconstructed and restored in the 1848 repair and reordering. 

Inside St Mary’s, the nave is one of the most striking features to the visitor. The main nave has a wooden roof, with exposed joists, all stained dark. There are numerous heraldic badges on the stops to hood moulds. The coats of arms in the nave represent both secular and ecclesiastical authorities of the time of construction.

In the north chancel there is a wall monument to Sir John Stafford, 1624. There is also a floor brass in central chancel to the Tyndalls, 1571, with only the wife's image surviving. In a perpendicular recess in the south side chapel is an Elizabethan (1648) tomb and memorial to Roger Fowke and his daughter. In the nave is a monument to John Atwells, 1729. There are wooden war memorials for the Great War and the Second World War, and a bronze plaque for the Great War in the porch.

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).

Skip Navigation Links.
Collapse Internal Fixtures and FittingsInternal Fixtures and Fittings
BELL (1 of 8)
BELL (2 of 8)
BELL (3 of 8)
BELL (4 of 8)
BELL (5 of 8)
BELL (6 of 8)
BELL (7 of 8)
BELL (8 of 8)

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: ST 634 906

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.

Work in progress - can you help?

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 no evidence of bats

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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The churchyard does not have 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 Group Of 28, 17Th Century, 18Th Century And 19Th Century Table Tombs At South East Corner Of Parish Church Of St Mary The Virgin II View more
Listed Building Group Of Nine 18Th Century And 19Th Century Table Tombs At South West Corner Of Parish Church Of St Mary The Virgin II View more
Listed Building Thornbury War Memorial 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.

NameStatusNumber found in this site 
Atlas cedar Notable tree 1
Common horse chestnut Notable tree 1

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.

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Setting Significance Description:
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Fabric Significance Level:
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
Work in progress - can you help?
Fabric Significance Description:
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Work in progress - can you help?
Interior Significance Level:
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
Work in progress - can you help?
Interior Significance Description:
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
Work in progress - can you help?
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

Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
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 2
Total number of animal species 0
Total number of plant species 2
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 2
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
Oliver LackAdded image of the interior of the buildingTue 18 Jan 2022 11:49:21
Oliver LackModified asset data - Modified the Interior DescriptionTue 18 Jan 2022 11:44:27
Oliver LackModified asset data - Modified the Exterior DescriptionTue 18 Jan 2022 11:41:25
Oliver LackModified asset data - Modified the Archaeology and History DescriptionTue 18 Jan 2022 11:39:55
Oliver LackModified asset data - Modified the Ground Plan Description and DimensionsTue 18 Jan 2022 10:59:28
Oliver LackModified asset data - Modified the Location and Setting DescriptionTue 18 Jan 2022 10:58:33
Oliver LackModified asset data - Modified the Summary DescriptionTue 18 Jan 2022 10:52:01
Cathy McIntyreAdded QI inspectionWed 15 Dec 2021 14:52:46
Cathy McIntyreCreated asset source linkWed 15 Dec 2021 14:52:46
Kathrin EldersAdded image of the interior of the buildingMon 29 Jul 2019 14:38:40
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