Church of St Mary, Bitterley

Last updated

Church of St Mary, Bitterley St Mary's Church Bitterley Shropshire by Trevor Rickard.jpg
Church of St Mary, Bitterley

The Church of St Mary is located in Bitterley, Shropshire, England. Built in the 12th century and later, it is a Grade II* listed building.

Contents

History

The building was constructed in the 12th and 13th centuries. There were alterations in the 17th century. Littleton Powys was patron of the church, where, in 1707, he set up a gallery at the west end, and in which he was buried after his death in 1732. [1] The church was restored during the later 19th century. On 12 November 1954, the church became a Grade II* listed building, [2] while on the same day, the cross in the churchyard was listed as Grade I. [3]

Architecture and fittings

It consists of a body, without side aisles. The chancel is divided from the body by an oak screen carved in open quatrefoils. Foliage and ornaments are featured at the top. There is a gallery at the west end. The ceiling is coves without ornamentation. Opposite the south door, there is an ancient stone font. The pulpit is constructed of carved oak. The length of the body of the church is 59.5 feet (18.1 m), the width is 22 feet (6.7 m). The length of the chancel is 33.5 feet (10.2 m), and its width is 22 feet (6.7 m). The church tower is 44.25 feet (13.49 m), by 14 feet (4.3 m); it contains three bells. [4] The parish war memorials consist of a two-light stained glass window featuring two Roman soldiers, dedicated by John and Mary Burton in memory of men from the parish who died in the First World War; those who died are listed on a stone plaque below, and those who died in the Second World War on another similar plaque. To the right of the window is a memorial plaque to Captain John Henry Walcot of the King's Shropshire Light Infantry who was killed near Dunkirk in 1940. On the north wall at the east end of the church is preserved a wooden cross from the battlefield grave of Lieutenant-Colonel Philip Vaughan Holberton, Lancashire Fusiliers, who was killed in France in 1918. [5]

Grounds

Stone cross in churchyard Cross in Bitterley churchyard (geograph 2215579).jpg
Stone cross in churchyard

In the churchyard, there is a stone cross, raised on steps, which support an hexagonal shaft. On the top, there are tabernacled niches. The one on the north side contains the Virgin and infant Christ, while the one on the west side contains the Crucifixion. The views on the east and south sides are nearly obliterated. [4]

The churchyard contains eight war graves of British servicemen, four from World War I and four (including two brothers) from World War II. [6]

See also

Related Research Articles

Bitterley Human settlement in England

Bitterley is a village and civil parish in Shropshire, England. According to the 2001 census the parish had a population of 802, increasing to 902 at the 2011 Census. The village is about 4 miles (6.4 km) east of Ludlow on the western slopes of Titterstone Clee Hill. Bitterley is the location for Bitterley Court about 0.62 miles (1.00 km) east of the modern village. Nearby to the east, is the small hamlet of Bedlam.

St Marys Church, Eccleston Church in Cheshire, England

St Mary's Church is in the village of Eccleston, Cheshire, England, on the estate of the Duke of Westminster south of Chester. The church is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade I listed building. It is an active Anglican parish church in the diocese of Chester, the archdeaconry of Chester and the deanery of Chester. Its benefice is combined with that of St Mary, Pulford. The Dukes of Westminster are buried in the adjacent Old Churchyard.

St Helens Church, Tarporley Church in Cheshire, England

St Helen's Church is in the village of Tarporley, Cheshire, England. It is an active Anglican parish church in the diocese of Chester, the archdeaconry of Chester and the deanery of Malpas. Its benefice is united with those of St John and Holy Cross, Cotebrook, St Thomas, Eaton, and St Paul, Utkinton. The church is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II* listed building.

Church of St Mary the Virgin, Prestwich Church in Greater Manchester, England

The Church of St Mary the Virgin is on Church Lane, Prestwich, Greater Manchester, England. It is an active Anglican parish church in the deanery of Radcliffe and Prestwich, the archdeaconry of Bolton and the diocese of Manchester. The church is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade I listed building. Pevsner refers to it as "a major church".

St Andrews Church, Wroxeter Church in Shropshire, England

St Andrew's Church is a redundant Church of England parish church in the village of Wroxeter, Shropshire, England. It is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade I listed building, and is under the care of the Churches Conservation Trust. Both the village of Wroxeter and the church are in the southwest corner of the former Roman town of Viroconium.

St Martins Church, Preston Gubbals Church in Shropshire, England

St Martin's Church is a redundant Anglican church in the village of Preston Gubbals, Shropshire, England. It is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II* listed building, and is under the care of the Churches Conservation Trust.

St Mary the Virgins Church, Deane Church in Bolton, England

The Church of St Mary the Virgin, Deane, is an Anglican parish church in Deane, Bolton, Greater Manchester, England. It is a member of Deane deanery in the archdeaconry of Bolton, diocese of Manchester. It is a Grade II* listed building.

St Marys Church, Acton Burnell Church in Shropshire, England

St Mary's Church is in the village of Acton Burnell, Shropshire, England, and stands near the ruins of Acton Burnell Castle. It is an active Anglican parish church in the deanery of Condover, the archdeaconry of Ludlow, and the diocese of Hereford. Its benefice is united with those of St Andrew and St Mary, Condover, St Mark, Frodesley, and St Michael and All Angels, Pitchford. The church is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade I listed building.

St Eatas Church, Atcham Church in Shropshire, England

St Eata's Church is in the village of Atcham, Shropshire, England. It is an active Anglican parish church in the deanery of Shrewsbury, the archdeaconry of Salop, and the diocese of Lichfield. Its benefice is united with that of St Giles-with-Sutton, Shrewsbury. The church is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade I listed building. Its dedication to Eata of Hexham is unique.

