Another Visit to Herefordshire - Part 5: St Michael and All Angels, Croft

 

St Michael and All Angels at Croft predates the present castle. The first church was built in the C12th and the present church dates back to the C14th and the church was enlarged in the C15th.

The bell turret with the ogee shaped cupola was added in the C17th.

The plain octagonal font, according to Pevsner, is probably C14th.

The tiles date back to the C15th/early C16th and are from Malvern and Monmouth with one dated 1486.  They are mostly heraldic.

The Chancel

Looking down the nave from the chancel

East Window by Hardman 1916

This stunning monument is to the memory of Sir Richard Croft, Sheriff of Herefordshire, MP for Herefordshire in 1471 and the Governor of Ludlow Castle He was created a knight after the Battle of Stoke in 1487 and died on 29th July 1509.  The tomb is also for his wife Eleanor who died 1520.  She was the daughter of Sir Edmund Cornewall of Burford, Salop, and widow of Sir Hugh Mortimer of Kyre.

The tomb chest has standing angels holding shields beneath crocketed canopies.  According to Pevsner the tomb was inexpertently reconstructed when it was moved from the former north chapel.

The recumbent effigies have a lion at the feet of Sir Richard and a lion cub and puppy at the feet of Eleanor's effigy.  

It is a pity I am not taller or I could have taken better images of the effigies!

Against the rear wall there are saints in two tiers. The lower tier has St Anthony and St Roche and the upper tier shows St Sitha and St Margaret.

The Mortimer Connection

The Croft family were friends and allies of the Mortimers of Wigmore (Marcher lords).  A traditional story suggests that a member of the Croft family with the Mortimers helped with the escape of Lord Edward from Hereford Cathedral in 1265.

Sir Richard Croft (see tomb in photos above) was a important supporter of Richard, Duke of York and joined his son Edward at the Battle of Mortimer's Cross where they defeated the Lancastrians led by Owen Tudor.  

(A bit of background to this - when Edmund IV Mortimer died in 1425 without a son his Mortimer inheritance passed to his sister Anne's son who was Richard Duke of York.  His son Edward, the future King Edward IV was proclaimed King and crowned after the battle of Towton.  Sir Richard Croft was a close friend of Edward after he became king and his wife Eleanor was governess to the King's son.)

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 of mine or my son's I would be grateful for an email first - thanks).

Reference:

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