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St Faith, Overbury, Worcestershire

Overbury
957 374
pre-1974 traditional (England and Wales) Worcestershire
now Worcestershire
medieval Worcester
now Worcester
medieval St Faith
now St Faith
  • G. L. Pearson

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Description

The church has a 12thc. nave with N and S arcades, both with a clerestorey, a 13thc. chancel with 14thc. aisles, a 15thc. tower between chancel and nave, and a modern porch. Except for the chancel, the church is built of sandstone ashlar. The round-headed clerestorey windows of the nave, set above the arcade spandrels, have plain splays towards the main vessel and continuous chamfered surrounds to the aisles. Romanesque sculpture is found in the S nave doorway, in the S and N nave arcades, and on the font.

History

In 1086 Overbury was held by the monks of Worcester; a priest held half a hide of land there at that time. In 1148 the manor was confirmed to the prior and convent of Worcester by the bishop and remained with the priory until 1540.

Features

Exterior Features

Doorways

Interior Features

Arcades

Nave

Furnishings

Fonts

Comments/Opinions

Stratford (in Pevsner 1968, 232, fn.) compares the nook shafts lacking neckings on the first order of the S doorway with examples at St Davids and Wells cathedrals, suggesting a late 12thc. date. He also notes comparisons between the foliage on the font with that on the Gloucestershire lead fonts and the stone font at Coleshill in Warwickshire, the latter bearing a similar figure. Pevsner dates the N nave arcade later than the S. The representation of a figure with two croziers on the font is puzzling. The gabled building on the E panel could represent a reliquary. The L and R sides of the large repair have discoloured edges, which could indicate that it was lying around for a long period before being recut.

Bibliography
The Victoria History of the Counties of England. Worcestershire, vol.III, London 1913, 469-78, 472-74.
N.Pevsner, The Buildings of England. Worcestershire. Harmondsworth 1968, 17, 231-32.