St Marys Church, Burford Church in Shropshire, England

St Mary's Church, Burford, is located near to Burford House in Shropshire, England, about 0.7 miles (1 km) to the west of Tenbury Wells. It is an active Anglican parish church in the deanery of Ludlow, the archdeaconry of Ludlow, and the diocese of Hereford. Its benefice is united with those of eleven other parishes to form the Tenbury Team Ministry. The church is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade I listed building.

St James Church, Cardington Church in Shropshire, England

St James' Church stands in an elevated position in the village of Cardington, Shropshire, England. It is an active Anglican parish church in the deanery of Condover, the archdeaconry of Ludlow, and the diocese of Hereford. The church is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade I listed building.

St Laurences Church, Church Stretton Church in Shropshire, England

St Laurence's Church is in Church Street, Church Stretton, Shropshire, England. It is an active Anglican parish church in the deanery of Condover, the archdeaconry of Ludlow, and the diocese of Hereford. Its benefice is united with those of St Michael and All Angels, All Stretton, and All Saints, Little Stretton to form the parish of Church Stretton. The church is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade I listed building.

St Marys Church, Cleobury Mortimer Church in Shropshire, England

St Mary's Church is on Church Street, Cleobury Mortimer, Shropshire, England. It is an active Anglican parish church in the deanery of Ludlow, the archdeaconry of Ludlow, and the diocese of Hereford. Its benefice is united with those of six local parishes to form the Cleobury Benefice. The church is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade I listed building. It is notable for its shingled twisted spire.

St Swithuns Church, Clunbury Church in Shropshire, England

St Swithun's Church is in the village of Clunbury, Shropshire, England. It is an active Anglican parish church in the deanery of Clun Forest, the archdeaconry of Ludlow, and the diocese of Hereford. Its benefice is united with those of St Mary, Bedstone, St Cuthbert, Clungunford, St Mary, Clunton, and St Edward, Hopton Castle. The church is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade I listed building.

St Ediths Church, Eaton-under-Heywood Church in Shropshire, England

St Edith's Church is in the village of Eaton-under-Heywood, Shropshire, England. It stands on the lower slopes of Wenlock Edge. The church, dedicated to Saint Edith of Wilton, is an active Anglican parish church in the deanery of Condover, the archdeaconry of Ludlow, and the diocese of Hereford. Its benefice is united with that of St Andrew, Hope Bowdler. The church is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade I listed building.

St Marys Church, Edstaston Church in Shropshire, England

St Mary's Church is in the village of Edstaston, in the civil parish of Wem Rural, Shropshire, England. It is an active Anglican parish church in the deanery of Wem and Whitchurch, the archdeaconry of Salop, and the diocese of Lichfield. Its benefice is united with those of St Chad, Prees, Holy Emmanuel, Fauls, Christ Church, Tilstock, and St Mary, Whixall. The church is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade I listed building. It is described as "one of the most complete Romanesque buildings in Shropshire".

St Marys Church, Ellesmere Church in Shropshire, England

St Mary's Church stands on a hill in the town of Ellesmere, Shropshire, England. It is an active Anglican parish church in the deanery of Ellesmere, the archdeaconry of Salop, and the diocese of Lichfield. The church is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade I listed building.

St Marys Church, Hopesay Church in Shropshire, England

St Mary's Church is in the village of Hopesay, Shropshire, England. It is an active Anglican parish church in the deanery of Clun Forest, the archdeaconry of Ludlow, and the diocese of Hereford. The church is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade I listed building.

St Marys Church, Bentworth

St Mary's Church is an Anglican church situated in the centre of the village of Bentworth, within the East Hampshire district of Hampshire, England. The church lies immediately east of Bentworth's primary school and north-east of the Star Inn on the main road through the village.

St Marys Church, Rolleston on Dove Church in Staffordshire, England

St Mary's Church is a parish church of the Church of England in Rolleston on Dove, Staffordshire. Parts of the structure date to 1130, though it was extensively renovated in 1892. It is unusual in having the main entrance door on the north side, with the southern entrance reserved for members of the Mosley family, local landowners and key donors to the church. The church features stained glass dating to the medieval period and more recent windows by Charles Eamer Kempe. The tower houses eight bells, one dating to 1586. The church is grade I listed and there are associated grade II listings for churchyard railings, a memorial, the lychgate and a former church grammar school. The lychgate, by Cecil Greenwood Hare, also functions as a war memorial. A Saxon cross in the churchyard was relocated from Tatenhill.

References

  1. Shropshire Archaeological and Natural History Society (Great Britain) (1907). Transactions of the Shropshire Archaeological and Natural History Society (Public domain ed.). Shropshire Archaeological and Natural History Society. pp. 97–. Retrieved 11 February 2012.
  2. "Church of St Mary, Bitterley". britishlistedbuildings.co.uk. Retrieved 12 February 2012.
  3. "Cross in Churchyard of Church of St Mary, Bitterley". britishlistedbuildings.co.uk. Retrieved 12 February 2012.
  4. 1 2 The gentleman's magazine, and historical chronicle (Public domain ed.). E. Cave. 1831. pp. 297–. Retrieved 11 February 2012.
  5. Francis, Peter (2013). Shropshire War Memorials, Sites of Remembrance. YouCaxton. pp. 102–103. ISBN   978-1-909644-11-3.
  6. CWGC Cemetery Report. Breakdown obtained from casualty record.

Coordinates: 52°23′31″N2°37′55″W / 52.3920°N 2.6320°W / 52.3920; -2.6320