SP1501 : East Window, St Mary's church, Fairford
taken 10 years ago, near to Fairford, Gloucestershire, England
Grade I listed.
A church is first mentioned at Fairford in the 11th century. There are remains of some 13th century foundations in the church and some early 14th century work on the faces of the tower. The tower was rebuilt in the first part of the 15th century in the decorated style and carries the Warwick emblem.
In the late 15th century John Tame (d.1500), a wool merchant from Cirencester, built a new church in Perpendicular style, and it remains virtually unchanged to the present day.
The church consists of a nave with north and south aisles, a central tower, chancel with north and south chapels and a south porch. The tower was built around 1430 by Richard Beauchamp, Earl of Warwick and Lord of the Manor.
When John Tame rebuilt the remainder of the church he added the top section of the tower and reinforced the supporting columns. There are remains of some wall paintings on the west face and pillars of the tower.
Oak screens were installed in the early 16th century by Sir Edmund Tame, son of John. The north Chapel or Lady Chapel contains a tomb with two full-sized effigies to Catherine Lygon and her husband Roger. Catherine was widow to the grandson of John Tame. Beneath this there is a vault with members of the Tame family. There is also a brass mounted on the wall featuring Edmund and Agnes Tame with their children.
Between the chancel and the Lady Chapel is the tomb of John Tame himself with his wife Alice who died in 1471, after the birth of their fourth child, Edmund. John died in 1500.
The church possesses a complete set of late mediaeval stained glass which was made between 1500 and 1517, probably under the direction of the Kings Glazier, Bernard Flower. A number of the glaziers and painters came from the Netherlands.
Various repairs have been made to the windows over the years, the west windows were severely damaged in 1703 after a storm and most of the glass in the main west window was replaced.
There is also a fine set of Misericords in the church.