The History of our church
In the beginning
It is not known when the Christian faith was first brought to the village but it was certainly a long time ago! There is clear documentary evidence for a resident Saxon priest in 896AD. The parish boundaries are of Saxon origin and it is most likely that a building for worship existed in that period on the site of the old church. This was situated near the northernmost edge of the parish, and there is good reason for assuming that the Saxon church was built over a pagan shrine or Christian chapel in the ruins of the 4th Century Roman Villa. It has been suggested that the Christian faith was already here when this Villa was built, on the grounds that the Orpheus theme of the great mosaic is symbolic of Jesus Christ, the Creator of all.
The need for a new church
By the middle of the 19th Century the old church was too small and had fallen into a bad state of repair. It was decided to build a new church closer to the village population. The old building was pulled down, leaving only the early Norman chancel arch and part of the north wall.
The present church stands on a spacious, central site chosen in 1861 (or perhaps 1859 according to Back) because there was plenty of land for a large churchyard. It is thought that this area, called Berrymore, was an encampment in pre-Roman times.
The project was financed by local subscription, the land having been given by the Wise family. The church was consecrated on 24th September, 1863, the service being delayed as the Bishop of Gloucester missed the train and had to make the journey on horseback.
Design of the new church
The architect chosen to design the new church was S. S. Teulon (1812-73), and under his direction it was built by Harrison of King’s Stanley. Teulon, a London architect, designed a number of churches in Gloucestershire, and was responsible for the refurbishing of several others. His work at Woodchester is, however, more orthodox than some of his other churches. Unlike many of his contemporary church architects, his designs were of a ‘low church’ nature. For example, at Woodchester the minister’s prayer desk stood originally in the nave, facing the congregation, but was later placed in the chancel. The Holy Table was clearly designed to fit visually into the reredos and not to be covered with a frontal. What appears to be a south transept is, in fact, an unusual ‘three-decker’ construction consisting of the organ chamber, the vestry and an undercroft which was built to house the central heating boiler.
Later design changes
Apart from basic maintenance and the renewal of the roof, little was done to the church until the 1970s. During this period considerable alterations were effected in order to make the building more suitable for a variety of church activities. In 1974 the centre of worship was moved out of the chancel to its present position in the nave, immediately in front of the chancel screen. New moveable furniture was designed and made by Stephen Cull from the wood of the pews which were removed. At the west end, toilets and a kitchen were built, as well as a carpeted multi-purpose fellowship area. Eight years later the chancel was re-organised to create a smaller area for worship and other meetings; and a parish office was constructed under the tower. Much of this work was undertaken by church members at a low cost.
Recent changes to make 'a church for all'
Future plans
`