Holy Jesus’ Church, Lydbrook.
The greater part of the Church was built in 1850 and 1851. It is in the style of the 14th century Decorated Period and the architect was Henry Woodyer, a flamboyant character. While the church was being built, an article in Ecclesiologist (new series XLV December 1850) heavily criticised Woodyer's design, particularly the twenty-foot length of the original pews in each aisle of the nave and the two floating buttresses to the rear of the tower.
The interior and ornamental parts are built of Bath Stone, the exterior being of the Grit Stone of the neighbourhood. The Clerestoriel Nave of five bays is approximately 50 feet in height, 56 feet long and 50 feet wide. The arcades are of cylindrical columns rising to pointed arches. The windows are in the Geometrical Decorated style. The roof is a unique forest of wind bracing wooden trusses. The chancel roof consists of scissors-beam trusses.
The Tower of the Church is 80 feet in height, the saddle back roof being an unusual feature for the Forest, but quite common elsewhere in Gloucestershire, such as St Margaret's, Bagendon.
The east window commemorates the Thomas family famous for its national industrial achievements in the founding of the South Wales Steel Industry, and having begun in a modest way at the Lydbrook Tin Works. The window depicts the four evangelists - Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, with Christ the King at the centre. Below each of the Evangelists is an Angel holding a shield portraying the Evangelist's symbol. Below Christ are two Angels holding a shield bearing his name (IHS = JES). Above the Risen Christ is the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove radiating down. To each side of the dove is an Angel, respectively holding shields bearing the initials Alpha and Omega. Originally the window was provided by Richard and Ann Thomas in memory of their children. The Window was dedicated 20 October 1908 by the Bishop of Gloucester. Sometime after 1917, with the deaths of Richard (1916) and Ann Thomas (1914) and their remaining children, a new plaque replaced the original with the additional names.
The stained glass window at the east end of the south aisle is in memory of the Reverend Henry Hoitt and was given by his wife in 1911. Henry Hoitt had served as Vicar for forty-two years. To complement this window an Altar (the Lady Altar) was placed underneath, with plans to screen it off, in effect to form a Lady Chapel. However the Screen was never put in place. The Eagle Lectern also in memory of Henry Hoitt was added in 1909 replacing an earlier, simpler lectern.
The sedilia in the south wall of the sanctuary are worth noticing for the delicate stone traceried rere-arch above them. Behind the Altar you can also find some attractive stone carving.
Only three stone memorials adorn the walls of the Church. First is the War Memorial by the Lady Chapel Altar. Second is a memorial to Caroline Hodges (d. 1920) who was for thirty-six years a nurse in Lydbrook. The memorial is placed by the font, where many of the babies she delivered were baptised. The third memorial is to Jack Priest (d. 1983) who was a member of the Choir and a Churchwarden. The War Memorial was erected in two stages. The right and left tablets stood together to commemorate those who gave their lives in the Great War. The larger middle tablet was added after the Second World War.
The churchyard contains war graves of four soldiers of World War I.
If anybody would like to expand to this series please do, I would just ask that you could let Sadexploration know first at churchmicro@gmail.com so he can keep track of the Church numbers and names to avoid duplication.
There is also a Church Micro Stats & Information page found via the Bookmark list.
In 2006 the Benefice was created from the combined parishes Drybrook, Ruardean & Lydbrook. Holy Trinity Church, Harrow Hill, also known as Forest Church, is combined with St John the Baptist, Ruardean and The Church of the Holy Jesus, Lydbrook. All three have a Church Micro and their links are given below:
Holy Trinity Church, Harrow Hill: GC515Q8
St John the Baptist, Ruardean: GC4YD2K
The Church of the Holy Jesus, Lydbrook: GC51A23