Christian Heritage

Gloucestershire is rich in reminders of her Christian heritage with a wealth of abbeys and churches, large and small, ruined or still in use.

The story of Christianity in Gloucestershire takes us from the rolling Cotswold Hills to the valley of the River Severn and on to the Royal Forest of Dean. From great cathedrals and abbeys to tiny meeting houses and preaching crosses. From bustling market and industrial towns and cities to remote and tiny villages and hamlets. Every part of the county shows evidence of a Christianity alive and well through the ages.

The Anglo-Saxon priory church at Deerhurst dates from 804 and is within a stone's throw of Odda's chapel dating from 1056, for centuries hidden as part of a farmhouse.

Dozens of village churches throughout the county have parts dating from the Norman period, such as the wonderful chancel arch at Elkstone or the deeply carved doorway at Quenington.

Gloucester Cathedral and Tewkesbury Abbey were originally abbey churches saved from destruction at the dissolution of the monasteries. Not so fortunate was Hailes Abbey near Winchcombe, whose ruins now lie in a romantic setting beneath the surrounding hills.

Kempley and Hailes churches both have exuberant medieval wall paintings and Newland church in the Forest of Dean is famous for its unique Miner's brass.
Many fine churches in the Cotswolds were built with the profits from the medieval wool trade, the most famous "wool" churches being at Chipping Campden, Cirencester, Fairford, Northleach and Winchcombe. Great tithe barns are another legacy of the church's influence, with fine examples at Ashleworth and Frocester.

Tetbury church is a fine example of Georgian Gothic while John Betjeman described Highnam church as "the most complete Victorian church in this country".

There are also examples of a strong non-conformist tradition in the county with one of the earliest Baptist chapels in Tewkesbury and a delightfully peaceful, white rendered chapel built during the early 19th century by Moravian settlers at Brockweir on the banks of the River Wye.

Country churches

To the left is a list of some of the most interesting country churches you can visit in Gloucestershire. However, the list is by no means exhaustive - nearly every country church has something special to offer.

