Tidmington Church (Church of the Ascension)

Tidmington Church

Tidmington's parish church stands apart from its village, beside the manor house, and screened from view behind a tall band of trees.

The church dates to the 12th century and is built to a traditional plan, with a nave, chancel, west tower, and south porch. The chancel was rebuilt in the Tudor period and the porch dates to the Victorian period.

The striking west tower probably dates to the early 13th century and features a set of carved corbel heads just below the roof line. Each corner boasts a trio of carved heads and the upper of the three stages has beautifully executed double lancet windows in each face.

Like the tower, the nave is made from attractive brown Hornton limestone. The nave was restored in the 1870s by the rector, Reverend W Briscoe, using Cotswold stone for the windows, a much lighter colour.

13th-century corbel head

The porch is a peculiar mix of both medieval and Victorian stonework. Carved heads of a king and queen flank the porch entrance arch.

The porch protects a well-preserved 13th-century south doorway. Above the doorway is a semi-circular tympanum featuring a roundel cross, possibly made for the church's consecration. A hole in the centre of the cross may suggest that it was intended to hold a sundial gnomon.

The west tower arch is from the latter medieval period and features a pair of carved heads decorating the capitals. One head shows a man wearing a hat with earflaps and the other depicts a woman in a wimple.

The Norman tub font

A Norman Font

The historical highlight is a Norman tub font just inside the entrance. This is plainly carved but has a carving of Christ in Majesty on the east face.

Most of the windows we see today date from the 1870s restoration, with the exception of the window at the west end of the north wall and part of the eat window on the south wall, both of which are medieval.

Over the chancel arch is a royal coat of arms dated 1814. It was removed from the church during the Victorian restoration and was held for 38 years in a nearby barn before it was returned to the church in 1908.

The chancel was rebuilt in the 16th century and refaced in the 1870s, but is boasts some reused medieval features, including a fluted piscina in the south wall, an aumbry cupboard, and a niche for the reserved sacrament. The altar table dates to the 1830s.

The church interior

Memorials

There are a number of interesting wall monuments including several to the Snow family. Among these are a memorial to Rev. Thomas Snow (d. 1839) and another to his son, also named Thomas and also an Anglican priest. The younger Snow was buried in Hanover Square Chapel in London in 1825 at the age of just 28. Another poignant Snow memorial is to Louisa Snow, who died in 1807 at just 13 years old.

The oldest Snow memorial is found under the tower and is to Isaac Snow, who died in 1765 at 86 years old. Also remembered on the memorial is Isaac's wife, Margaret, who died in 1751. Interestingly, Isaac's date of birth and age are inscribed in Arabic numerals while Margaret's are carved in Roman numerals.

Look for a wall plaque to Francis Lloyd, 2nd Lieutenant with the Devonshire Regiment, who died in France in 1916 at just 21 years of age.

1814 royal coat of arms

Interior Features

• 12th-century piscina with scalloped bowl
• 19th-century coloured tile chancel floors
• Chamfered chancel archway
• Triple chamfered tower arch with 13th-century corbels
• Norman tub font with carved Christ in Majesty
• 15th-century restored benches with panel tracery
• Eleven 19th-century and one 20th-century wall tablets
• 19th-century stained glass in east window and south-east window of nave

Perhaps the most interesting exterior highlight is a wonderful double table tomb to members of the Johnson family. The earliest Johnson was buried here in 1695, though the inscription is worn and hard to read.

17th-century Johnson table tombs

History

The church was built as a manorial chapel for the Croome family of neighbouring Tidmington House, which explains why it stands apart from the village itself. There is no known dedication, though some sources suggest the 'Church of the Ascension'.

Until 1719, Tidmington was a part of Tredington parish, but in that year, it became part of the newly created parish of Shipston. The Shipston church became the parish church at the chapel at Tidmington continued as a chapelry under Shipston. The new rector was given the title of 'The Rector of Shipston cum Capella de Tidmington'.

The village was transferred from Worcestershire to Warwickshire in 1931.

A 17th-century Tragedy

The church registers begin in 1611 and the very first page of the register tells the story of a local family's heartbreak. One of the first entries show that a child named An[n] Cowper was christened on 18 October and buried three days later. It is a sobering reminder of the high rates of infant mortality in the period.

Reset medieval piscina

Visiting

Let's be kind and say that finding Tidmington's parish church can be a challenge. I checked ahead using a well-known online mapping tool and we still drove right past it. The church is hidden behind a screen of trees and there are no signs that I could see. There is a car park, but it isn't signposted either, so it is extremely easy to miss the church entirely.

It you're coming from the direction of Shipston-upon-Stour, the turning for the car park is 200 yards past the gated drive to the manor house on your left. If you come to the sign for Tidmington village, you've gone too far.

If you're coming from the south, heading towards Shipston-upon-Stour, you will pass the turning for Tidmington village on your left. The church is immediately ahead on your right, behind an impenetrable screen of tall trees and bushes. If you're lucky you will catch a glimpse of gravestones through the trees.

The turning for the car park is immediately beside the churchyard gate. The car park is behind a wooden gate, but the gate was unlocked when we visited.

It is very, very easy to miss the church entirely. I'm willing to bet that most people who drive past it never realise it exists, but it is well worth the time to seek out.

To the best of our knowledge, the church is open daylight hours and it was open when we visited.