Details
HIGHNAM HIGHNAM VILLAGE
SO 7819-7919
9/53
Church of the Holy Innocents
10-1-55
GV
I
Parish church. 1849-51 by H. Woodyer for T. Gambier-Parry, vestry
enlarged 1863 for same. Roughly-coursed, squared lias, Bath-stone
dressings and spire, tiled roof. Western tower, 5-bay aisled nave,
south porch with room over, chancel, 2-bay chapel to south, vestry
to north. Built in Decorated style. South facade: 3-stage tower,
with 4-stage plinth: square set corner buttresses. Boarded door
at foot on right, shouldered arch, in slight projection with lean-
to stone top: lancets to stairs. String course above first stage:
lancet over, relieving arch across facade: gabled offsets to
buttresses, blind tracery, ballflower decoration. Decorative band
to top second stage, two 2-light windows, wooden louvres, between
clasping projecting corners; corbelled eaves. Octagonal broach
spire above, central 2-light window in tall dormer, crocketed
gable, corner pinnacles. Corner pinnacles to tower, ballflower
decoration, with flying buttress disappearing below arch across
corner, with further pinnacle over. Roll moulding to arrises of
spire, leaf decoration onto surface adjoining, lucarnes near top,
floriate apex with iron weathervane. South aisle, simple plinth,
square-set buttresses to bays, 2-light windows with hoodmould
extended as stringcourse at springing level: moulded stone eaves.
Porch in second bay, diagonal corner buttresses, quarter octagon
for stair rear left return. Arched doorway up 2 stone steps,
double wooden screen doors. Carved panel above with pierced
tracery over, lancet each side, all under relieving arch, parapet
gable, floriate cross on cross-gablet apex. Clerestorey 5
quatrefoils with blind tracery below each side: moulded eaves; at
east end 2-light oak dormer, with crocketed pinnacles and
decorative barge boards. Parapet gables, double-block apex to
east. Chapel projects to east: boarded door with trefoil head up 4
stone steps on left return. Square-set buttress left end, angled
right, 2-stage plinth, string course at sill level, 2 lancets over:
moulded eaves. Parapet gables, cross-gablet apices. Chancel set
back on right, 3-stage plinth, square-set corner buttress, panelled
gable to top. Six-light window, ogee-heads, line of quatrefoils
over with wavy hoodmould. Parapet gable, floriate cross to apex.
East end, 2-light window to chapel, 3-light to chancel, both with
hoodmoulds; trefoil over latter in circle. Buttresses to north-
east corner as south-east. Set back on north vestry, plain plinth,
low eaves, 2 lancets, boarded door up 2 stone steps, further
lancet, buttress, 3-light window with angled corner buttress.
Hipped roof over up to higher centre: semi-octagon against chancel
with spirelet as stair turret; triangular dormer with wooden
tracery, original parapet gable with chimney on apex, further
parapet gable to right. North face: quatrefoil only to chancel,
vestry with diagonal corner buttresses, 2 square set between, 3-
light windows in end bays only: boarded door down stone steps to
boiler room below. Above rose window in gable, hipped roof below.
Nave and tower as south side, but no door or relieving arch to
tower, porch replaced by double boarded door up one stone step, 4
blind quatrefoils over, with wavy hoodmould.
Interior: nave; Minton tiles to floor with brass insets.
Clustered columns, leaf capitals: string course below clerestorey
windows, leaf corbels to moulded ribs supporting scissor-braced
trusses: 2 pairs purlins, no ridge piece, slight windbraces,
exposed rafters: arrises chamfered and painted. Tall tower arch,
no capitals: lowest stage vaulted. Marble columns to chancel
arch, floriate capitals: wooden screen, 2 lights each side
doorway, moulded beam with crossover: brass candlesticks on dado
rail. Above painting of Last Judgement, haloes raised and gilt.
Eastern bay of nave roof painted: dormers added to give light to
wall painting. Aisles: south side painted green dado, decorative
painting and texts on stone colour above: ornate iron screen to
chapel at east end: iron canopy to south door. North aisle with
green dado, painted hangings above, with procession of figures
under eaves: stone grille to organ chamber. Chancel, floor more
ornate, with brass grilles to part of east end: walls fully
painted. On north corbelled balcony for organ with ballflower
decoration to arch over: aumbry with ogee head, leaf crockets and
finial. On south arch to chapel, decorative wrought-iron screen,
angel corbels; sedilia with marble columns, ogee heads with
pierced tracery over. Ornately carved reredos, 3 panels each side
centre, in 2 tiers, crocketed pinnacles. Panelled painted boarded
barrel vault over, angels and shields on wallplate. Chapel walls
painted, boarded ceiling above rafters, centre niche south side,
pierced tracery top, containing bust of Isabella, died 1848, first
wife of Thomas Gambier-Parry. Octagonal carved stone font, on stem
with open arches around, on painted alabaster colonettes. Whole up
2 stone steps off raised platform: 3-stage wooden canopy above.
Octagonal stone pulpit on open arcading, leaf carving to sides,
stone steps, brass handrail added 1905. Original brass candelabra
in aisles and chapel, 7 brass candle standards in pews, large cast-
iron radiator covers, all by Hardman. Stained glass to north aisle
by Wailes, south aisle by Hardman to designs by Augustus Welby Northmore
Pugin, west and chapel windows by O'Connor, east window 1859 by Clayton
and Bell. Wall paintings in spirit fresco by T. Gambier-Parry, over chancel
arch begun 1859, north aisle 1870-'80. Sir Hubert Parry practised
on the organ. Goodhart-Rendel considered church 'fulfilment of the
Pugin ideal'.
(D. Verey, Gloucestershire, the Vale and the Forest of Dean, 1970;
also in Country Life, CXLIX, 1971; V.C.H. Gloucestershire, Vol X,
1972; T.J. Fenton, A. History and Guide to the Church of the Holy
Innocents, 1985)
Listing NGR: SO7964719548
