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542:
For many years the south door was hidden by a wooden porch, but this was removed in 1868 to allow visitors to see the carvings as originally intended. Although this has left the doorway exposed to the elements, the sandstone is exceptionally robust, and its condition is carefully monitored. In 1968 a
611:
Two green men appear as capitals on the richly decorated columns of the west window. In the centre of the corbel table below the window, and at each corner of the nave's west wall, are large protruding dragons' heads with coiled tongues. Each of the three mouths gapes to a different degree, rather
619:
Inside the church, the chancel arch is also richly carved, though far less spectacular than the south doorway. Its carved figures are said to have been inspired by those on the "Puerta de las
Platerias" at Santiago de Compostela. Both Pevsner and Jenkins suggest
440:
The south door has double columns. The outer columns have carvings of a series of snakes, heads swallowing tails. In common with most of the other carvings, the meaning of these is unclear, but they may represent rebirth via the snake's seasonal
503:
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in the 17th century. The church was substantially repaired in 1864, 1898 and 1962, and its unique features were protected and maintained. Pevsner describes the
Victorian restorations, firstly by
1000:
373:. The economic decline of the area after the 14th century may have helped preserve features which would have been removed elsewhere. However, it is unclear why the carvings were not defaced by
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The carvings in the local red sandstone are remarkable for their number and their fine state of preservation, particularly round the south door, the west window, and along a row of
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Eighty-five corbels survive, one fewer than are illustrated by Lewis in 1842 (originally there were 91). The meaning of most is obscure, but some probably come from a
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which run right around the exterior of the church under the eaves. The carvings are all original and in their original positions. They have been attributed to a
487:
421:, 30 miles north of Kilpeck. Hugh de Kilpeck, a relative of Earl Mortimer, employed the same builders at Kilpeck, and their work is also known at
365:
from the chapel at
Kilpeck Castle after it had fallen into disrepair. At the time the current church was built, the area around Kilpeck, known as
666:
now rises from the roof; although its design is in keeping with that of the rest of the church, it is a 19th-century addition. Elsewhere too, the
405:, probably local but who may have been instructed by master masons recruited in France by Oliver de Merlimond. He was steward to the Lord of
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who, unusually, are in loose trousers. The outer sections of the arch above the doorway show creatures which can be interpreted as a
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evenly spaced across the western facade. (A fourth dragon head, on the south-east corner of the nave, is broken.)
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and necessary modernization of the church have conserved it well. The church is a Grade I listed building.
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932:
Lewis, G R. "Illustrations of
Kilpeck church, Herefordshire." 1979. Pamphlet derived from a book of 1842.
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659:), and a rare Romanesque font-stopper. Jenkins suggests that the stoup represents a woman in pregnancy.
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2000. A booklet, available within the church, that describes the church. No publisher is specified.
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church at the same site, and the oval raised form of the churchyard is typical of even older
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The church was built around 1140, and almost certainly before 1143 when it was given to the
945:. A description of the architecture, sculpture and history of Kilpeck church, published by
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445:. The inner right column shows birds in foliage; at the top of the right columns is a
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above the arch to protect the carvings from water running down the wall above.
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churches in
England". Famous for its stone carvings, the church is a
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period. The possibility of the site holding Roman and even
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foundations. Around the 6th and 7th centuries the
Kilpeck (
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The Corpus of
Romanesque Sculpture in Britain and Ireland
802:"Church of St Mary and St David (Grade I) (1099582)"
413:
in Spain and, on his return, built a church with similar
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holy man, and later acquired an additional dedication to
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appears in the centre of the arch above the south door
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The parish church of St Mary and St David at
Kilpeck.
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The Parish Church of St Mary and St David at
Kilpeck
1001:
Church of
England church buildings in Herefordshire
894:. The Buildings of England. Yale University Press.
349:, is typical for the time of its construction, the
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543:narrow protruding strip of lead was let into the
537:of the columns to the east side of the south door
713:The Church of St. Mary & St. David Kilpeck
636:depicts four lions' heads. There is a massive
465:and actual birds and beasts. The semicircular
433:notes the influences of churches found on the
282:describes Kilpeck as "one of the most perfect
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697:The church is the subject of the short story
409:, Hugh Mortimer, who went on a pilgrimage to
8:
943:St Mary and St David, Kilpeck, Herefordshire
711:, in his 1954 unpublished Masters thesis,
334:remains has been raised, but is unproven.
