All Saints Church, Shorncote, church in Cotswold, UK
All Saints Church is a small stone building dating to around 1170, featuring a double bellcote added in the 14th century and simple pointed arches inside. The interior contains a large Norman baptismal font, a 15th-century rood screen, medieval wall paintings, and stone memorials scattered throughout the space.
The church was built around 1170 in the Norman style and remained largely unchanged except for modifications by the Berkeley family in medieval times. A major 19th-century restoration by William Butterfield carefully preserved its original character for future generations.
The church served as a gathering place for the local community over many centuries, and visitors can still see names of early families carved into stone memorials inside. The simple interior reflects how rural communities once gathered in these spaces for shared occasions.
The church is open daily during daylight hours and accessible via a level path to a small churchyard, with just one step at the south porch. Be aware that it has minimal facilities, basic button-controlled lighting, and no running water or toilets on site.
Many visitors overlook the scratches and initials carved into the stone walls by children who once attended school there, leaving traces of medieval daily life. These accidental marks offer a raw glimpse into how the space was actually used centuries ago.
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