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The church of St Mary in the Gloucestershire village of Deerhurst is one of the most remarkable, and certainly one of the oldest, churches extant in Britain. As the EH Grade I listing Link notes, it contains elements from C8th, 9th, 10th, 12th, 13th, 14th, late C15th, early C17th (though restored 1861-62). Those first three centuries fall into the Saxon period, and St Mary is considered to be one of the finest Saxon churches anywhere in the UK. With a foundation date earlier than 750AD it is over 1,250 years old, making it one of the oldest surviving buildings in the country.
It has numerous famous features, such as the inverted-V-topped Saxon windows, several Saxon doorways and arches, a carved Angel (exterior) and some notable gargoyles and grotesques. It contains one of the oldest, and probably the finest surviving Saxon font - dating, it is thought from the C9th.
Formerly a Priory, the main body of the monastic church became the parish church. The corbels which supported the cloister roof on this side can still be seen on the external southern wall of the church. Part of the monastic buildings are now the Priory Farmhouse (see EH link below).
Links:
The Friends of Deerhurst Church Link
Great English Churches Link
Victoria County Histories - Very informative link
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EH Listings:
Monastic site: (Scheduled Ancient Monument)
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Church: (Grade I)
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Priory Farmhouse: (Grade I)
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Monuments: (all Grade II)
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