We have 4 Images Above Photograph(s)
Copyright of John Williams

St Peter's Church,
Church Lane, GL2 8JJ,
Minsterworth, Gloucestershire.

Cemeteries

This Church has (or had) a graveyard.

Note: any church within an urban environment may have had its graveyard closed after the Burial Act of 1853. Any new church built after that is unlikely to have had a graveyard at all.

Church History

This Place of Worship was founded before 1261, and we understand it is still open.

According to Kelly's Directory of 1923, Minsterworth was anciently called "Mortune". St Peter's Church was rebuilt in 1869-70 by Henry Woodyear and consists of chancel, nave of four bats, north aisle, south porch and an embattled western tower containing 6 bells.

The British Listed Buildings website provides a more comprehensive description of its present architecture, but also mentioning fittings, which presumably came from the previous building - a wooden hexagonal Jacobean pulpit on a 19th century stone base; a 15th century octagonal stone font, quatrefoils to the edge of the bowl, blind panelling and corner buttresses to the stem; and a 16th century needlework altar fontal in a case incorporating 14th century figures. It also notes the stained west window by Hardman, 1880; the east and 2 south in the chancel by Clayton & Bell, c.1870; and the east window to the vestry by Capronnier of Brussells, and - possibly an art nouveau touch - 2 triangular brass hanging lamps in the chancel. Their account also mentions that the previous church was badly decayed, and when it was rebuilt, the floor was made 4 feet higher to avoid flooding - which is quite understandable, since it is probably less than 200 metres from the banks of the River Severn.

So what of the previous church? The return to the Religious Census of 1851 (HO 129/334/2/3/6) states that the date of erection was "unknown - very ancient". There were 300 free sittings, and 30 "appropriated" sittings; and the usual number of attendees was 30 to morning service, and 100 to afternoon and evening service, though not all on the same day, since there was "one Service on Sunday, Morning & Afternoon alternately". There was no Sunday School - "the Weekday School meets to attend the Church Services, but not for instruction". These details were provided by Jno. [John] Constance, with the explanation that "the above is an estimated return which I have obtained by making enquiries of the Churchwarden - not being able to get any information from the Clergyman or Parish Clerk".

According to the details for Minsterworth Church on the Westbury on Severn Benefice website, there is a list of incumbents displayed inside the church going back to 1261. They also mention deterioration of the early church, and that "it is recorded that in 1770 flood waters in the church resulted in the parish chest and all its contents being saturated and later, in 1852, the parish clerk sailed up the nave in a boat..."!

Researchers should also note that the church has not always been dedicated to St Peter. The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland (1868) refers to it as St George, whilst Ralph Bigland, in his account of its Memorial Inscriptions (1792), refers to it as St Mary, having "a Nave and Aile of equal Length, with a Chancel, separated by an Arch, ornamented with the zig-zag Moulding. In the Chancel Window are these Arms: Gules, three Lions of England. The Steeple and Bells were destroyed by Lightning in the Beginning of the present [18th] Century. There is at present a low Tower at the West End; and in the Church a Stone Font, curiously sculptured with Quatrefoils and other Ornaments that mark its Antiquity".

Denomination

Now or formerly Church of England.

If more than one congregation has worshipped here, or its congregation has united with others, in most cases this will record its original dedication.

Maps

This Church is located at OS grid reference SO7731617003. You can see this on various mapping systems. Note all links open in a new window:

• St Peter's Church, Minsterworth shown on a Google Map.
• Places of Worship in Minsterworth shown on a Google Map.
• Streetmap.co.uk (arrow on map shows the Place of Worship's location) (verified 2018-10-15)
• Bing (Ordnance Survey option) (verified 2018-10-13)
• Bing Maps ('Bird's Eye' View) (verified 2018-10-15)
• Ordnance Survey "getamap" (NB some of the 'Change Map' options may require a subscription) (verified 2018-10-15)
• OpenStreetMap (Maps © OpenStreetMap contributors, CC-BY-SA) (verified 2018-10-15)
• A Vision of Britain Through Time - useful for Boundary Changes (verified 2018-10-15)
• www.magic.gov.uk (Modern Maps with various overlays) (verified 2018-10-15)

Resources

I have found many websites of use whilst compiling the information for this database. Here are some which deserve mention as being of special interest for Minsterworth, and perhaps to Local History and Places of Worship as a whole.

• Learn more about Buildings of special or historical interest on the British Listed Buildings (null) (verified 2018-09-19)
• You may want to visit Westbury on Severn Benefice website for present-day information.

The above links were selected and reviewed at the time I prepared the information, but please be aware their content may vary, or disappear entirely. These factors are outside my control.