Waxwing

Waxwing
"To see a world in a grain of sand,
And a heaven in a wild flower,
Hold infinity in the palm of your hand
And eternity in an hour."

From "Auguries of Innocence"

by William Blake

Tuesday 26 July 2022

Back to Herefordshire Part 4: St Andrew's Church Bredwardine

 

As regular readers of this blog will know I love visiting churches but the church at Bredwardine was extra special because of its connection with Francis Kilvert.

Today Francis Kilvert is known mainly for his diaries which detail  rural life.  He was born on 3rd December 1840 at the Rectory near Chippenham, Wiltshire to the Reverend Robert Kilvert and his wife Thermuthis.  He was educated by his uncle in Bath and then attended Wadham College Oxford before entering the church.

From 1863-64 he was curate to his father at Langley Burrell and in 1865 he took the position as curate at Clyro, Radnorshire.  At Clyro he began writing a diary on 1st January 1870.  I personally love his diaries with the details of the countryside and the walks he took, descriptions of his parishioners and his social life. He has a very conversational style.

In 1871 he fell in love with Frances (Daisy) Thomas, daughter of the vicar of Llanigon.  He asked for her hand in her marriage but was refused by her father due to his position as a poor curate. (I seem to remember none of the daughter's married - sadly can't check as my books are in Herefordshire!)  Shortly after in 1872 he resigned his post at Clyro and returned to his family's home.

From 1876/77 he was vicar of St Harmon, Radnorshire, and then in 1877 he accepted the position as rector of Bredwardine in Herefordshire.  In August 1879 he married Elizabeth Ann Rowland, after meeting her on a trip to Paris, but died from peritonitis, shortly after returning from honeymoon, on 23rd September 1879. He was only 38.


Vicarage and Bredwardine Church from Brobury House gardens.


Bredwardine Bridge over the River Wye



The name Bredwardine means "the village on the bank" derived from bred (bank) and wardine (a homestead). It is located below Dorstone Hill.


I left B doing a crossword in the car and then realised later there was a bridleway by the church he could have followed down to the river!

St Andrew's Bredwardine

The church was constructed soon after the Norman Conquest and the nave still has Norman doorways and windows. The nave is 11th century and the chancel was added in 1300. It is unusual in that the tower is located on the north side and it may have replaced an original central tower when it was rebuilt in the 18th century.

There was a rather drastic restoration of the church in 1875/6 by Thomas Nicholson who added the large timber South porch.




Memorial bench to Francis Kilvert erected by the Kilvert Society.







Francis Kilvert's gravestone





The graves each side are those of a Miss Julia Newton and her sister Constance who lived in the "Cottage" who were both very fond of Kilvert.  It meant that when Elizabeth, Kilvert's wife, died she had to be buried in the new churchyard nearby - I didn't have time to try and find her grave unfortunately.









Look at the lovely view :)










The vicarage next door where Francis wrote the last pages of his diary.









Norman doorway






And so into the church interior.  There were 3 other people there and I chatted to them later by the car park - they were Kilvert enthusiasts too.

Looking up the nave towards the chancel (sorry - usual problem low light and high iso so photos again aren't brilliant).






12th century font with large plain round bowl built of breccia with a Jacobean cover.






















The chancel







A lovely altar frontal



The oak reredos is by Frank Smallpiece dated 1904.  Painted panels by Wyndham Hughes.









In the chancel are two recumbent effigies on tombs.

This worn 14th century knight in chain armour with apparently angels at his head is Walter of Bredwardine, grandfather of the figure in the other effigy. It is interesting to note that his legs are cut off at the knees so if this is lifesize he would have been very tall.





The second effigy is of Sir Roger Vaughan wearing plate armour and his head rests on a helmet.  He was killed at the Battle of Agincourt.





East window - I haven't published close ups because in my humble opinion it is not the greatest stained glass!





Looking down the nave from the chancel







Herringbone masonry - a sign of late Saxon or Norman times.





As I left I suddenly remembered I hadn't seen the other Norman (blocked) doorway which I knew had carvings. A quick rush round the back of church no sign! I finally found it - goodness only knows how I had missed it!




An elaborately carved lintel with a rosette on each side in a circle and two "monsters". One looks like a monkey and the other a pig standing on hind legs.  Although I did see one suggestion that the former may be a defaced sheela na gig.  The lintel was probably the work of the Herefordshire School of Romanesque Carving although not carved by the master mason but perhaps a more local one?








As usual I missed features! - no surprise there! Even though I was carrying a handwritten crib sheet!

  • C14th/C15th base of churchyard cross
  • A better look at C19th chest tombs
  • Fragment of Norman coffin lid with a cross on it
  • Elizabeth Kilvert's grave
  • A walk down the bridleway to see the earthworks and mound remains of Bredwardine Castle -a former keep of the Baskervilles and in the late C15th mansion of the Vaughan family.

Hopefully, we shall return and I can spend more time here.

Final Herefordshire post from this visit will be a Riverside Walk at Leominster.


I hope everyone is staying safe and well.


