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St Peter's Church, Besford, Worcestershire

Included in Simon Jenkins' Thousand Best Churches:

 

"Besford is described in the guide as the only timber-framed church left in England. A number of others survive, including in neighbouring Shropshire and Cheshire, but Besford is a fine example of the style, its interior concealed within a Victorian casing. The timber frame is 14th century, indicated by the ogival arch to the north doorway and the rare Decorated tracery made of wood that can be found in the west window. So accustomed are we to stone tracery that to see it in any other material comes as a shock."

 

Alec Clifton Taylor in English Parish Churches as Works of Art also notes the unique qualities of the church:

 

"Only a handful of [timber-framed churches] remain: Mattingley in Hampshire, Besford in Worcestershie, Melverley in Shropshire, Marton and Lower Peover in Cheshire are some of the best known. All were doted on by the Victorian ecclesiologists, but the truth is that every one of them has been so drastically restored as to offer today only very limited pleasure."

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Uploaded on February 2, 2024
Taken on January 31, 2024