---
title: "Holy Innocents, Highnam"
description: "Located in Highnam, Gloucestershire. Built 1849–51; vestry enlarged 1863. Diocese of Gloucester. Grade I. Decorated Gothic Revival style."
category: "Church"
tags: ["Church","Church of England","Gloucestershire","Highnam","Grade I","Gothic Revival","Henry Woodyer","Thomas Gambier Parry","Diocese of Gloucester"]
canonical: "https://thebritishgazette.com/post/holy-innocents-highnam"
pubDate: "2026-09-06T01:49:58.036Z"
dateModified: "2026-09-08T18:59:10.207Z"
location: "Highnam, Gloucestershire"
country: "England"
county: "Gloucestershire"
town: "Highnam"
address: "Highnam, Gloucestershire, GL2 8DG"
postcode: "GL2 8DG"
built: "1849–51; vestry enlarged 1863"
consecrated: "1851"
architect: "Henry Woodyer, for Thomas Gambier Parry"
denomination: "Church of England"
dedications: ["Holy Innocents"]
diocese: "Gloucester"
grade: "I"
style: "Decorated Gothic Revival"
materials: "Roughly coursed squared lias with Bath-stone dressings and spire; tiled roof"
website: "https://www.highnamchurch.org/"
openingHours: "The church will be open on a number of Sundays from the beginning of April to the end of September, please check the website for details. At other times access to the church is by prior arrangement."
parish: "Highnam Holy Innocents"
listEntryUrl: "https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1340330"
gridReference: "SO 796 195"
accessNotes: "Accessible toilets nearby. Level access to the main areas"
---

# Holy Innocents, Highnam

Holy Innocents is a Grade I parish church at Highnam, Gloucestershire, in the Diocese of Gloucester. Thomas Gambier Parry of Highnam Court built it as a memorial to his wife Isabella and three sons who died in infancy.

## Overview

Historic England records a church of 1849–51 by H. Woodyer for T. Gambier-Parry, with the vestry enlarged in 1863. The fabric is roughly coursed squared lias with Bath-stone dressings and spire and a tiled roof. The plan is a western tower, five-bay aisled nave, south porch with a room over, chancel, two-bay south chapel and north vestry, in Decorated style. The three-stage tower carries an octagonal broach spire with lucarnes and corner pinnacles. Pevsner called the church the fulfilment of the Pugin ideal and a notable monument to the Oxford Movement; John Betjeman described it as the most complete Victorian church in the country.

The interior is fully painted. Gambier Parry executed the wall paintings in spirit fresco, beginning the Last Judgement over the chancel arch in 1859 and continuing in the north aisle in 1870–80. Glass includes Wailes in the north aisle, Hardman to Pugin’s designs in the south aisle, O’Connor in the west and chapel windows, and Clayton and Bell in the east window (1859). Hardman supplied brass candelabra and radiator covers. Sir Hubert Parry practised on the organ. A niche in the chapel holds a bust of Isabella (died 1848).

## Further Information

- [Historic England list entry 1340330](https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1340330)
- [Highnam Church: history](https://www.highnamchurch.org/history-of-highnam-church/)
- [British Listed Buildings: Church of the Holy Innocents](https://britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/101340330-church-of-the-holy-innocents-highnam)