Photos taken by me with the Panasonic Lumix FZ330 bridge camera. (I don't particularly rate most of my photos but should anyone reading ever wish to use one I would appreciate an email first - thanks)

Reference:
"Exploring Kilvert Country" by Chris Barber

The Herefordshire School of Romanesque Carving by Malcolm Thurby Logaston Press

Pevsner The Buildings of England Herefordshire by Alan Brooks and Nikolaus Pevsner Yale University Press 2017

Wikipedia website page on Francis Kilvert


15 comments:

Rustic Pumpkin said...

I don't know much about his life, but do know we owe a debt of gratitude to his diaries for giving us a wonderful insight to rural life of his day. I had to study his diaries briefly for my OU courses. For someone as interested in him as you obviously are, your book on the area in which he lived and worked must bring a lot of pleasure and enrichment to exploring and discovering the details. Great blog!

Billy Blue Eyes said...

I really must see if I can visit that church even though I am not the greatest fan of Kilvert. His book is only a small part of the diary's he kept. the rest were destroyed by his wife so I read, even she might not have approved of him. I do like the church with the features it has and as yet I think only seen one church with the tower on the north side. The cross on his grave is too new to be original, must have been replaced by the Kilvert society when they fitted the seat. The sisters either side crosses show how it would have looked. It like the grave of Jethro Tull at Lower Basildon, a newish headstone leaning against the church because the lost his grave. he died in 1741

Ragged Robin said...

Rustic Pumpkin - oh thanks so much for your kind comment and I am so glad you enjoyed. Yes the book was very good and certainly gave me ideas of places to visit such as the gardens too in the previous post. He would be an interesting person to study :)

Billy Blue Eyes - Thanks so much. Not sure which route you take to Wales but it perhaps could be incorporated? Yes I knew his wife had destroyed some of his work and also someone else - niece??? can't remember and books not at home. Interesting thought about cross being new - it did strike me as being very well preserved for its age!! Hope you can visit - church has interesting features aside from FK!

Bovey Belle said...

If you can, visit Llanigon church as that is where Daisy and all her (UNWED)sisters are buried. It's near Hay.

I'm glad you remembered the back (best!)door. I think I remember one of the figures appearing at Hereford too (somewhere in the building).

Didn't know about the herringbone masonry being a sign of late Saxon or Norman work. I shall try and file that away in my memory.

The font is VERY similar (but not quite as broad across the top) as the one at Kilpeck. They both have four legs like this too.

It always made me smile that his wife didn't get to be "planted" next to him, but the two sisters got there first!

Glad you got there and I will take a leaf out of your book and write down the special things I need to look out for in the next church I visit.

Ragged Robin said...

Bovey Belle - Thanks so much. Thanks re: tip about Daisy and church. I SO want to go to Hay. I think Bredwardine was about 45 minutes from where we stay so not too far for a trip out. Arthur's stone when my son is with us or me is a must too but I know David really wants to see it.

I need to return to Hereford Cathedral as my visit to the interior was very brief some years ago when I took David to see the Mappi Mundi and we parked where time was very limited! Now I know Hereford better I know of better car parks! I've walked past the cathedral since but last time it was closed.

Yes font is reminiscent of Kilpeck one. I am glad you have visited there it is probably my favourite church of all time. I had SO many "Wow" monents there and a pub lunch and the castle kept my son occupied - we had gone for the day quite a few years ago.

I am amazed a space wasn't reserved for his wife!

I've been making a list for some years now but as you know I still constantly miss features usually due to lack of time but not always!!! Sometimes I read the list before I go into church and then leave it in the car!!

Rosie said...

Goodness, Thermusis is a name and a half. So sad that Kilvert died so young and sad too that his wife wasn't buried next to him. I hope you had a sit on the commemorative bench. The church looks wonderful especially the herringbone masonry, the font and the Norman doorway:)

Ragged Robin said...

Rosie - Thanks so much and lol Thermuthis is a mouthful. Hope they shortened it! It is very sad he died so young and so soon after his marriage. Yes I was pleased I remembered the Norman doorway just as I was about to leave!!!

The Quacks of Life said...

right I must go back to Herefordshire next year!! It's a lovely area as your blog shows.

I've never been to Bredwardine which is kind of shocking! Have you done Monnington-on-Wye and Moccas?

I ought to read more blogs... you get way more comments than me LOL

Ragged Robin said...

The Quacks of Life - Thanks so much Pete. I love the county - there is so much to see and do especially if you like churches and gardens and lovely villages and towns, castles and wildlife. I hope you can return next year.

Bredwardine - Brobury House Gardens and the church well worth a visit. No, not done the other two yet.............

lol! Believe me I don't get many comments compared to some other blogs!

Billy Blue Eyes said...

Just found this blog, you might want to check it out https://bystargooseandhanglands.blogspot.com/

Ragged Robin said...

BillyBlue Eyes - Thanks so much - that blog looks great. Very interesting post on Copford Church. The link is much appreciated.
Tried adding it and yours by the way recently in My Blog List - managed to add them but for some unknown reason Blogger won't let me save the edited list. Will persevere!!!!

Billy Blue Eyes said...

Just looked your listed, I thought you might like it, John visits some really nice churches from time to time

Ragged Robin said...

Billy Blue Eyes - Thanks again :)

CherryPie said...

The church looks so interesting. Thank you for taking me on a virtual journey with you :-)

Ragged Robin said...

CherryPie - Thank you.