Herefordshire - Part 1: St Peter's, Pudleston

 

We arrived in Herefordshire last Tuesday lunchtime - the weather was lovely - and did our usual click and collect from Morrisons, Leominster, in the afternoon. I spotted yet again a rather interesting looking "memento mori" on the side of a house next to a chapel.  I really must get a photo of it.

Tuesday the weather was not very good - cold and cloudy with frequent drizzle in the morning. I did venture out briefly with B in the afternoon to re-visit St Peter's, Pudleston, which is only a few miles away.  Last time I could only look round the churchyard and exterior as the church was closed presumably due to the pandemic.

There were several cars outside the church so we parked in the nearby village hall car park. Lovely to see the bench outside surrounded by a "no mow" area with wild flowers.

The hedgerows and grass verges are full of cow parsley, buttercups and germander speedwell and, although hawthorn flowers are past their best, elder is in flower.

Plants in Walls 

St Peter's, Puddleston

The War Memorial  - gosh I did struggle again to get a photo of this showing the detail. In fact I have tried to lighten the image (poorly!) to compensate. Perhaps when I have objects like this against a pale grey sky I should try using the exposure compensation button?

Apart from the West Tower and parts of the chancel the church was built by Henry Woodyer.  Woodyer rebuilt the nave (which had already been rebuilt in 1815) in 1850/51 adding aisles and a South Porch.  He restored the chancel in 1856/7.  

If I am honest I really am not much of a fan of Victorian churches or restorations. Give me a decent medieval church any day!

The vicar??? came up to me in the churchyard and explained that, although they were re-tuning the organ, the church was open and I was welcome to explore. I left  B in the churchyard - big mistake as when I came out he got very maudlin over the church graves and the ages of people who died!  

Church Interior

Pevsner calls the furnishings in the church by Woodyer "excellent". Have to admit at times I do not wholly agree with Pevsner!  The furnishings include the pews, font with its ornate oak cover (1854), stone pulpit (1850/52), encaustic tiles and stone reredos over the altar which was rather nice.

Even though the light was on the church was quite dark - hence some photos are really not good! including this one of the font.

Stained Glass

All the windows with angels and the 12 Apostles in the aisles are by Hardman (1850/51) and designed by A W N Pugin.  They were paid for by Elias Chadwick of Pudleston Hall.  The East Window is by Hardman also (1856/7)

East Window

Stone Reredos

I didn't go into the chancel as there were about four or five people clustered round the organ and I didn't want to intrude.

The nave looking towards the chancel - you can see how dark it is

Stone pulpit

Old chest possibly from an earlier church?

Pevser describes the tower as "puzzling" age wise.  The quoins and rere-arches of the windows look very early possibly even Saxon but there is a Norman window too.

The Norman west doorway of two orders, the outer arch with lateral chevron, restored tympanum and hood mould with flat leaf decoration. The spire rises from a pyramid truncated roof.

Two old trees in the field next to the churchyard which was being grazed by sheep and lambs.

Edward VII post box in a wall near the church.

On the way back to the car I spotted horsetails growing among buttercups.

I hope everyone is staying safe and well.

All photos taken by me with the Panasonic Lumix FZ330 (should anyone ever wish to use any of the photos I would be grateful if they could please email me - thank you).

Reference: Pevsner "The Buildings of England Herefordshire" by A Brookes and N Pevsner Yale University Press