St Mary's, Much Cowarne
The final church of my trip (thirteen in all) and my favourite of the day, so this itinerary was saving the best till last! St Mary's at Much Cowarne stands dramatically situated on high ground in an exposed spot by a farm; a pretty robust looking building, its sturdy square west tower staring out defiantly as the ground falls away to its west. The tower was formerly crowned by a wooden spire, but this was lost to a lightning strike in 1840 which caused a serious fire.
The church appear mainly to be of 14th century date (the tower a little older) and impresses with its sense of mass, not significantly diminished by the loss of its north aisle which has had the curious effect of leaving the former north nave arcade exposed externally, its three arches simply filled with masonry (one with a medieval doorway relocated within it, itself since blocked, suggesting all this material was recycled from the former north aisle walls).
Within the church seems pleasingly uncluttered, spacious and light (even on a dull afternoon), and all evidence of the missing north aisle (so noticeable externally) is hidden under plaster. The chancel arch is quite small with much space above, pierced intriguingly by three small quatrefoil lights. The most interesting features are in the south aisle, two of the church's three monuments with effigies, one medieval, the rest early 17th century (the other is in the chancel). The oldest is the effigy of a knight, believed to be Grimaldus Pauncefoot who fought in the 7th crusade and was captured by Saladin (a ransom was demanded of his wife's severed hand: this was dutifully sent from England, thus procuring Pauncefoot's release!).
This is was a most rewarding church to finish on and one that was happily open and welcoming in pre-Covid days. I was intrigued to read that composer Sir Edward Elgar had also arrived here on a similar cycling expedition a century before me, and hope it will continue to likewise reward others yet to visit.
More on the church (especially the tombs) at the link below:-
www.britainexpress.com/counties/hereford/churches/much-co...
St Mary's, Much Cowarne
The final church of my trip (thirteen in all) and my favourite of the day, so this itinerary was saving the best till last! St Mary's at Much Cowarne stands dramatically situated on high ground in an exposed spot by a farm; a pretty robust looking building, its sturdy square west tower staring out defiantly as the ground falls away to its west. The tower was formerly crowned by a wooden spire, but this was lost to a lightning strike in 1840 which caused a serious fire.
The church appear mainly to be of 14th century date (the tower a little older) and impresses with its sense of mass, not significantly diminished by the loss of its north aisle which has had the curious effect of leaving the former north nave arcade exposed externally, its three arches simply filled with masonry (one with a medieval doorway relocated within it, itself since blocked, suggesting all this material was recycled from the former north aisle walls).
Within the church seems pleasingly uncluttered, spacious and light (even on a dull afternoon), and all evidence of the missing north aisle (so noticeable externally) is hidden under plaster. The chancel arch is quite small with much space above, pierced intriguingly by three small quatrefoil lights. The most interesting features are in the south aisle, two of the church's three monuments with effigies, one medieval, the rest early 17th century (the other is in the chancel). The oldest is the effigy of a knight, believed to be Grimaldus Pauncefoot who fought in the 7th crusade and was captured by Saladin (a ransom was demanded of his wife's severed hand: this was dutifully sent from England, thus procuring Pauncefoot's release!).
This is was a most rewarding church to finish on and one that was happily open and welcoming in pre-Covid days. I was intrigued to read that composer Sir Edward Elgar had also arrived here on a similar cycling expedition a century before me, and hope it will continue to likewise reward others yet to visit.
More on the church (especially the tombs) at the link below:-
www.britainexpress.com/counties/hereford/churches/much-co...