All Saints' Church, Viney Hill

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Jesus says: "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

Matthew 5.14-16

A brief History

Both church and vicarage were built in 1866/67 by Ewan Christian,

as a gift of Mary Bathurst, who was Lord Bledisloe's great aunt. The setting is on a highpoint above the Severn Valley, on the edge of the Forest of Dean, with beautiful views over much of the county of Gloucestershire.

The church is a simple but attractive building which blends well into it's surroundings, being of local sandstone under a natural slate roof,

The vicarage is now used as a Christian Adventure Centre for children and young people.

The best external feature of the Church is often considered to be the apse at the eastern end, which has 5 single light , richly coloured windows, the work of Jones and Willis.

Each window has a singe subject: in the middle, behind the altar, is the crucifixtion, flanked by Moses - the law giver and Elijah - the prophet. The outermost windows feature St. Paul to the south and St. Peter to the North.

The completed scheme shows the crucified Christ between the prophets who foretold His coming and two of the Apostles who proclaimed He was come.

Below are some photographs taken from within the church, showing various features

The Grave of Gypsy Petulengro who was a Romany often referred to as a "King of the Gypsies." He spent much time in the village of Viney Hill and, at the end of his life, in June 1957 he was buried in All Saints' Churchyard.

His funeral was such a spectacle that the local school gave the children time off so they could watch the procession. Almost everyone in the village turned out and Romany Gypsies came from all over the world to attend. The procession was accompanied by a group of gypsy violinists.

The event was of such note that it was recorded on film for Pathe Newreel which used to be shown in cinemas back then, though it is believed that this film was never actually shown.

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