St Mary of the Angels, Brownhill, Stroud

The church was constructed between 1930 and 1937 and designed by W. D. Caröe. It was built to serve a religious community called Templewood. This had been created in 1927 by Bertha Kessler and Katherine Hudson had been members of the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry in the First World War who, observing the mental trauma suffered by servicemen in the war, determined to give spiritual healing to people suffering from mental illness. The interior of the church is simple. At the west end is a gallery, its panels decorated with diamond-shaped carving. St Mary's was built as a chapel to serve the community, both of the nurses giving £1,000 towards it. Stained glass windows were added the following year. Three of the windows contain stained glass designed by Douglas Strachan, depicting the founders of the community and a benefactor. Under the central window is a panel containing gold mosaic. The nave is floored with parquet, and with terracotta tiles. Between the nave and the sanctuary is a large Norman-type arch, decorated with Romanesque chevrons. In the sanctuary is a stone altar table. In 1951 the community was made a Tertiary Chapter of the Dominican Order. The chapel continued in daily use by the community until 2006. It was vested in the Friends of Friendless Churches during 2010, it is the first Roman Catholic church to be vested in the charity, and the most modern church to come into the care of the charity. The building is Listed Grade 2.