St Mary's Church, Shipton Solars

St Mary’s Church stands in the quiet village of Shipton Solars, Gloucestershire, on a low rise above the gentle Cotswold countryside. Built of local limestone rubble with Cotswold stone slates, its simple plan shows a three-bay nave and a single-bay chancel under a single roof. A small bellcote with one bell crowns the west end, and traces of original plaster still cling to the outside walls. The church is recorded in the National Heritage List for England at Grade I, marking its national importance. It was once a working chapel, first mentioned in 1236, and has known many centuries of use and repair. The church is worth the journey for its layered history and fine architectural details. In 1883 the rector, Rev Charles Pugh, found the building used as a cow shed with trees growing through the roof and set about repairs with his wife’s help. Later, in 1929, patron Ernest Francis Fieldhouse commissioned architect W. E. Ellery Anderson to restore the fabric, unblock doorways and remove whitewash from the walls. The interior still holds medieval wall paintings, painted crosses, a 15th-century octagonal font and a 17th-century carved oak pulpit with tester. The chancel windows contain 20th-century stained glass by Geoffrey Webb, including figures of Saint Thomas, Mary Magdalene and the Madonna and Child. Inside, the plastered walls and wagon roofs of nave and chancel give a calm, uncluttered space. Remnants of medieval texts and inscriptions survive on the nave walls, while the chancel panelling behind the altar carries linenfold decoration. Monuments from the 17th and 18th centuries line the walls, and an hourglass on a stand stands before the pulpit. The east window shows Saint Thomas and Mary Magdalene, the north window bears the Fieldhouse family arms, and the southeast window depicts the Madonna and Child. The church is kept open during daylight hours by local residents and cared for daily, making it easy to visit and appreciate its quiet presence.