St Mary, Bedstone, Shropshire

I Location

Site Location
Bedstone
National Grid Reference
SO368 758
County
traditional: Shropshire
now: Shropshire
Diocese
medieval: not confirmed
now: Hereford
Dedication
medieval: not confirmed
now (or name of monument): St Mary
Type of building/monument
Parish church

II General Description

Single-aisled 12thc. church, extensively restored in 1878-9 by F. R Kempson. There is a 12thc. window in the S wall of nave and in the N wall of the chancel. There is a plain, blocked 12thc. priest's doorway on the S side of the chancel and a 12thc. chancel arch, plain, apart from its chamfered imposts. 12thc. sculpture is found on the font.

V Furnishings

1. Fonts

(i)

Font.

Font.

Chancel arch.

Chancel arch.

Tub-shaped with a 19thc. base. Plain, except for moulded ring separating bowl from stem. There is a chamfer at the lower end of bowl, just above ring, and on the upper and lower sides of the ring. The bowl, necking and stem are of one piece of stone. There are chisel marks, mostly vertical visible on the body of the font.. The basin is round and lead lined. Sandstone. At W end of nave.

Dimensions
h. of bowl 0.31 m
h. of bowl with necking 0.415 m
h. of entire font 0.63m
outer diameter 0.61 m
inner diameter 0.46 m
circ. 1.97 m

VII History

The manor was held by Fulco, of Picot de Say. The church is first mentioned in 1291 in the Taxation, when it was valued at £2 The church was repaired in 1851 and restored in 1879.

IX Bibliography

  • R. W. Eyton, Antiquities of Shropshire, 11, London: J. R. Smith, 1860, 302-6.
  • D. H. S. Cranage, An Architectural Account of the Churches of Shropshire, vol. 1 pt. 5, 1895, 376-7.
  • N. Pevsner, The Buildings of England: Shropshire. London 1958, 71.
  • Anon, The Parish Church of Saint Mary, Bedstone, leaflet, 2000.
  • J. C. Anderson, Shropshire: Its Early History and Antiquities. 1864, 479.