All Saints Burton Dassett Norman doorway - All Saints Burton Dassett

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.

Nave - All Saints Burton Dassett Nave from chancel - All Saints Burton Dassett

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.

Carved capital - All Saints Burton Dassett Font - All Saints Burton Dassett Carved capital - All Saints Burton Dassett

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.

Carved capital - All Saints Burton Dassett Carved capital - All Saints Burton Dassett

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

Fresco - All Saints Burton Dassett, Doom, Last Judgment Fresco - All Saints Burton Dassett, Doom, Last Judgment

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).

burton dassett 28022009-15 burton dassett 28022009-13 burton dassett 28022009-12

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

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