St Arild's Church, Oldbury-on-the-Hill | |
Imagealt: | A stone church seen from the northwest. The tower is battlemented, and the relatively small plain body of the church extends beyond it |
Pushpin Map: | Gloucestershire |
Pushpin Mapsize: | 200 |
Pushpin Label Position: | left |
Map Caption: | Location in Gloucestershire |
Location: | Oldbury-on-the-Hill, Gloucestershire |
Country: | England |
Coordinates: | 51.5926°N -2.263°W |
Osgraw: | ST 818 882 |
Denomination: | Anglican |
Website: | https://www.visitchurches.org.uk/visit/church-listing/st-arild-oldbury.html |
Dedication: | Saint Arild |
Functional Status: | Redundant |
Heritage Designation: | Grade II* |
Designated Date: | 6 September 1964 |
Architectural Type: | Church |
Style: | Gothic |
Groundbreaking: | 13th century |
Materials: | Stone, stone slate roof |
St Arild's Church is a historic Anglican church near the village of Oldbury-on-the-Hill, Gloucestershire, England under the care of The Churches Conservation Trust. It is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II* listed building, The church is dedicated to Arilda, a female saint who was a virgin and a martyr. This is one of only two churches dedicated to her, the other being nearby at Oldbury-on-Severn. Access to the church is across fields or through a farmyard.
The church originated in the 13th century, although most of its fabric dates from the late 15th or early 16th century. Repairs were carried out in the 18th century.
St Arild's is constructed in stone with a stone slate roof. Its style is Perpendicular. The plan consists of a nave and chancel, with a small north porch, and a west tower. The tower is in three stages divided by string courses, with diagonal stepped buttresses in the lowest stage. Also in the lowest stage is a two-light arched west window. The middle stage has a small lancet window on the west side, and on all sides in the highest stage are two-light louvred bell openings. At the top of the tower is a battlemented parapet. The north porch is gabled, and in the north wall is a three-light ogee-headed window. On the south side of the nave are four windows of different types. The east window in the chancel has a three-light window containing Decorated (geometrical) tracery.
Internally there is a tall pointed tower arch. The ceiling is plain and plastered. Some 18th-century box pews are still present on the south side of the church, and there is also a two-tier pulpit.