The Church of the Holy Trinity at Bosbury, Herefs

 

I popped in this church at Bosbury on the way back from Malvern recently - Pam got dragged round too, though churches are not her no. 1 for visiting . . .  This church dates back to Norman times and is somewhat substantial as the Bishops of Hereford were the Lords of the Manor here.  They would visit to collect revenues, and to go hunting.  The clerestory and side aisles were added around 1200.  The Bishops' Palace was built nearby, on the site of Old Court Farm.  

It is interesting as - like the church at Ledbury - it has a completely separate Bell Tower (below), which was built about 1230-40.  The leaflet about the church suggests it may well have been built for use as a refuge during Welsh raids.

A tale of two fonts - the one above dates to about 1200, whilst the one below, according to the written card, is from the original Saxon church, and was found in 1844.  I love the hops draped across it.

The rather splendid Jacobean pulpit, somewhat restored down the years.  The carved panels are possibly Flemish and show the Adoration of the Magi, the Agony in the Garden, the Crucifixion and the Flight into Egypt.

This was the massive door which once secured the Bell Tower against all comers.  It still looks pretty stout, but was replaced in 1909.

Beautiful fan vaulting on the Rood Screen and Loft, and below, a better photo of the carving.

Sorry Billy, forgot this photo, but it was very gloomy in the church so not a great deal of detail for you.

The ceiling of the Morton Chapel - I missed taking a photo of the Perpendicular style windows.  This was endowed by Sir Rowland Morton following his wife's death in 1528.  Sadly the stained glass windows were likely destroyed in the Civil War or at the time of the Reformation.

A classic marble memorial to the Brydges family dating to around 1742 and 1744.

Now we come to the Harford Memorials, and Pevsner is somewhat scathing of that dedicated to Richard Harford.  He states equivocally that they are NOT by the same sculptor (John Guldo/Guildo/Gildon/Guldon of Hereford).  That below is John Harford, 1573.

Then below, "a home-spun version" of Guldo's (or Guido's or Gildon's) elegant tomb.  Whilst motifs might be the same, there are two "uncouth caryatids, like Adam and Eve.  In the spandrels the big leaves spout out of the mouths of heads far too big in relation to the rest."

It has been suggested that this other monument was an Apprentice Piece, of the "School of John Guldo".

Quite the ugliest Green Man I have ever seen, with teefs like tombstones and an unfortunate haircut - his ears are like drop-handles from a piece of furniture too!!  I am at a loss to understand its inclusion at such a late date too.  

I wondered if these were fragments of Medieval glass, re-used in this lancet window.

If you wish to delve deeper into the History of this church, this link gives an excellent essay which tells you more about the people involved with the church, including the Hereford sculptor. 

Hunkering down here today, as I was awake half the night with a croaky throat I couldn't clear, and I am wondering if I "caught something" from our visitors last week, who - bless them - had just been to a very large funeral, or else the coughing woman in the row ahead of me at the talk on Snodhill Castle last Friday, passed on her germs.  These days it is difficult to tell cold from Covid . . .