statement of significance – church · 8/2/2015 · james, up hatherley came into being. revd...

Saints Philip & James Parish Church, Up Hatherley & The Reddings

19 November 2014 Statement of Significance – Church

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Statement of Significance – Church Saints Philip & James Church, Up Hatherley Gloucestershire

Diocese of Gloucester

Note: This Statement of Significance is based on the information and the views available at the time of its compilation, including a site inspection. It is a summary of principal features and issues, and does not include all matters of interest. It should be treated as an initial guide. When proposals requiring consent under faculty jurisdiction or planning permission are being considered, this Statement will assist in identifying the need for more detailed or extensive investigations to inform a full consideration of the proposals. It should be reviewed and updated regularly by those with appropriate interests and expertise, in conjunction with the Quinquennial Inspection Report. Church address Archdeaconry Parish Council Local Authority

Saints Philip & James Parish Church Cold Pool Lane, Up Hatherley Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, GL51 6HX Cheltenham Up Hatherley Parish Council Cheltenham Borough Council

Date compiled and approved by PCC

19 November 2014

Nat Grid Reference SO 91659 20783

Constituent Parts

Church, church centre, churchyard (north and south), and church car park

Parish population Congregation size

13,000 + (estimated) Church Electoral Roll: 1191 Average weekly attendance: 852

Use by and significance for congregation and community

Church Worship Services take place in church every Sunday, with the main acts of worship being a Said Mass at 8.00 am and a Sung Mass at 10.00 am. There are two regular Said Masses during the week, on Wednesday at 7.00 pm and Thursday at 10.00 am, also on Feast Days. Morning and Evening Prayer are said in church Sunday to Friday, at 9.30 am and 5.30 pm respectively. Pastoral Offices Baptisms, weddings and funerals take place in church, and burials take place in the churchyard.



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Community Special services are held throughout the year, including Christmas, Holy Week and Easter, and these usually attract many people from the local community. On occasions the church has been used for concerts, and the two local primary schools have used it for Harvest and Christmas celebrations. The church is kept open daily from 9.30 am to 6.00 pm for all visitors to find peace and quiet, and for prayer and lighting of candles. It is the only church building in the area. There is no school attached to the church. Church Centre The church centre is used for church activities on Sundays and during the week, and for special church social events throughout the year. It is widely used by the community for social events and by a number of non-church groups during the week. The church and church centre provide a focal point for the community and is a reminder of the history of Up Hatherley and adjacent community of The Reddings.

Outline history of site and building, including extent of any major restoration

13th Century In 1291 the taxation records of Pope Nicholas refer to there being a chapelry3 at Up Hatherley linked to the church of Holy Trinity, Badgeworth. 16th Century A valuation of church property undertaken by Henry VIII in 1535 confirms the existence of a chapel. In later years the chapel disappeared (site unknown).4 Kelly’s Directory of Gloucestershire 1885 refers to Up Hatherley as once having an ancient chapelry.5 It states that the church was destroyed in 1640, and the inhabitants of the area attended Saint Paul’s Church, Shurdington. The first parish register of Saint Paul’s has entries of baptisms and burials of Up Hatherley residents dating back to 1559. 17th to 19th Century For over two hundred years Up Hatherley was without a church or chapel. By the mid-19th Century Up Hatherley was a small parish of only 100 persons, and was loosely attached to the Parish of Badgeworth with Shurdington and Bentham.6 At that time the Revd W.H. Gretton and his wife Laura resided in Up Hatherley. Owing to failing health and finding it difficult to attend the church at Badgeworth, Mrs Gretton planned to have a private chapel built adjoining her house. When residents asked if they could attend the proposed chapel, she decided to personally fund the building of a parish church.



