The Parish Church of Saint Mary Lower Slaughter — Attraction in Cotswold District

The small Anglican parish church, is dedicated to St. Mary the Virgin and is worth a small visit, specially in autumn where you’ll see the church surrounded by trees with delightful colours. I really loved behind the altar, the colorful glasses with scenes of angels and Virgin Mary and the rock construction with Jesus, Mary and I suppose John or Peter. Much of the current structure was built in 1867, based on plans by architect Benjamin Ferrey for Charles Shapland Whitmore, Lord of the Manor.

It is a building of stone with a Cotswold stone roof, comprising chancel, nave, north aisle, organ chamber, and vestry. There is also a western two stage tower with diagonal buttresses and spire behind parapets pierced by trefoils. The decoration is Early English and Decorated styles. It contains, however, an early 13th-century arcade which has three cylindrical piers with scalloped capitals and pointed chamfered arches from the late 12th century or early 13th century: transitional Norman. There is also a piscina of the same period. Almost all the fittings are Victorian or modern with little interest except one window by Clayton & Bell on 1867. The Whitmore family is buried in the north aisle. Of the six bells, one is thought to be by Robert Hendley of Gloucester, two are by Edward Neale of Burford (1683)and three were made in 1866. The plate includes a chalice and paten cover of 1576.

From architectural evidence, there seems to have been a church at Lower Slaughter by 1235. The nonappearance in ecclesiastical records of the late 13th century indicates that by that period, if not before, it was annexed to Bourton. From the 16th-18th century, the church was usually described as a chapel of ease, but in the 19th century was called a parish church. The change may have resulted from the keeping of separate registers for Lower Slaughter (from 1813) and from the establishment of a right to burial there. In the 16th century some inhabitants at least were buried at Bourton, and although between 1667 and 1699 there were a few burials inside St.Mary’s church, none is recorded in the churchyard before 1770. By 1750 there were services every Sunday afternoon. In 1851 there were morning services only. The number of services, particularly of communion, increased with the building of the new church in 1867 and the arrival of curates to live in the village. In 1954 Lower Slaughter was severed from Bourton and the benefice united (the parish remaining distinct) with...

Small house of the holy in a small village however please note that Saint Mary's was the starting point for the 1934 world hide and seek championship. The strongly fancied Bulgarian team faced off against the long shot outsiders Cambodia. The Bulgarians chose to stay local and the majority hid behind the gravestones in the church grounds. The Asian team neglected to check this obvious approach to hiding, big mistake. The church ⛪️ has windows, pretty good news as they let the light in. It also has a door 🚪, to let the people in. Pews (pews, Barney McGrews) a plenty for those who wish to sit and be preached at. God failed to make themselves known yet again. He/she may have been hiding in the flowers, or may have been the flowers...

Very peaceful and restful They were also selling some gift packs which were extremely good value, and all in a good cause Definitely worth a visit as the church is beautiful, as is the...