Nativity, Claverley
West window by Archibald J. Davies 1934. On both my visits here I've struggled to get good photos of the Davies glass owing to the strong light coming through these west facing windows being somewhat dappled by the shadowy foliage just beyond them.
All Saints church at Claverley is a church-crawler's delight, among the finest of Shropshire's churches. Externally it is a handsome structure in red sandstone whose most prominent features appear to be 15th century or later, but the oldest parts of the building date back to the 12th century and are only revealed when one steps inside. The south tower with its pinnacled parapet is especially attractive in the warm hues of its stonework. This is a grand edifice built to impress, a role in which it succeeds.
Inside the earlier origins of the church become clear as one is faced with the Norman north nave arcade directly opposite the entrance. What is so special here however is not just its antiquity but the astonishing scheme of wall paintings that have survived here, believed to date from c1200. The main colours are red, ochre and black and the dominant element is the central frieze of knights in combat mounted on horseback, usually facing each other in pairs. It is an extremely rare survival and makes the church well worth visiting for this alone, but it does have other charms.
The interior here feels to some degree like a sequence of separate spaces, each with its own identity, owing to the more complex layout with the tower base interrupting the aisle on the south side. The south chapel is especially interesting for its monuments, particularly the impressive Broke tomb from the Tudor period with its three recumbent effigies. There is some interesting glass, only a few fragments remain from the medieval period but there is rich Victorian glass in the east window and two delightful Arts & Crafts windows at the west end.
Claverley church is the one to visit in this area, one of the most rewarding in the county. I have visited twice and on both occasions found it open and welcoming (I had to return after a problem with my camera left me with very poor low-res photos from my first trip!).
For more see the article below:-
Nativity, Claverley
West window by Archibald J. Davies 1934. On both my visits here I've struggled to get good photos of the Davies glass owing to the strong light coming through these west facing windows being somewhat dappled by the shadowy foliage just beyond them.
All Saints church at Claverley is a church-crawler's delight, among the finest of Shropshire's churches. Externally it is a handsome structure in red sandstone whose most prominent features appear to be 15th century or later, but the oldest parts of the building date back to the 12th century and are only revealed when one steps inside. The south tower with its pinnacled parapet is especially attractive in the warm hues of its stonework. This is a grand edifice built to impress, a role in which it succeeds.
Inside the earlier origins of the church become clear as one is faced with the Norman north nave arcade directly opposite the entrance. What is so special here however is not just its antiquity but the astonishing scheme of wall paintings that have survived here, believed to date from c1200. The main colours are red, ochre and black and the dominant element is the central frieze of knights in combat mounted on horseback, usually facing each other in pairs. It is an extremely rare survival and makes the church well worth visiting for this alone, but it does have other charms.
The interior here feels to some degree like a sequence of separate spaces, each with its own identity, owing to the more complex layout with the tower base interrupting the aisle on the south side. The south chapel is especially interesting for its monuments, particularly the impressive Broke tomb from the Tudor period with its three recumbent effigies. There is some interesting glass, only a few fragments remain from the medieval period but there is rich Victorian glass in the east window and two delightful Arts & Crafts windows at the west end.
Claverley church is the one to visit in this area, one of the most rewarding in the county. I have visited twice and on both occasions found it open and welcoming (I had to return after a problem with my camera left me with very poor low-res photos from my first trip!).
For more see the article below:-