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The church was designed by J. H. Middleton, H. A. Prothero and G.H. Phillot of Westminster and Cheltenham, and cost £2,000 to build. 1885-86 On the feast of Saint John the Baptist, 24 June 1885, Mrs Gretton laid the foundation stone of the church. It was consecrated on Easter Tuesday (27 April) 1886 by the then Bishop of Gloucester, the Right Revd Charles Middleton. At its consecration, the Parish of Saints Philip and James, Up Hatherley came into being. Revd Canon E. L. Jennings was the first vicar of the reconstituted parish, who was of a moderate Anglo-Catholic tradition.7 In the 1950’s Mrs Gretton’s family gave the living of the parish to the Church Union.8 1895 West window depicting Christ’s entry into Jerusalem, by Heaton, Butler and Baynes. 1896 Six chancel windows depicting (north to south): (i) the birth of Saint John the Baptist (on whose festival the foundation stone of the church was laid); (ii) Christ being baptized by John; (iii) Christ teaching his disciples; (iv) the Crucifixion; (v) the Resurrection;(vi) the Ascension, by Heaton, Butler and Baynes. 1900 Pipe organ in the chancel behind the choir stalls. It cost £200 and was made in Cheltenham by A. J. Price. 1904 Wrought-iron chancel screen, by Prothero. 1904-10 Nave windows, three in the north nave wall depicting (the door to screen): (i) King David and King Solomon; (ii) David’s commander Joab; (iii) Ezra and Nehemiah returning to Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple (reminder of the rebuilding of a church in Up Hatherley), and four in the south nave wall (screen to west wall opposite the door): (i) Christ in the midst of children; (ii) the Resurrection; (iii) the Good Samaritan, (iv) Christ blessing people, by Heaton, Butler and Baynes. 1952 Aumbry9 with blue enamelled plaque of the Lamb of God was set into the north wall near the altar. 1977 North porch refurbished. 1979 Church bell replaced.



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1984-85 One hundred years after the church had been built Up Hatherley and The Reddings had become a suburb of Cheltenham, with a population of over 10,000 inhabitants. The PCC decided to build an extension to the church. The plans for the extension proposed that the axis of the church would be turned ninety degrees, facing south rather than east. The congregation would surround an altar on three sides, positioned in a new sanctuary area. The existing nave would be partially used as a display area and for seating for a large congregation. The chancel and sanctuary of the old church would remain, and be used as a side chapel. In addition, the church extension would lead into a parish social centre/club for the community, which would include a large hall, kitchen, cloak room and toilet facilities, a flexible storage area and a licensed bar. A common lobby and central meeting area, which could be used as an extension of either the church or the centre, would link the church and centre. A mezzanine gallery would be suspended over the meeting area to house a new organ and musicians.10 The architects, Falconer Partnership and Barnwood Builders, oversaw the substantial extension. Work began in November 1984, and completed in the summer of 1985. The south nave wall was removed, and the church was extended to the south and southwest. The re-ordering resulted in the church now having two main entrances, one from the west in the extension, and the other being the north porch. A ventilation turret in the roof was also removed. Some of the stained glass windows from the south nave wall were installed elsewhere in church. Windows depicting the Resurrection and the Good Samaritan were incorporated in the wrought-iron chancel screen. The window depicting Christ in the midst of children was placed in the chancel clerestory, and the one with Christ blessing people, placed in the nave clerestory. Gates were added to the wrought iron screen, and chains on the new south wall suspended a very large wooden cross, made out of the wooden beams of the old church, over the new sanctuary area.11 The original carved stone pulpit and the Caroline font were both destroyed. Pews were all removed and replaced with plastic seats.



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The pipe organ in the chancel was dismantled; its fate unknown. Most of the church furnishings placed in the new sanctuary were second-hand. The development cost in excess of £250,000 and provided only a basic shell. Shortage of funds prevented completion of both the church and centre. The church extension was consecrated on Saturday 21 September 1985, by the then Bishop of Gloucester, the Right Revd John Yates. 1986 Englebement of the new church car park (formally the garden of the old vicarage). 1991 The north porch blocked. 1992 The late-19th Century gate and a section of wall were removed from their original location at the front of the churchyard (west) and re-erected to the east of the churchyard, at the entrance from the car park. 1997 Removal of kerb stones in the churchyard bearing no inscription. For Health and Safety reasons, crosses from memorials taken down and reserved in a special plot. 1998 Provision of storm water drains to churchyard. 1999 Installation of pipe organ provided from Chester Cathedral without charge. Due to its size it was not placed in the gallery, but positioned at an angle directly in front of the west window in the old church. Late 1990’s With an improved financial position, the PCC decided to begin completing the re-ordering in phases.12 The ecclesiastical architect, Ronald Sims (1926-2007), was approached and produced some design sketches for the inside of the church.13 Sims proposed that the worship space be re-orientated, with a sanctuary positioned in the southeast corner of the extension on a diagonal axis set by the pipe organ.14 The choir would be positioned in front of the organ pipes, and the congregation seated either side; one section facing south, the other west. His designs pictured a separate priest’s vestry, a fixed table (altar) standing beneath a hexagonal corona, a screen behind the table, and a crucifix, portraying an ascending Christ. The statue of Our Lady would be repositioned from the southeast of the extension to a shrine in the porch.