	Alstone - St. Margaret 6 mls E of Tewkesbury
	Ashchurch - St. Nicholas 2 mls E of Tewkesbury
	Aston-sub-Edge - St. Andrew 4 mls NE of Broadway
	Ashton-under-Hill - St. Barbara 7 mls NE of Tewkesbury
	Avening - Holy Cross 5 mls SE of Stroud
	Bagendon - St. Margaret 3 mls NNW of Cirencester
	Baunton - St. Mary Magdalene 1.5 mls N of Cirencester
	Bishop's Cleeve - St. Michael & All Angels 3 mls N of Cheltenham
	Blackfriars Priory . EH Gloucester
	Boddington - St. Mary Magdalene 4 mls NW of Cheltenham
	Bourton-on-the-Water - St. Lawrence Bourton-on-the-Water
	Bredon - St. Giles 3 mls NE of Tewkesbury
	Brimpsfield - St. Michael & All Angels 6mls S. of Cheltenham
	Brockweir - Moravian Chapel 6.5 mls SSW of Coleford
	Bushley - St. Peter 2 mls NW of Tewkesbury
	Chaceley - St. John the Baptist 3 mls SW of Tewkesbury
	Chedworth - St. Andrew 4 mls SW of Northleach
	Chepstow - Priory Church of St. Mary Chepstow
	Cherington - St. Nicholas 5 mls SE of Stroud
	Chipping Campden - St. James Chipping Campden
	Church Trails Church House, Gloucester
	Cirencester Parish Church of St. John Baptist Cirencester Market Place
	Clapton-on-the-Hill - St. James 2 mls S of Bourton-on-the-Water
	Clearwell - St. Peter 2 mls S of Coleford
	Cleeve Hill - St. Peter 4 mls NE of Cheltenham
	Coates - St. Matthew's 3 mls W of Cirencester
	Coberley - St. Giles 4 mls SSE of Cheltenham (off A435 Cheltenham to Cirencester)
	Cold Aston - St. Andrew 3.5 mls NNE of Northleach
	Colesbourne - St. James 7 mls SE of Cheltenham
	Coln Rogers - St. Andrew 3.5 mls SW of Northleach
	Coln St. Dennis - St. James the Great 3 mls SW of Northleach
	Cowley - St. Mary 5 mls SSE of Cheltenham
	Daglingworth - Holy Rood 3 mls NW of Cirencester
	Deerhurst - Odda's Chapel . EH Deerhurst, 3 mls SW of Tewkesbury
	Deerhurst - St. Mary's Priory Deerhurst, 2.5 mls SW of Tewkesbury
	Duntisbourne Rouse - St. Michael's 4 mls NW of Cirencester
	Duntisbourne Abbots - St. Peter 5 mls NW of Cirencester
	Elkstone - St John the Evangelist 6 mls S of Cheltenham
	Elmstone Hardwicke - St. Mary Magdalene 3 mls NW of Cheltenham
	English Bicknor - St. Mary 3.5 mls N of Coleford
	Fairford - St. Marys Fairford
	Farmington - St. Peter 2 mls E of Northleach
	Frampton Mansell - St. Luke's 5 mls ESE of Stroud
	Gloucester Cathedral Westgate Street, Gloucester
	Great Rissington - St. John the Baptist 3 mls SE of Bourton-on-the-Water
	Hailes Abbey - EH & NT 2 mls NE of Winchcombe
	Hampnett - St. George 1 ml NW of Northleach
	Hewelsfield - St. Mary Magdalene 5.5 mls S of Coleford
	Highnam Church - Holy Innocents Highnam 2mls NW of Gloucester
	Horsley - St. Martin 4.5 mls S of Stroud
	Kemerton - St. Nicholas 4 mls NE of Tewkesbury
	Kempley - St. Mary's . EH 1 ml N of Kempley, 5 mls NW of Newent
	Kingscote - St. John 6 mls SSW of Stroud
	Kingswood Abbey Gatehouse . EH Kingswood, 1 ml SW of Wotton-under-Edge
	Lechlade, St Lawrence Church 12 miles East of Cirencester on the A417
	Little Rissington - St. Peter 2 mls SE of Bourton-on-the-Water
	Little Washbourne - St. Mary 6 mls E of Tewkesbury
	Llandogo - St. Oudoceus 5 mls SW of Coleford
	Llanthony Priory Llanthony Road, Gloucester
	Lower Slaughter - St. Mary 1 ml N of Bourton-on-the-Water
	Mariner's Church Gloucester Docks
	Nailsworth - St. George 3.5 mls S of Stroud
	Naunton - St. Andrew 4 mls NW of Bourton-on-the-Water
	Newland - All Saints 1.5 mls SW of Coleford
	North Cerney - All Saints 4 mls N of Cirencester
	Northleach - St. Peter & St. Paul Northleach
	Notgrove - St. Bartholomew 3.5 mls N of Northleach
	Old Baptist Chapel Church Street, Tewkesbury
	Oxenton - St. John the Baptist 6 mls N of Cheltenham
	Painswick - Parish Church Painswick, 4 mls NE of Stroud
	Prinknash Abbey 2.5 mls NE of Painswick
	Redbrook - St. Saviour 2.5 mls W of Coleford
	Rendcomb - St. Peter 5 mls N of Cirencester
	Rodmarton - St. Peter's 5.5 mls SW of Cirencester
	Ruardean - St. John the Baptist 5 mls NE of Coleford
	Saintbury - St. Nicholas 2 mls NE of Broadway
	Sapperton - St. Kenelm 5 mls W of Cirencester
	Selsley Church 11/2 ml SW of Stroud
	Shortwood - All Saints 3.5 mls S of Stroud
	Southam - The Ascension 3 mls NE of Cheltenham
	St. Arvans - St. Arvans 2 mls NW of Chepstow
	St. Briavels - St. Mary the Virgin 4 mls S of Coleford
	Staunton - All Saints 2 mls NW of Coleford
	Staverton - St. Catherine 5 mls NE of Gloucester
	Stoke Orchard - St. James the Great 4 mls NW of Cheltenham
	Stowell - St. Leonard 2 mls SW of Northleach
	Stratton - St. Peter 1.5 mls NW of Cirencester
	Swindon Village - St. Lawrence 2 mls NW of Cheltenham
	Syde - St. Mary the Virgin 7 mls NW of Cirencester
	Tarlton - St. Osmund's 4.5 mls SW of Cirencester
	Tetbury - St. Mary the Virgin Tetbury
	Tewkesbury Abbey Tewkesbury
	Tintern Parva - St. Michael 7.5 mls SSW of Coleford
	Tirley - St. Michael's 5 mls SW of Tewkesbury
	Tredington - St. John the Baptist 5 mls NW of Cheltenham
	Turkdean - All Saints 2 mls N of Northleach
	Twyning - St. Mary Magdalene 2 mls N of Tewkesbury
	Upper Slaughter - St. Peter 2 mls NW of Bourton-on-the-Water
	Warden Hill - St. Christophers 1 1/2 mls. SW of Cheltenham
	Weston-sub-Edge - St. Lawrence 3 mls NE of Broadway
	Willersey - St. Peter 1.5 mls NE of Broadway
	Winchcombe - St. Peter's Winchcombe
	Winstone - St. Bartholomew 6 mls NW of Cirencester
	Woolstone - St. Martin de Tours 5 mls N of Cheltenham
	Wyck Rissington - St. Laurence 2 mls ENE of Bourton-on-the-Water
	Yanworth - St. Michael 2 mls W of Northleach