St Mary, Crossway Green, Hartlebury Photo: the late Helen Pearce by kind permission of David Simons. From the site: www.www.hartleburyhistory.org.uk/
(Grade II, Thomas Vale, 1882)
The Mission Church of St. Mary, Crossway Green, was presented to the parish by Henry Philpott, the Bishop of Worcester, who opened it in 1882. It is an attractive and modest mission church built in 1882 for Crossway Green, a small hamlet in the ancient parish of Hartlebury.
It is thought that the church was constructed to provide the local farm labourers a more convenient alternative to worship than travelling to the parish church of St James. The building was undertaken by Thomas Vale, a local builder and architect whose company is still in operation today. Vale was also the architect responsible for the lychgate, which has also been listed, constructed later in 1892.
Mission churches were common in the nineteenth century but many were provided as cheap or temporary buildings with little regard for appearance or design – prefabricated corrugated iron structures were common. St Mary’s is unusual in the quality of its design; the choice and quality of its materials; and, in its fittings and other aspects, the care given to making this a good building for its small rural community.
The church is built in the half-timbered style of the surrounding houses, on a beautiful site overlooking the Severn. Bishop Philpott was buried in the churchyard, which was added in 1892. The church was subsequently used as a cemetery chapel. It was restored and rededicated in 1987.
The Society is delighted the Secretary of State and Historic England have agreed to list the church at Grade II. The listing can be read here:
Our thanks to Mr David Simons for his kind permission to use these photos of St Mary’s which were taken by the late Helen Pearce. The photos appear on the Hartlebury History Society website.
St Mary, Crossway Green, Hartlebury Photo: the late Helen Pearce by kind permission of David Simons. From the site: www.www.hartleburyhistory.org.uk/
