Sunday was dry in the day and I read on Twitter of a Flower Festival at Kingsland Church which sounded lovely. I planned to go to the Festival and then return to tidy and pack but in the end we packed up and left and went to Kingsland on the way home even though it was in the opposite direction! We've driven through Kingsland several times but never stopped to explore.
Kingsland was probably the site of the palace of King Merewalh of the Magonsaetan. It was also the site of the Battle of Mortimer's Cross in 1461 when Edward, Earl of March, defeated a Lancastrian army under the command of Owain Tudor. Following the battle Edward marched to London and was crowned Edward IV reigning until he died in 1483.
St Michael and All Angels which is a fairly large church was built around 1300 when the Early English style was being replaced by the Decorated style.
The West Tower has buttresses and windows of paired lancets with y tracery on the ground floor. The top of the tower is Perpendicular.
We went to have a look at Kingsland Castle which you can see from a public footpath although you can't access the site itself. The castle is a motte and bailey which is 5 metres high and has a diameter of around 27 metres. In the 1530's, according to Leland, a Norman stone keep was still to be found on the summit. There are two baileys with ditches to the NE and SE. The castle may date back to the 1130's when Philip of Braose was given the estate of Kingsland by Henry I.
The Mortimer Connection
The Domesday Book records Ralph (I) Mortimer has having owned some land in the manor of Kingsland.
King John is said to have slept at Kingsland Castle which had been rebuilt after the Anarchy.
The castle and manor came into the possession of the Mortimers due to Roger (III)'s marriage to Maude de Braose in 1247. In 1282 Roger died at Kingsland and Maude and her successors oversaw the building of St Michael's church.
Near the castle are fish ponds dating back to the Mortimer period.
D and I walked back and had a look round the church exterior and churchyard.
C14th/C15th timber porch
Octagonal based shaft of a C14th or C15 cross.
I thought the clawed feet on this pedestal tomb for a member of the Gethin family were unusual. We will hear more about the Gethin family in the next post.
If we had been going back to the caravan I would have been tempted by some of these plants for sale.
Next to the church porch is the tiny Volka chantry chapel which I'll write more about again in the next post.
A lot of photos already! so I'll leave the church interior and flower festival to the next post.
All photos taken by me with the Panasonic Lumix FZ330 bridge camera. I don't particularly rate my photos but if anyone wishes to use one I would be grateful for an email first - thanks.
Reference:
Pevsner "Buildings of England Herefordshire" by Nikolaus Pevsner and Alan Brooks Yale University Press 2012
"On the Trail of the Mortimers" by Philip Hume Logaston Press
"Churches of Herefordshire and their Treasures" by John Leonard Logaston Press
10 comments:
Cheeky Timothy popping up like that! I hope he got an ice cream for his troubles.
As always, a very interesting researched and well documented account. I wonder how much of that 15th century porch is original.
I'm afraid I would have succumbed to temptation with those plants. I suppose you can always go back and hope they're still there. They do look like a lot of wildflowers. They would be so lovely for planting around the caravan.
Rustic Pumpkin - Thanks so much. Timothy had some of my slice of banana loaf!
Not sure about the porch although it looked as though it could do with restoring. There was a restoration/repairs at the church recently so I am surprised not done then.
I doubt the plants will be there sadly as probably just for the days of the Flower Festival - not sure though. In the past another Church at Yarpole does have plants for sale outside - we got some bargains one year. In retrospect should have bought taken them home and brought them back again!!
I was going to say that is a teaser, love the face on the porch there.That Churchyard looks huge. Kingsland no doubt named after the King, a bit like our Kingstanding Hill no doubt named because the King camped there the night before he whooped the Danes not far away in the battle of Ashdown
Billy Blue Eyes - Thanks so much. You are probably right about the name as it was once called King's Land. I am not sure if he camped there before a battle but at one time a king did hold the manor in medieval times.
Fascinating history about the church and village, the Mortimers and the Gethins - the tomb with feet is very unusual and the little face on the porch. Look forward to hearing more and seeing inside too. I would have been tempted by the plants for sale:)
Rosie - Thanks so much. I thought those clawed feet on the tomb were unusual too. Wish I'd bought some plants now!
Hope ceiling upheaval work at home is going ok for you and you are getting back to normal.
another interesting village to visit.... and you actually went in the church!
Herefordshire has lots of lovely village.... very underrated!
The Quacks of Life - Thanks so much Pete. Left OH in the car. Bribed son with motte and bailey! Yes Herefordshire has some wonderful villages and churches and it suits me its off the tourist route mainly :) Love it here.
WOW! This looks like a really interesting place to visit. Such a lot of history.
CherryPie - Thanks so much and yes its worth a visit.
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