Thursday, May 21, 2009

St Mary, Almondsbury, South Gloucestershire

The church shouldn't work, but it does, cruciform and grouped around a central tower with a leaded spire, because the nave and aisles are late Georgian of 1836 by Thomas Fulljames, a hall church each with their own seperate hammerbeam roofs and sturdy arcades on tall circular columns. His too the tripartite traceried screen in the west crossing arch. Both transepts are screened off, the north to form a vestry behind the organ, the south by glazed screens to create a small flexible space. Both transepts have large monuments, the north hidden behind stacking chairs a standing monument to Thomas Chester d1763 with a mourning female and lengthy inscription listing his ancestory since 1600, the south a tomb chest with effigies and heavy canopy carried on eight columns to Edward Veele d1577 and wife. And finally there is the chancel, a beautiful vaulted room EE with good quality stiff-leaf capitals and head corbels to carry the shafts that support the vault. All restored it may be but it impresses me every time I see it
{Full set of pictures click here!]

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