St George’s Church Brockworth

The History of St George’s Church

God has been worshipped in this place for nearly 1000 years. It is likely that a Church existed on this site in Saxon times. The Domesday Survey records a priest resident at Brockworth in 1086, so presumably there was a Church in which he served.

 

A document of Roger de Chandos, the first resident Lord of Brockworth after the conquest, provides evidence for dating the Norman Church: “Roger de Chandos: I wish it to be known to all, that when Symon, Bishop of Worcester, has dedicated the church of Brocwardin, which I have already given to the Canons of Llanthony, I agree that he shall confirm to the same church the land which it had before. The house also, by the churchyard on the west side, which John the Priest held of me, I have given to the same church. The churchyard also, because it is small, I have enlarged from my own demesne…this concession I have placed upon the altar of St. Mary’s at Llanthony, Gloucester on Quadragessima Sunday, MCXLII (1142)”

 

This church would have been much smaller than the one we know today. Of the building dedicated by bishop Symon, only the two arches remain, supporting the central tower. The arch on the nave side has roll and chevron mouldings with jamb shafts and scalloped capitals. The arch on the chancel side has chevron, roll and outer mouldings on huge half-cylindrical responds with cushion capitals.

 

The font is Norman and was almost certainly part of the original church.

 

It is not known exactly when the rebuilding took place, but it was probably between 1362 and 1377, when Simon de Brockworth was Prior.

The North arcade of three bays has octagonal piers with ball flowers round the capitals and dates from the 14th century. The small south transept has a panelled wooden roof with carved bosses and a piscina with a chamfered pointed arch. The chancel has a 14th century pillar piscina.

 

In the mid 19th century, Henry Yates John Taylor wrote in his biography “I remember Brockworth Church when it was in such a terrible state of dilapidation that the walls were supported with the trunks of elm trees. During that epoch of ecclesiastical degradation I sat in a miserable pew and saw the sunbeams dance and quiver through the crevices or fissures of the old walls, which, through neglect, were losing their pristine cohesion. The services were cold, perfunctory and irreverent. The grandeur of the old arch solemnised the building, which had as great resemblance to a respectable barn than to a parish sanctuary”.

 

In 1845, architect Thomas Fulgarries wrote a “Report and Estimate” which included ”Rebuilding the West Wall, Buttresses, Plinth Arches, reframing Nave and Porch Roof”. A vestry meeting on June 5th, 1846 agreed that repairs should take place forthwith.

Mr. John Hubert, who later carried out the contract, produced a specification and estimate amounting to £263.10s.5d.

At a meeting on November 6th, 1846,  further work was approved which included ”taking down a portion of the tower of the said church, which is in a dilapidated state, and rebuilding and raising the same to a higher elevation; taking down the present pews in the said church and erecting new ones in their stead, taking down and removing the pulpit and reading desk and placing the same in a better and more convenient situation in the said church, so as to afford additional accommodation for the inhabitants of the said parish attending Divine Service in the said church”. Mr. C. Niblett carried out this contract for the sum of £561.4s.0d.

The church contains a 19th century reredos with sculptures in niches and a wrought iron screen from the same period. The baroque monument to Sir Christopher Guise of 1670 is by Peter Bennier. The stained glass east window is by William Wailes and is dated 1847. Items of church plate include a chalice from 1677, paten from 1680 and an alms dish from 1788.

Until 1847 the church had a picturesque high pitched roof, hipped on each side as shown in the illustration. This type of roof was common in Normandy but rare in England.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The tower has a peal of six bells cast in 1849 by John Taylor, Bellfounders of Loughborough. The heaviest tenor bell, in the key of F, weighs 13cwt.

 

Electric lighting was installed in 1929.

 

An appeal fund was launched in 1977. The resulting restoration consisted of a new roof, repaired stonework, new altar and complete redecoration. Completed in 1981, this work cost £24,000.

 

More recently, work has been undertaken to create a lady chapel in the south transept area and to remove pews around the font to improve access.