29:
20:
1016:English churches with Norman architecture
606:The carved stoup, brought from Wormbridge
353:period. It was originally dedicated to a
1011:Grade I listed churches in Herefordshire
996:12th-century church buildings in England
751:
749:
747:
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701:by British poet, novelist and filmmaker
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582:Two corbels, depicting a ram and a lion
560:
483:
60:Church of St Mary and St David, Kilpeck
24:Church of St Mary and St David, Kilpeck
651:, shaped like a fat, tightly girdled
274:, about 5 miles from the border with
7:
831:. Commonwealth War Graves Commission
807:National Heritage List for England
509:Other details of the arch include
302:. It may have replaced an earlier
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570:One corbel shows a hound and hare
915:England's Thousand Best Churches
687:King's Shropshire Light Infantry
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587:
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563:
526:
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449:. The inner left column has two
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18:Church in Herefordshire, England
974:Kilpeck Church official website
829:"Captain Percy George Meadmore"
417:carvings (now largely lost) at
337:The plan of the church, with a
264:Church of England parish church
230:
967:Kilpeck Church group on Flickr
260:Church of St Mary and St David
1:
689:officer, west of the church.
624:as a closer inspiration. The
385:as "competent disciplined".
195:
769:Kilpeck at Herefordshire Web
678:The churchyard contains the
655:(brought from a chapel near
517:swallowing their tails (see
1032:
991:Churches completed in 1140
962:Church services at Kilpeck
429:and elsewhere. The writer
737:Brooks & Pevsner 2012
389:Architecture and carvings
379:Lewis Nockalls Cottingham
270:in the English county of
74:
66:Location in Herefordshire
40:
28:
594:The famous sheela na gig
533:The "green man" on the
288:Grade I listed building
854:. University of Szeged
481:
411:Santiago de Compostela
318:) area was within the
554:, and they include a
479:
443:sloughing of its skin
461:, and various other
437:of Northern Europe.
399:Herefordshire School
316:Llanddewi Cil Peddeg
1006:Diocese of Hereford
739:, pp. 384–386.
383:John Pollard Seddon
357:, probably a local
345:, and semicircular
300:Abbey of Gloucester
89: /
482:
93:51.9703°N 2.8092°W
901:978-0-300-12575-7
886:Pevsner, Nikolaus
622:Ferrara Cathedral
614:animated sequence
435:pilgrimage routes
256:
255:
252:Revd Ashley Evans
237:Parish of Kilpeck
144:Church of England
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937:Further reading
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876:Bailey, James.
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852:"Sheela-na-Gig"
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703:B. S. Johnson
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699:Sheela-na-Gig
693:In literature
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856:. Retrieved
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833:. Retrieved
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811:. Retrieved
805:
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785:Jenkins 1999
764:
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712:
709:Jeff Nuttall
707:
698:
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684:World War II
677:
661:
644:, a curious
642:conglomerate
640:of polished
626:ceiling boss
618:
610:
549:
541:
471:tree of life
439:
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336:
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259:
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187:Architecture
139:Denomination
129:(previously
15:
918:. Penguin.
668:restoration
403:stonemasons
367:Archenfield
322:kingdom of
192:Years built
96: /
985:Categories
858:3 February
835:3 February
813:3 February
719:References
674:Churchyard
657:Wormbridge
646:holy water
480:South door
469:depicts a
427:Rowlestone
423:Leominster
415:Romanesque
332:megalithic
214:Canterbury
172:Dedication
81:51°58′13″N
680:war grave
519:Ouroboros
455:manticore
447:green man
278:, Wales.
84:2°48′33″W
912:(1999).
888:(2012).
630:keystone
612:like an
552:bestiary
511:serpents
467:tympanum
463:mythical
459:basilisk
451:warriors
375:Puritans
355:St David
248:Vicar(s)
226:Hereford
209:Province
181:St David
109:Location
871:Sources
632:of the
535:capital
515:dragons
419:Shobdon
407:Wigmore
395:corbels
343:chancel
320:British
294:History
280:Pevsner
268:Kilpeck
221:Diocese
177:St Mary
166:History
150:Website
127:England
123:Country
113:Kilpeck
922:
898:
759:, 2000
664:belfry
545:mortar
457:and a
359:Celtic
351:Norman
324:Ergyng
308:Celtic
284:Norman
242:Clergy
233:Parish
682:of a
653:torso
649:stoup
495:angel
328:Roman
312:Welsh
304:Saxon
262:is a
131:Wales
920:ISBN
896:ISBN
860:2020
837:2020
815:2020
634:apse
513:and
363:Mary
347:apse
339:nave
258:The
198:1140
157:.org
628:or
493:An
401:of
266:at
159:.uk
987::
804:.
800:.
775:^
744:^
727:^
705:.
558:.
473:.
425:,
341:,
314::
290:.
196:c.
115:,
951:.
928:.
904:.
862:.
839:.
817:.
521:)
133:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
