St Andrew's Church, Bridge Sollars

 The name Bridge Sollars derives from Simon de Brugge (b. 1272) who married Mary Solers (c.1297).  St Andrew is a reasonably common dedication in this area of Herefordshire.  The church dates from the mid-12th C, with later 12th C extensions, and 13th and 14th C additions.  The nave is 12th C, the tower late 12th C, and the north aisle and chancel 13th C.  It was (heavily one imagines) restored in 1889.

As you can see, the yellow meadow ants have taken over the churchyard and have humps of their nests in many places.

I'm not sure if this is St Andrew or not.  

These turn out to be the  forerunners of the Herefordshire school of  Romanesque Architecture, which excited me.  In doing some research at bedtime last night, I discovered that a very similar cat-headed Green Man is to be found at the Templar church at Garway.  Until I do some more research, this green man with dragons may well be unique.  I wonder was the Mason told to make the carving like this or did he have a degree of artistic licence.  Was he paid a set amount for so many hours?  I ask because, 4 photos down, the Norman dogtooth motif seems to have been a little modified!

The Garway example has definite foliage though.

"So, you want the door arch to have a zig-zag round it?  Yeah, no trouble.  I can do that mate, but it might cost ya . . ."  "Oh, the money for the carvings includes this too? "  "Never mind, I'll do my best . . ."  I have to say, this rather tickled me, and no, I have never seen this elsewhere!

The Victorian rafter roof, with the glass window over the ledger slab, and a fairly plain wooden reredos behind the altar table.

A fairly unremarkable stained glass window.  Perhaps this was part of the Victorian restoration.

I was so distracted by this abomination stuck behind the Medieval arches, I didn't notice the memorial on the left hand arch.  This is a Grade I listed building - aesthetically this is a disaster.  I don't even know what it is for, but it would seem this half of the church is the community centre area, so perhaps it is a kitchen.  The memorial is to husband and wife, Eliza and William Meats, of The Marsh.  The left hand pillar looks a little squiff, judging by the new flooring around it. They aren't a pair so perhaps this one is a replacement.

The Marsh was clearly the local Big House, as this memorial is to its earlier occupants the Makeams.

One of several ledger stones, but more were beneath the modern flooring.  One had a little window over it:

A plain-as-a-pikestaff brick and slab chest tomb.

An old church this, which I have driven past many times, thinking, I must stop and look at that sometime.  As I intended to visit Madley, and this was right on the corner of the Madley turning, yesterday was the day.