This parish church was formerly the church of an Augustinian Priory founded early C12. Formally a fortified hilltop a monastery was established there by the C7. The first Abbot Hedda became the second bishop of Lichfield in 691.

The monastery was destroyed by the Danes and not re-established until the foundation of the Augustinian Priory in early C12, the church was remodeled in the C13 with a long and wide chancel which is today’s nave.

The church was really two churches in one, part of which was for the local parishioners and extended westwards from the central tower, the other part was for the priory which is essentially the present church.

By the C16 the nave and porch, which was the parish part of the church had become dilapidated, and after its dissolution in 1539 the Priory part of the church was sold by Henry VIII to Francis Shirely of Staunton Harold, as a burial place for himself and his successors. The Breedon parishioners were allowed to use the Priory church as their own was at that time in ruins.

In 1784 the church had again fallen into disrepair and the state of the roof and walls of the north and south aisles was such that services had not been held inside for several months and the church was nearly demolished. Though the cost of rebuilding was not raised the church was repaired leaving it in its present state.

Incorporated into the church are well preserved surviving fragments of friezes from the ancient monastery. They are dated to the C8 and stylistically similar to Book of Cerne (c820) and the ‘Hedda’ stone at Peterborough Cathedral. The above grouping has two sets of saints on either side of a central female figure giving a Byzantine blessing.

Other panels contain birds, beasts, figures, and a strange lion like creature referred to as the Anglian Beast.

Dedicated to George Shirley and family this immense alabaster tomb by Richard & Gabriel Royley of Burton-upon-Trent is almost the height of the north wall.

A gisant lies at the base of the tomb, above which are two coffered arched recesses with five large figures and two infants. The tomb dedicated to John Shirley (father of George) features a Knight in armour on a chest with armourial shields on the side.

Again on the north wall is the tomb dedicated to Francis Shirley (grandfather of George) one time Sheriff of Leicestershire and Warwickshire. The tomb contains effigies of Francis and his wife Dorothy, with pairs of mourners on the side holding shields.

All three tombs are of Chellaston alabaster and made by Richard & Gabriel Royley of Burton-upon-Trent.

Tags: alabaster, chellaston, font, monastery, priory augustinian, royley, saxon, tomb

St. Nicholas parish church has a Decorated style (C14) west tower, the remainder of the church is in the Perpendicular style of the mid C15. The chancel was rebuilt in the early C19 and is of brick rendered in cement to imitate limestone ashlar blocks.

The red sandstone font is from the early C13, cauldron shaped with carvings of two green men and foilage.

The tower arch has inner half-round shafts and half-octagon capitals. The electric clock in the tower was installed in 1947 as a memorial to those that died in the second world war. The south east aisle window was installed in 1919 by the village at a cost of £100. It is a first world war memorial and “Thanksgiving for Victory”, dedicated to the memory of Howard Drinkwater and William Hakesley.

The three light Arts and Crafts east window, by Caroline Townshend, contains an image of St. Nicholas, the central light is a “Salvator Mundi”. The other light has an image of Mary Magdalene, the village previously being owned by Magdalen College Oxford.

The north aisle has two memorials the first is to to George Watson (d1674). The inscription reads:

In the coast of Guiney George Watson son of Thomas Watson of Willoughby (and one of his Majesstes Captains at sea) departed this life July ye 15 anno D. 1674 aetatis suae 45 and gave to ye poor of Willoughby ye profit of £50 for ever to be distributed as by a decree in Chancery is sett forth.

Death hath contrould a Captain bold Yet loss of life is gain Especially when charity For ever doth remaine.

The Willoughby charity was founded in 1437 by Margaret Hayward by a grant of land worth £20. In addition the charity was endowed by William Flavell (1496) and John Brooke (1536). This bequests were added to by George Watson (1647) and Bridget Freemantle (1773). By 1812 the income from the charity was £515 a year.

The second memorial is to Thomas Clerke (d1687), and his wife(d1669). Behind the organ is a table tomb dedicated to another Thomas Clerke (d1663). The tomb itself is mostly obscured by the organ works.

Tags: arts and crafts, Caroline Townshend, font, nicholas, stained glass, tower, war memorial

The Domesday book records that there was a small Saxon church occupying this site where the current nave is. At that time the land was owned by the saxon Lord Harold of Sudeley who mainly owned land in Gloucestershire.

The present church is built of Hornton stone and dates from the early C12 through to C13, the oldest parts being the Norman doorways in the South and North. In the C12 the Sudeley family founded the Augustinian monastery at Arbury donating some of the land at Burton Dassett to it.

Cut into the hillside the chancel slopes upwards ten feet above the nave. The altar which is almost level with the capitals of the arcade arches.

For many years the plain cylindrical bowl of the font was abandoned in the churchyard. Now replaced inside the church it is thought to be C15 but its date is uncertain. The base and stem are modern.

The carved capitals of the north arcade pillars are no later than the late C13 and include hounds, rabbits, dragons, and other mythical creatures.

Much of the original medieval plaster of ‘daub’ mixed with lime, and chopped straw and cowhair survives. It was painted with bright murals which after 100s of years of being whitewashed over, and covered with ornamented texts they are starting to reappear. The medieval wall painting above the chancel arch depicts two censing angels the Virgin and St. John which are C14. These are painted over an earlier C13 "Doom" (Last Judgment).

The window in the north transept has images of the Three Magi.

Tags: carving, font, fresco, norman, tower

The west tower is around 150ft high. The south doorway is original of c1300, and most of the windows are of the Geometrical Gothic style of the same period, but they were renewed by Sir George Gilbert Scott in 1865.

The painted roof has Perpendicular style head corbels.

The Perpendicular style is also relected in the font and pulpit. However, the body of the church is in the Decorative Gothic style dating from 1325-1335.

However, what makes Middleton Cheney is the stained glass work by Morris & co. The west window has a piece entitled “Three young men in the fiery furnace” by Burne-Jones.

The East window memorial to William Croome (d1865). Designed by William Morris Co 1864.The figures below the tracery lights represents the twelve tribes of the Apolcalypse. Below are representations off Adam, Noah, David, Isiah, St Peter, St. Paul, St Augustine, St Catherine, Abraham, Moses, Eve, the Virgin, Magdalene, and St. Agnes.

The Censing Angels, Seraph, St. Peter, St. Augustine, St. Catherine, Eve, the Virgin, Magdalene, and St. Agnes are by William Morris. The four beasts, and the banners are by Philip Webb. The Adoration of the Lamb and St Alban are by Burne-Jones. St. John and St. Paul by Ford Madox Brown. The twelve tribes, David, Isiah, Abraham, and Moses by Simeon Solomon.

The south window of the chancel contains panels by Ford Madox Brown depicting scenes from the old testament. The tracery light is by Philip Webb.

The two north chancel windows were designed by Burne-Jones as a memorial to his friend W.C. Buckley who was the vicar.

In addition to the stained glass the church also contains mosaics by the company of James Powell & sons.

Tags: burne-jones, corbel, decorative, font, ford maddox brown, g.g. scott, perpendicular, philip webb, pulpit, roof, stained glass, tomb, tower, william morris