Church of St.Mary the Virgin, Fretherne with Saul

Helena's sister T., is staying with us for a couple of days so we set off mid-morning for a day out to Gloucester, via the back roads. T. has blipped in her fun journal describing her day and showing a lovely set of pictures from the day trip.

We stopped first close to the banks of the River Severn, where Fretherne with Saul's Grade II* Listed church is considered to be an outstanding example of early Victorian architecture. It was rebuilt in 1847, on the site of a 13th century church, by Francis Niblett, and then enlarged in 1859 by J.W. Hugall. It was commissioned by the Reverend W. Darell who also built the adjacent Fretherne Court and a school for the village.

From Historic England's website:
'It is constructed of brown sandstone, with pinkish ashlar limestone dressings, roof mainly in decorative fishscale pattern tiles, with decorative ridge tiles, pierced parapets of varying designs, raised coped verges with cross finials, and crocketed corner pinnacles to east.'

Close to the Church is a footpath which leads down to the river and to Hock Cliff, on the east bank of the River Severn.  This cliff area is a rich source of fossils, such as ammonites and the fossil known locally as “devils toenails”.