St Cuthbert's Church, Holme Lacy

The Scudamore family were patrons of the church from Medieval times until the twentieth century, and their monuments are a spectacular treasure. The church also has monuments to the Lucas-Tooth family who bought the estate in 1909. John Scudamore, who died in 1571 lies beside his wife on a tomb chest, decked out in full armour. James Scudamore, who died in 1668, wears Roman costume in a great wedding cake of a wall monument - possibly by Grinling Gibbons. There is also a Victorian monument to a naval captain shows a fleet of fully rigged ships.   The ceilings of the body of the church are plastered, while the wagon roof of the north chapel is open.  The north chapel window depicting Sir Galahad and Sir Bors to the memory of Sir Archibald Lucas-Tooth, 2nd Baronet who died in active service in the First World War in 1918.  The glass in the east window of the south chapel depicts Cornelius and the angel, and is to the memory of Francis Brydges Scudamore Stanhope who died in 1855.  In the north chapel there is another marble wall monument by Noble. This was to Chandos Scudamore Stanhope, a captain in the Royal Navy who died in 1871 and consists of an angel above an anchor.[  The gilded lectern, carved in the shape of an eagle, commemorates Selwyn Lucas-Tooth, killed at Le Touquet, France, in 1914.   Marble monument in Baroque style to James Scudamore who died in 1668. It contains a sculpture representing James Scudamore in a sitting position, wearing Roman dress. Above his head are two cherubs, and the whole is framed between two pilasters. To the left of this monument is one to his widow, Jane, also in Baroque style.

The Churches Conservation Trust