John Wilkes of Cam
near Dursley, Gloucestershire
The Gloucestershire Photo Library
Page composition by
Allan Taylor of Vancouver, Canada
http://www.allthecotswolds.com
Almondsbury is named after Saxon 'Alcmund's fortified place or 'burh'. A surprising amount of the fabric of St. Mary the Virgin's Church was in existence 1140 or shortly after that date. The tower is 13th Century and it has a fine 70 foot high, lead-covered, broach spire - slightly twisted and bent owing to the warping of the timber frame. The lead on the tower was first applied in 1619. The church was restored in the mid 19th Century. The Norman font is a simple square bowl with scalloped edges. The bowl stands on a section of an original Norman pillar.
The contemporary stained glass in the Lady Chapel was made by Joseph Bell and installed in 1987. Messrs Hardman of Birmingham made the large stained glass windows at the west end of the church. The elaborate canopied monument that incorporates fluted pillars and Corinthian capitals is in honour of Edward Veele, Lord of the manor of Over, who died in 1577. On the north side of the choir is a charmingly-lettered painted tablet commemorating Hugh Ivy, who died in 1630.
The 17th Century floor plate memorial is a mixture of Old English combined with a Latin inscription and translates thus: HSE hic sepultus ~ 'Here lies buried' the bodies of Jon (abbreviation for John) Champneys of this Parish [Senior] who died December the ~ (old English: e over y ) 24th 1673 and also ~ (old English: alfo) Elizabeth the ~ (old English: e over y ) Wife of John Champneys
MORE PHOTOS OF ST. MARY THE VIRGIN'S
