On the way back from Malvern Fleamarket last month, I stopped off to visit the beautiful old church at Kempley again. It is a favourite for both Keith and I, and several friends too as it has a lovely ambience. I love it too because Edward Thomas and Robert Frost lived nearby in Dymock, and visited it regularly.
It's Norman, dating back to 1130, but probably built on the site of an earlier Saxon church. It was under the patronage of the de Lacy family, who owned large stretches of the Welsh Marches. The tower was added around 1276. The church itself is of a simple design - a rectangular chancel and an aisleless nave - much in the style of a Saxon church. The porch dates to the 14th C.
Dividing the nave from the chancel is a clearly Norman archway.
TH 1670 carved into wall joists.
This church is famed for its wall paintings - the most amazingly complete set of Romanesque frescos in the whole of Northern Europe.
The paintings were used to depict scenes from the Gospels to the illiterate congregation. HERE is a link to the English Heritage page which will tell you all about the paintings.
Looking up at the chequered border to the Norman archway.
Beautiful stained glass too. It has a look of Charles Kemp about it, but I can't find an attribution.
A goodly stone in memory of Ralph Wootton, coachman.
I have had to leave off heavy-duty gardening now the sun has come out, so it's back to painting the kitchen, which will necessitate moving the entire contents of the pine sideboard . . . all my baking stuff. I may be gone some time!
Those wall paintings are very special aren't they?
ReplyDeleteAlison in Wales x
Hi Alison. Hot enough for you?! At least we had it cooler this morning though. The only place I have seen wall paintings which were similarly impressive were in St Peter and St Paul's Church, Pickering, N. Yorks. That's well worth a visit too.
DeleteDay before yesterday was stifling here in Pembrokeshire but yesterday dull and today sunny but fresh - more intense heat at weekend for Wales methinks
DeleteAlison x
I am dreading Sunday and Monday. Fortunately this is a cool house downstairs, but the front faces South so I'm glad we sleep in the back!
DeleteThat church is wonderful. I have a question for you. I don't know if you've ever been, but the entrance to that little church reminded me. Matlock Church has a set up like that, but it is at the bottom of the sidewalk which leads to the church. You pass through the little 'entrance' for lack of a better word, wind your way through the cemetery and into the church. The 'entrance' has seats on both sides. What was its purpose? Do you know?
ReplyDeleteMatlock we've only ever driven through. I will check out the churches in Matlock, but generally the wooden entrance you describe would be a Lytchgate - where a coffin containing a body for burial would be transferred to a bier to be taken into the church for the service.
DeleteI've wandered off to have a read about them. Thank you so much for the information.
DeleteLovely.
ReplyDeleteWe go back again and again because it is so special.
DeleteWhat a lovely old church!
ReplyDeleteHi there and welcome. Glad that you like the church. It is just amazing.
DeleteGorgeous it really is and you won't be surprised to know on my list of churches to visit!!! The wall paintings are sublime. Good luck with the kitchen!
ReplyDeleteI hope that you get to visit Kempley soon - you won't be disappointed.
DeleteGetting there with the kitchen - two bits of wall to do, and then the windows and skirting boards.
Those wall paintings!! As well as the chequered area are just lovely. I can see why you like this church so much.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
Churches were such colourful places in the Middle Ages. Then along came the Puritans . . .
DeleteGood luck with the kitchen painting, I’m sure it’s coming on a treat. The church is wonderful. Do you think whitewashing the frescoes helped to preserve them. There is a church near here - St Botolph’s at Hardham - which also has wonderful frescoes on all walls, including the story of Adam and Eve. I went to a talk there a few years’ ago and the experts reckon that the frescoes were applied by itinerant workers from Europe in the 12th century. Hardham is situated at the exact confluence of the rivers Arun and Rother so it has been an important crossroads for trading routes since Roman times and even beyond. Looking forward to kitchen pics when you’re done and dusted. Sarah x
ReplyDeleteI'm nearly finished now Sarah. Just the spice rack wall (which means taking every one out of the rack so I can take it off the wall) and then the glosson windows, door frames and skirting boards. I have half a tub of the emulsion left though, so may have to daub it somewhere else - I hate waste.
DeleteJust looked up St Botolph's church and WOW - wonderful. I am glad it has survived, and I imagine there are lots of prehistoric remains hidden away too, because of the crossing place of the two rivers. I have a lovely book that Tam gave me for my birthday, which is all about the painted churches of Wales (and Rood Screens) - this decoration would have been the norm.
Yes, the little shepherd’s church half a mile down our lane (St Agatha’s) is simply whitewashed inside with Victorian pews and tiled floor but I like to imagine it in medieval times when I’m sure it would have been much more colourful and maybe with frescoes on the walls which would have told the Bible stories to a non-literate population. Sadly the stone was rather aggressively re-pointed probably in the early 20th century so nowadays it looks too neat. Interestingly in the field behind the church are remains of Bronze Age barrows which have only been discovered since the 1970s. The field is no longer ploughed only grazed by sheep to preserve the remains. The Greensand Ridge here lies below the chalk of the South Downs with wooded areas and many streams and has always been excellent for farming so a good place to settle. The land hereabouts is owned either by the Leconfield (the Wyndhams of Petworth) or Barlavington Estates so the landscape hasn’t changed much for generations. Running alongside our wildflower meadow (still looking amazing with knapweed, wild carrot, white yarrow, pink malva moschato and even some yellow rattle still in flower) is the Old Drove Road and a big sheep field which slopes gently down to the water meadows and river and then it’s arable until we get to the church and the hamlet of Coates with St Agatha’s. Like you I really love where I live and feel so fortunate to have landed here. Sarah x
ReplyDeleteIf it wasn't virtually rebuilt by the Victorians, it's probably very similar to how it was in the past. To give the Victorians some credit, the appalling state of many country churches did call for almost total rebuilds in many cases! I can't forgive them for getting rid of the old so efficiently though.
DeleteOnce a good site to live or control, always a good site. Llandewi Brevi church (MUST go there again soon) is built on top of a Bronze Age barrow I believe.It has a tremendous history - in tradition, Dewi Sant preached here against Palagianism in AD 550 and apparently the ground rose up beneath his feet . . . A good story but I tend to go for the BA Barrow!
I love the sound of the wildflower meadow and the Old Drove Road.
Now that is a stunning church, I have never come across Wall painting in such good condition or complete in the churches I visit. I only glanced at the post on the phone at our caravan and it did not give such a good rendition as my laptop
ReplyDeleteWorth having a detour to go and visit, on your way in or out of Wales. The wall paintings there are just amazing and the atmosphere in the church equally the same.
DeleteWhat beautiful scenery. I don't see how to follow, so I will link it on my blog so I can stay in the loop and come back and read more.
ReplyDeleteHello and welcome Faith. When I follow a blog, I add it to my sidebar of blog links, and when a new post comes up it shows. Hope this helps.
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