Holy Trinity, Belbroughton, Worcestershire

I Location

Site Location
Belbroughton
National Grid Reference
SO 918 768
County
traditional: Worcestershire
now: Worcestershire
Diocese
medieval: Worcester
now: Worcester
Dedication
medieval: not confirmed
now (or name of monument): Holy Trinity
Type of building/monument
Parish church

II General Description

Church Plan

Church Plan

S doorway, general view

S doorway, general view

Doorway

Doorway

S doorway, arch

S doorway, arch

Doorway, interior

Doorway, interior

The plain round-headed S doorway is now largely renewed but includes some 12thc. mouldings. Various carved fragments at the rectory mentioned in the VCH (1913, 3: 17) have now disappeared, but two are recorded in photographs.

VI Loose Sculpture

(i) Fragment (rectory)

The irregular shaped stone bears a curled quadruped with incised circular eyes, upright rounded ears and tripartite paws to its front legs and possibly a hoofed rear leg. The panel is broken at the bottom, top and R but has a straight L edge and curved upper L corner.

(ii) Panel (rectory)

The carved panel, roughly quadrant in shape and smaller than (i), has a cable moulding on the face along the curved edge and interlace on the curved side.

VII History

There was a church and a priest at Belbroughton in 1086, when the manor was held by the Countess Godiva. It was subsequently held by the Beauchamp family, apparently passing to Ralph de Sudeley in the reign of Henry II after his marriage to Emma, daughter of William de Beauchamp. The advowsen descended with the manor untilc.1592.

VIII Comments/Opinions

The Belbroughton History Society and the County Archaeological Service have both failed to locate the carved fragments at the rectory mentioned in the VCH; the house is now in private hands. The Society holds a photocopy of a photograph showing two animal carvings, which appear to be Romanesque. The original photograph was sent to Nikolaus Pevsner by Dr Pell-Walpole in the 1950s but never returned; if it comes to light the Society would like a copy.

Two of the carved fragments recorded at the rectory but now lost are illustrated in the VCH (III, pl. opposite p.20).

IX Bibliography

  • N. Pevsner, The Buildings of England. Worcestershire, Harmondsworth 1968, 77-78.
  • The Victoria History of the Counties of England. Worcestershire, vol.III, London 1913, 13-18, 17-18.