An interlude in Bredwardine

It was a Malvern Day yesterday.  Not the Fleamarket this time, but the Antiques Market, with a few outdoor stalls, and apparently in the cattle sheds they had an auto-jumble, but that's not our thing and we didn't bother wandering over there.  We met up with our friends C & P and spent a lovely morning with them, bought a few things, and then on the way home, decided to stop off in Bredwardine, which is between Hereford and the turning off for Clyro and Hay-on-Wye.

Standing by the lytch gate, this was the view north-westwards, across the ploughed fields and browning Hazel catkins.  It was far prettier than my photo allows it.

There was an apple orchard (cider apples) just beside the church, and looking across it to the steeply rising hillsides, dotted with houses, I was reminded of the view from the edge of Florence, this time last year.

Another view across the valley, to the left of the one above.

I loved this orchard - old trees which were smothered with Mistletoe.  I can't wait for blossom-time to come round so I can take some heartlifting photos of the blooms.

The massive font is carved from one enormous piece of stone.  It dates from the 12th C, and is very simple in form.  The Herefordshire school of Romanesque Sculpture had no sway here.  If you are interested by that term, check out Kilpeck Church, Herefordshire, which is a magnificent example. The link is well worth checking out.  However, it does have one motif in common with Kilpeck (and other churches) which I missed -  the Shiela-na-Gig over a blocked doorway, so will have to go back and photograph that next time.

The beautiful stained glass windows behind the Altar.  Whilst some of the stonework in the fabric of the external building is Norman, at its heart lies the remains of a Saxon church .

Above, the tomb of the Knight Walter Baskerville which lies to the right of the Altar.

To the left of the Altar lies Sir Roger Vaughan, who died defending Henry V at Agincourt in 1415.  Sadly, he was later defaced - doubtless in the time of the Civil War.

The Rev. Francis Kilvert was the Vicar here back in 1877 - 1879, when he died aged just 38, some three weeks after marrying, from what was generally considered to be Peritonitis.  More about him later but here is a quick insight.

I'll add a couple more photos in the morning.