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There would be a soundproof glass and timber screen between the church and centre, with two meeting rooms; one on the ground floor, in what was a meeting area, and another in the gallery above, accessed by a staircase.15 Despite Sim’s designs being agreed by the PCC, the congregation experimented with the altar in the southeast corner of the extension, but after a few months chose to return to the north-to-south axis. Over the following years a modest amount of work was achieved, namely the construction of the west screen and meeting rooms, but the work of beautifying the church continued to be an aspiration. 2001 Repair to gully on roof between old and new parts of church, and repair of relevant rainwater system. 2003 In 2003 an ash-wood and glazing soundproof screen was installed in the west end of the modern church with stairs formed to a first floor meeting room, and a lobby separating the church and centre. 2004 Removal and disposal of eight dangerous memorials in the churchyard. 2005 New soft cushioned oak chairs donated by members of the congregation replaced plastic seating. 2010 A temporary moveable freestanding open altar table replaced closed fixed altar.

Location in landscape

The church is located in the centre of the parish, surrounded by residential housing, and close to open countryside and farmland.

Designations: Listed Building, Conservation Area, Scheduled Ancient Monument, Tree Preservation Orders etc

The church was first listed at Grade II in August 2002. The listing was amended in March 2014 to correct the attribution of the stained glass. (National Listing Reference number: 1088073). The church does not stand within a Conservation Area. The church is not designated as a scheduled ancient monument. There are no trees protected by a Tree Preservation Order. There is a neighbouring oak tree to the south of with a Tree Preservation Order.16



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Churchyard open or closed

The churchyard is open to burials. It is interesting to note the church has a graveyard (dating back to 1900), because any new church built after the Burial Act of 1853 is unlikely to have had a graveyard at all.

Visual contribution of building and site

The church is located in a prominent location within the heart of the community, with frontage on a main arterial route into the heart of Cheltenham. The bell cote (turret) 43 feet high is visible; as is the south wall of the extension which has three overlapping brick crosses on the external brickwork.

Building: materials, Plan form, Exterior,

The walls of the original church of 1885 are constructed of rusticated limestone with ashlar dressings and clay-tile roof. Internally, the walls are plastered and distempered in white, except for the chancel and sanctuary, which have paintings and decorations. The 1985 extension is built in pale brick with an artificial slate roof. Internally, the walls are painted in white emulsion, except on the south, which consists of an ash-wood soundproof screen. 17 The original church is of a simple plan with nave, south vestry, north porch and apsidal chancel. At the building of the extension in 1985, the south nave wall was removed and the church extended south. The west gable end contains a central pointed-arch opening incorporating three-lancets and a rose window. Flanking this gable end is a pair of offset buttresses, the right of which is topped by a pyramidal-roofed bell cote (turret) containing one bell. On the north elevation is a half-timber porch with a tile pitched roof (the former entrance to the church that was blocked in 1991). The nave includes three pairs of trefoil-headed lancets. A buttress separates the nave from the rounded chancel, which contains pointed lancet windows. The clerestory18 is lit by two dormers containing paired trefoil-headed windows. The vestry is attached to the south side of the chancel. The east wall of the vestry has trefoil-headed lancet windows, a pointed-arched plank door with ornate hinges and a hood mould above. Two mullioned windows with hood moulds and a further entrance. The south wall of the nave was removed when the building was extended. The 1985 south elevation contains a raised central wall with three overlapping purple brick crosses all under a mono-pitched roof.



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Interior

On either side of this is an irregular fenestration of full height, coloured glazing under double pitched roof that incorporate coloured glass within the spandrels. The church centre to the west has a steeply pitched half-hipped roof with a central hall and four blocks which contain the toilets, kitchen, bar and storage rooms. It is accessed via a timber-framed glazed entrance in the north elevation. Ornate candleholders are attached on curved brackets to the walls of the original church. The west end wall incorporates a trefoil-headed statue niche supported by colonnettes. Monuments include an engraved marble plaque to the founder of the church, Mrs Gretton (formally positioned on the south nave wall). The walls of the chancel are decorated by a set of Pre-Raphaelite style distemper tempera paintings, some having signs of poor restoration. The choir stalls within the chancel are late 19th Century and have floral bench ends. The nave and chancel both have wagon roofs. The richly painted chancel roof contains arch bracing, a decorative cornice and bosses to the purlins. The 1985 extension contains stained glass by R. W. Coomber (1991). Close to the entrance of the screen is a 17th Century stone vase-shaped bowl (urn) enriched with hart’s-tongue ferns hanging downwards under the rim, and octagonal plinth. It was brought in from the churchyard and is used as a holy water stoup.

Churchyard: Memorials, Ecological value

The churchyard surrounds the church on all sides, but lies mainly to the north and south. The earliest known recorded grave is 1902. The churchyard is maintained with a thoughtful balance being both tidy and wildlife friendly.

