St Arild's Church, Oldbury-on-the-Hill

St Arild’s Church stands in the Gloucestershire countryside near the village of Oldbury-on-the-Hill. It is an Anglican church looked after by The Churches Conservation Trust and holds Grade II* listed status. The building is dedicated to Saint Arilda, a virgin and martyr whose name appears on only one other church in the area. Access involves crossing fields or passing through a farmyard, adding to the sense of arrival. The church sits quietly among hedgerows and farmland, away from main roads. The church’s origins go back to the 13th century, though most of its stone walls and roof date from the late 15th or early 16th century. Repairs in the 18th century kept the structure sound. Inside, the nave and chancel open through a tall pointed tower arch under a plain plaster ceiling. Traces of 18th-century box pews remain along the south wall, and a two-tier pulpit stands near the chancel arch. Outside, the west tower rises in three stages with diagonal buttresses and a battlemented parapet. Its west window is a two-light arched design, while the belfry stage has louvred openings on all sides. The north porch is gabled, and its wall holds a three-light ogee-headed window. On the south side of the nave, four windows of different styles let in varied light. The east window in the chancel contains Decorated tracery, completing the church’s Perpendicular style.