Highnam, Holy Innocents Church

Holy Innocents Church, Highnam

Holy Innocents Church in Highnam, Gloucestershire is one of the most impressive and architecturally stunning Victorian churches in England. It is also a poignant memorial to one man's grief for his dead wife and three young children.

It is unusual for a church to have an obvious theme, but at Highnam, the theme is clear; it is children. Even the name of the church, Holy Innocents, echoes that theme.

History

Holy Innocents Church was built by Thomas Gambier Parry, the owner of nearby Highnam Court, in memory of his wife, Isabella (née Fines-Clinton), who died of tuberculosis in 1848, shortly after giving birth to their fifth child, Hubert Parry.

Last Judgement mural, chancel arch

Later that same year, Thomas Parry commissioned the architect Henry Woodyer to design an estate church in memory of Isabella and three of their children who had died in infancy. The foundation stone was laid in July of 1849 and the church was consecrated in April 1851 by the Bishop of Gloucester.

Thomas Parry studied at Oxford University and his religious views were heavily influenced by the Oxford Movement. In practise, this meant that Holy Innocents was designed to appeal to the senses, with rich decoration and the finest available materials used for furnishings. The style is very much Gothic Revival, with medieval forms throughout.

Parry spared no expense, and it shows. The craftsmanship is extraordinary, and the effect is overwhelming. The metalwork and woodwork are of the very highest order. and if you examine the Minton floor tiles you will see that they become increasingly ornate as you approach the altar.

Palm Sunday procession mural

The Murals

The glory of Highnam Church is its astonishing collection of Victorian murals, all painted by Thomas Gambier Parry and modelled after frescoes he had seen in Italy. Parry mixed his own paints and performed all of the design and paintings, with his assistants only adding lettering and decorative diaper patterns.

Above the chancel arch is a depiction of the Last Judgement, a familiar theme for this location in the church. The south wall of the nave shows Adam and Eve expelled from the Garden of Eden, while the north side shows the Annunciation above and St John the Baptist and St Stephen in roundels beneath.

The north aisle wall shows the Palm Sunday procession, with characters from the New Testament following Christ into Jerusalem. The girls at the far left and the far right are both modelled on Parry's daughter, Hilda.

The east window, by Clayton and Bell

Stained Glass

The theme of childhood is nowhere more obvious than in the church's stained-glass windows, which depict Biblical stories involving children.

The chancel window was crafted by the famous Clayton and Bell firm and depicts scenes from the life of Christ. The oldest window is the small baptismal window near the font, with glass depicting the slaughter of children by Herod's soldiers, known as the martyrdom of the Holy Innocents.

The windows in the north aisle are by another Victorian master craftsman; William Wailes, and those in the south aisle are by John Hardman, to designs by AW Pugin. Parry chose Wailes and the Pugin/Hardman partnership since they were acknowledged the finest stained-glass artists of their time and he wanted to pit them against each other.

The organ

The Organ

Hubert Parry, the boy whose birth had, if not caused, certainly hastened his mother's death, went on to become one his era's most celebrated composers and a director of the Royal College of Music in London. His most famous composition is the score of the popular hymn 'Jerusalem', with lyrics by William Blake.

Sir Hubert Parry learned to play the organ at Holy Innocents Church, a short walk across the field from his home at Highnam Court. Here he practised and honed his musical skills. You can see his memorial in the side chapel, though he was buried in St Paul's Cathedral in London.

The chancel screen

You reach the chancel through a beautifully-carved wooden screen. The highlight here is an extravagant stone reredos behind the altar, depicting the martyrdom of Christ and the emblems of the Twelve Apostles.

Another wrought-iron screen leads to the side chapel, where you will find memorials to Thomas Gambier Parry and a bust of Isabella Parry. Also in the side chapel is a richly decorated 15th-century triptych by Johan Schwarz.

Isabella Parry memorial bust

Visiting

Holy Innocents is an astonishing church and is listed Grade I by Historic England, a testament to its historical interest. To walk into the church interior is to stand open-mouthed in amazement at the extraordinary murals and exquisitely detailed furnishings.

The soaring spire of Holy Innocents rises above the surrounding village and is easily seen from Highnam Court.

You reach Highnam village off the A40 just west of Gloucester. The church is at the southern edge of the village, on the B4215, next to the community centre, and there is a car park for visitors. You can also reach the church by walking across the field from Highnam Court, if you are visiting the gardens (which you should!).

As of this writing, the church is open on specified Sundays from April through September, and on days when Highnam Court gardens are open. Check the church website for current details.