Other buildings or pieces of land

In the south churchyard there are various small wooden outbuildings used for storage for the centre. In the north churchyard there is a garage for storing garden tools.

Overall heritage significance in local and national contexts

The principal reasons for the Grade II listing are: a. Architectural interest: it is an interesting example of a small but well-executed church, built as a private commission; b. Level of survival: the church survives sufficiently well to understand its original form;



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c. Architects: Middleton, Prothero and Phillott were a renowned firm of 19th Century architects, particular well known for their high-quality ecclesiastical work and this church is an interesting example of their work on a smaller scale than their usual church commissions; d. Interior: the internal decoration includes a remarkable complete and well-executed Pre- Raphaelite style distemper tempera paintings by J. Eadie Reid. Note: Grade II listing covers the whole of the building including the interior and any fixtures to the building.

Assessment of archaeological potential

No more of less than any other small parish church.

Repairs identified in the most recent Quinquennial Inspection Report (QIR)

Date of Report: 3 August 20111 Date of Inspection: 28 July 2011 Carried out by: Bartosh & Stokes Recommended items of repair: I Items of utmost urgency None II Items requiring attention within 18 months Including: Attention to gutters and downpipes; Removal of cover from nave south clerestory; Minor roof tile and slate repairs. III Repairs within Quinquennium Including: Renewal of defective window mesh guards; Renewal roof ladder securely fixed. IV Eventual repairs and improvements Including: Interior redecorations; Improved lighting; Retiling of old church; Renewal of organ; Displaying stained glass panels in screen to better effect.

References and Sources of information

As listed in the endnotes (below).

Compiled on behalf of the PCC by: Fr Richard Dunstan-Meadows Adopted by the PCC on 19 November 2014



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Endnotes 1 Statistics for Mission, Oct 2013 2 Statistics for Mission, Oct 2013 3 ‘Chapelry’ – “A term usually applied to the daughter church of a minister but also used to describe a church serving a section of a large parish, sometimes with a resident priest who would be subordinate to the incumbent.” Stephen Friar, ‘A Companion to the English Parish Church’, Sutton Publishing 1996 4 http://uphatherleyparish.co.uk/?page_id=29 5 http://www.gloucestercitizen.co.uk/explore-history-farm/story-11915209-detail/story.html 6 http://btsarnia.org/2014/06/01/the-oxford-movement-in-gloucestershire/ Father Brian Torode 7 Some members of the neighbouring parish of Saint Mark’s opposed the new church “for the intrusion into their domain and the very moderate amount of ritual customary in Canon Jennings” which was “strange and unwelcome in evangelical Cheltenham.” http://btsarnia.org/2014/06/01/the-oxford-movement-in-gloucestershire/ Father Brian Torode 8 ‘1885-1985 Centenary Building Fund’ Church Booklet, 1985 9 ‘Aumbry’ – “A secure cupboard in a north wall near the altar used to store the Blessed Sacrament.” Stephen Friar, ‘A Companion to the English Parish Church’, Sutton Publishing 1996 10 1885-1985 Centenary Building Fund’ Church Booklet, 1985 11 “Outside (Up Hatherley Church) there is a wooden cross. In 1985 it was carried to Gloucester Cathedral to be blessed and then they bought it back again. It raised £700 for the new hall. When the new church hall is completed it is going to be hung on the wall.” www.bbc.co.uk/history/domesday/dblock/GB-388000-219000/page/5 12 Celebrating Excellence, church booklet 13 Following a visit to the church in 1997, Sims remarked that the new extension bore a “very unhappy relationship with the original church”. He commented on the new stained glass being “poor in content” with “no impact on the liturgical setting other than its excellent colour reflections.” He criticised the previously owned liturgical furnishings has having “no quality or content,” and that the church deserved a more worthy table (altar). He stated that the huge cross was “too dominant and almost threatening in its use as a reredos being the nave sanctuary being out of scale with its surroundings.” He observed that the north porch (used as a confessional) was a “total misuse of space”. Sims also thought that the siting, hangings and surrounds to the statue of Our Lady were “out of context with their surroundings.” 14 “Pipe organ larger than originally envisaged but a virtual gift financially.” R Sims, Nov 1999 15 ‘Re-ordering the Church,’ A paper for the congregation from the PCC 16 Email: Michael Doust, Trees Officer, Borough Council, 12 Nov 14 17 ‘Taking Stock Gloucester’ Consultation Report, March 2014 18 ‘Clerestory’ – “The upper storey of a nave pierced by a series of windows.” Stephen Friar, ‘A Companion to the English Parish Church’, Sutton Publishing 1996



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