Eaton Bishop church and stained glass

Eaton Bishop church from the south west

This delightful country church boasts some of the finest medieval stained glass in England (for an alternative claimant to this title see our article on Fairford, Gloucestershire). The exact date when St Michael and All Angels church was founded is not known, but it seems very likely that a stone church with a nave and chancel existed here prior to the Norman invasion in 1066. The triangular roofline of this early building can be seen clearly against the current west wall.

The triple sedilia in the chancel

The squat, rectangular tower was added in the 12th century, possibly by the Bishop of Hereford. It is likely that an earlier tower existed, based upon the Saxon style of windows, and the shape of the tower. Sometime in the 13th century, the church was expanded, and the nave heightened and widened. One Early English capital in the nave survives from this period.

The font is 13th century, with the addition of a Victorian bowl. The pulpit is a wineglass design, boasting wonderfully carved wooden panels. In the chancel is a 14th-century sedilia composed of three bays.

Stained Glass

Stained glass figure of
St Michael weighing souls

At the base of the east windows are placed 'donor panels'. These extensions of the main window scenes are intended to commemorate the person or organizations who paid for each window. One donor panel has the word 'Cantor', a reference perhaps to Adam de Monmouth, cantor at Hereford Cathedral, who may have been responsible for the window.

During the Second World War the glass was removed from the windows for safekeeping and stored in the nearby vicarage. An interpretive panel illustrates the east window and explains each figure and its meaning.

Taken as a whole, the stained glass at Eaton Bishop is an extraordinary medieval monument, and well worth a trip to see.

A more modern note is struck by a large naval ensign (flag) hung at the west end of the nave. This was flown by the HMS Alcantara during action in the south Atlantic in 1940.