St Philip and St James, Up Hatherley is the Church of England parish church in Up Hatherley,

Cheltenham Cheltenham (), also known as Cheltenham Spa, is a spa town and borough on the edge of the Cotswolds in the county of Gloucestershire, England. Cheltenham became known as a health and holiday spa town resort, following the discovery of mineral s ...

, Gloucestershire, England. The church is part of the

Anglican Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of th ...

Diocese of Gloucester. The present church is a Grade II listed building and has been a centre for worship since 1886.

Dedication

The church is dedicated to the

Apostles An apostle (), in its literal sense, is an emissary, from Ancient Greek ἀπόστολος (''apóstolos''), literally "one who is sent off", from the verb ἀποστέλλειν (''apostéllein''), "to send off". The purpose of such sending ...

St Philip Philip the Apostle ( el, Φίλιππος; Aramaic: ܦܝܠܝܦܘܣ; cop, ⲫⲓⲗⲓⲡⲡⲟⲥ, ''Philippos'') was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus according to the New Testament. Later Christian traditions describe Philip as the apostle ...

and

St James Saint James or St. James may refer to: People Saints *James, brother of Jesus (died 62 or 69), also known as James the Just *James the Great (died 44), Apostle, also known as James, son of Zebedee, or Saint James the Greater **Saint James Matamoro ...

. Their feast day is 1 May.

History

Up Hatherley has been a site of Christian worship since

Saxon The Saxons ( la, Saxones, german: Sachsen, ang, Seaxan, osx, Sahson, nds, Sassen, nl, Saksen) were a group of Germanic * * * * peoples whose name was given in the early Middle Ages to a large country (Old Saxony, la, Saxonia) near the Nor ...

times, with a documented deed from 1022 that was witnessed by the

Bishop of Worcester A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...

and the Archbishop of York. The year 1291, as recorded in Pope Nicholas IV's taxation records, further attests to the presence of a church building in Up Hatherley. Unfortunately, in 1640, the church faced destruction by fire, compelling the local community to seek worship in Shurdington for an extended period. The foundation stone of the present St Philip and St James Church was laid in 1885, owing to the benevolence of Mrs Laura Gretton, who covered the entire cost of construction. The Reverend W. H. Gretton, her husband, had provided the land for this new structure. Originally conceived as a private chapel near Mrs Gretton's residence due to her declining health, overwhelming requests from Up Hatherley residents prompted her to decide on a separate church. Consecrated on Easter Tuesday in 1886 by the Bishop of Gloucester, the original church followed a thirteenth-century Gothic style, accommodating around 150 worshippers. Designed by Messrs J. H. Middleton, H. A. Prothero, and G. H. Philpot, the church utilized local stone. An organ, crafted by Cheltenham resident Mr A. J. Price, was installed in 1900. In 1985, responding to the area's population growth, a significant extension project commenced. Consecrated by the Bishop of Gloucester on Saturday 21 September 1985, the new extension involved the removal of the south nave wall, the addition of a large bay, and a reorientation of the seating to a north–south axis. The capacity of the church was expanded to approximately 180 worshippers, and a Church Centre was integrated to provide additional facilities for both the church and the local community. To ensure aesthetic harmony with the original design, Mr Ron Sims, an ecclesiastical architect from York, spearheaded the interior reordering. This included the installation of a soundproof screen and staircase to an upper meeting room.

Vicars of the Parish

*E. L. Jennings 1885 – 1890 *William Henry Cotes 1890 – 1915 *Richard Williams 1915 – 1925 *Charles William Peach 1925 – 1944 *W. H. Walsham How 1945 – 1947 *Howard Porter 1947 – 1959 *Cecil William Smith 1959 – 1980 *John Heidt 1980 – 1996 *K. Martin Wray 1997 – 2004 *Roger Raven 2005 – 2009 *Richard Dunstan-Meadows 2010 – 2018 *Mark L. Catherall 2019 –

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Philip and Saint James Church, Up Hatherley Churches in Cheltenham Up Hatherley Saint Philip and Saint James Up Hatherley Saint Philip and Saint James Up Hatherley Saint Philip and Saint James