Church of St Ethelbert

CHURCH OF ST ETHELBERT, CHURCH STREET

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Overview

Heritage Category:
Listed Building
Grade:
I
List Entry Number:
1186482
Date first listed:
23-Sept-1955
List Entry Name:
Church of St Ethelbert
Statutory Address:
CHURCH OF ST ETHELBERT, CHURCH STREET
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Date:
2004-11-05
Reference:
IOE01/13637/34
Rights:
© Tim Belcher. Source: Historic England Archive

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Official list entry

Heritage Category:
Listed Building
Grade:
I
List Entry Number:
1186482
Date first listed:
23-Sept-1955
List Entry Name:
Church of St Ethelbert
Statutory Address 1:
CHURCH OF ST ETHELBERT, CHURCH STREET

The scope of legal protection for listed buildings

This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.

Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.

For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

The scope of legal protection for listed buildings

This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.

Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.

For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

Location

Statutory Address:
CHURCH OF ST ETHELBERT, CHURCH STREET

The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.

County:
Gloucestershire
District:
Forest of Dean (District Authority)
Parish:
Littledean
National Grid Reference:
SO 67217 13577

Details

SO 61 SE LITTLEDEAN CHURCH STREET (east side)

10/77 Church of St. Ethelbert

23.9.55

GV 1

Parish Church. C12, C14 and C15; Tower and porch thin coursed red sandstone with ashlar dressings; nave, larger squared stone, very roughly coursed, with ashlar dressings; chancel squared, coursed stone. Welsh slate roofs, stone slate to porch. 4-bay nave, west tower, north aisle of same height as nave, chancel, 2- bay north chapel, south porch. South face: tower, undivided externally, diagonally-set corner buttresses to west; plain plinth, ogee-headed single-light windows to 2 upper stages, upper with stone louvres. Plain oversailing parapet with plain gargoyle: stump of octagonal spire above. Nave, diagonally-set west buttress, square-set east: two 3-light windows with rectilinear tracery, no hoodmoulds: high up at east end a blocked doorway. Gable copings, with apex cross. Porch set slightly off centre, plain, moulded door surround, built up; projecting kneelers and cross-gablet apex and cross to gable. 2 mass-dials on south face. Projection for rood-stair with stone cap in angle between nave and chancel. Chancel two 2-light 'Y'-tracery windows with hoodmoulds: blocked priest's door between. Diagonally-set buttresses to east end, window intersecting tracery. North aisle square-set buttresses, square-headed 2-light windows with ogee-heads to lights. Interior: chancel floor same level as nave: walls plastered. Chancel arch semi-circular Norman responds, with slightly different capitals: later pointed arch above. Small, square-headed door above to right at head of rood loft stair. Octagonal pillars to 4- bay arcade with plain, chamfered bases and moulded capitals. In short return wall by tower a low square-headed opening to north aisle, set a little way up wall: possibly access to a former west gallery. Ceiling panelled, plastered barrel-vault with carved wooden bosses. Chancel ceiling panelled plastered waggon roof, carved bosses, crenellated wall-plate. North aisle: Medieval glass in head of 2 lights (also in north chapel): north half of ceiling panelled plastered waggon roof, with crenellated wall plate; other half plain plaster. North chapel has heavily-moulded cambered tie beams, with wall posts and curved braces, between cambered, plastered ceiling. Large Pyrke monument in chancel 1752, by T. Ricketts of Gloucester; 3 late C18 or early C19 wall monuments. Octagonal stone font, probably medieval, on later stem; trefoil headed blind arches to sides of bowl. Benefactions board in porch. Spire blew off 1894; south porch made into vestry mid C20. Rich collection of headstones in churchyard, not separately listed. (D. Verey, Gloucestershire, The Vale and Forest of Dean, 1970.)

Listing NGR: SO6721513580

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:
354148
Legacy System:
LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Verey, D, The Buildings of England: Gloucestershire 2 The Vale and The Forest of Dean, (1970)

Legal

This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.

Ordnance survey map of Church of St Ethelbert

Map

This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 10-Jun-2026 at 20:14:56.

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End of official list entry

All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.

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