Herefordshire 2023 October Visit - Part 3: Shobdon Arches

 

After looking round the Gothic Rococo delights of Shobdon Church we walked up to the Shobdon Arches which are important remains from the Norman Church built by Oliver de Merlimond in the C12th (between 1136 and 1143).  They are possibly the earliest example of work by the Herefordshire School of Romanesque Sculptors.  Since 1752 around the time the new church was the built the Arches, which comprise the Chancel Arch and two doorways plus tympana of the Norman Church, have formed a folly.

The Herefordshire School of Romanesque Sculptors carried out work between c1134 and c 1155 in churches in Herefordshire, Shropshire and Worcestershire. They were a group of sculptors who may have received their training at Hereford Cathedral.  Their work was of the highest quality and was among the finest of English Romanesque sculpture.  Their carvings drew on both Christian and Pagan symbols and could be bawdy at times.

The main researchers and writers on the School are George Zarnecki and Malcolm Thurlby. We do not know the names of the sculptors although two were referred to as "The Chief Master" and the "Aston Master"   Examples of their work can be seen at places such as Leominster Priory, fonts at Castle Frome, Eardisley and Chaddesley Corbett churches, Shobdon (font and arches) and the outstanding church at Kilpeck.

To reach the Arches you walk along a grassed avenue between rows of oak trees for about a quarter of a mile.

Nearly there!

The Arches are an impressive sight although sadly they are very weathered and eroded due to exposure to the elements and many of the details of the carvings have been lost.

The gables, pinnacles and crockets were added in the C18th when they became very fashionable.

You can still make out some of the carvings on this tympanum which represents Christ in Glory. Christ is in an oval mandorla surrounded by four angels.  His right hand is raised in blessing and in his left he holds a book which rests on his leg.

The Doorways have two orders of shafts and the Chancel Arch in the centre has three.  All the shafts and capitals are decorated and although many details cannot now be made out carvings include:

• beaded and plain interlace
• human figures and dragons with Anglo Saxon or Scandinavian influence
• chevrons
• Foliage trails
• male figures wearing ribbed garments similar to those at Kilpeck
• quadrupeds in twisted poses
• serpents with gaping mouths.

The Arches have voussoirs with birds, lions, heads, fish, stags etc.

George Zarnecki's research shows that the principal influence on the carvers may have been churches at Poitou and Saintonger.  Oliver de Merlimond travelled through these towns in Western France when he went on a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela c1130. His travels may have influenced the work of the carvers although they may have known of the churches from other sources. Sadly, it is impossible to know the answer.

Perhaps a serpent with gaping mouth on the left capital?

The other tympanum represents the Harrowing of Hell.  You can't really make out the details but it showed the figure of Jesus Christ thrusting a large cross into the mouth of Hell (a dragon) and pulling out Adam and Eve.

Fortunately drawings of the carvings exist in a book by GR Lewis called "The Ancient Church of Shobdon" (1852)which illustrates how the carvings once looked.

In 1998 the Shobdon Arch Preservation Trust arranged for work to be carried out by S T Walker and Partners to stabilise the structure and to arrest further flaking.

We popped into the village of Shobdon on the way home in search of a village shop that we thought sold beeswax candles but failed to find it. So to finish off a photo of the postbox in the village. I do like postboxes and all the different styles you can find.

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 appreciate an email first - thanks).

Reference: Pevsner "Buildings of England Herefordshire" by Alan Brooks and Nikolaus Pevsner, Yale University Press 2017

"Herefordshire School of Romanesque Scupture" by Malcolm Thurlby Logaston Press 2016

"Churches of Herefordshire and Their Treasures" by John Leonard Logaston Press 2005 ed

Shobdon Church Guide Section on the Shobdon Arches by Muriel Passey

Herefordshire 2023 October Visit - Part 2: St John the Evangelist Shobdon (A Gothic Rococo church)

 

Thursday was dry and cloudy but with a distinct possibility of rain in the afternoon!  E was happy just relaxing at the caravan and B wanted to garden so I suggested to D who is always happy to go out and has developed quite an interest in Listed buildings that we could go to Shobdon church about 40 minutes away.  Its a place I have long wanted to visit both for its Gothic Rococo church in the Strawberry Hill style and the Shobdon arches which are some of the remains of the Norman Romanesque church that once stood there. 

Shobdon means "Sceoba's Hill" and the village is located as ground rises between the valleys of the Rivers Arrow and Lugg.  The church and Shobdon Court are a few miles from the actual village.

The very first church at Shobdon was a Chapel of Ease dedicated to St Juliana which was unusual at the time in that it was dedicated to a woman saint. It was probably built in timber.

At the time of Domesday the manor was held by Ralph de Mortimer. Hugh de Mortimer of Wigmore Castle gave the Shobdon estate to Oliver de Merlimond who was his chief steward and he built a castle and founded a Priory for Augustinian Canons in 1135. Soon after the Romanesque Norman church was built between 1136 and 1143 and consecrated by the Bishop of Hereford, Robert de Bethune.  In later years the priory moved to buildings nearer Wigmore Castle.

Sadly, I completely forgot to look for the remains of the flattened motte of de Merlimond's castle :( the bailey is apparently obscured from view by a meat processing factory next to the church).

The Shobdon Estate was bought in 1705 by Sir James Bateman who rebuilt Shobdon Court on a grand and large scale.  His son, Sir William, married one of the grand-daughters of the Duke of Marlborough and in 1725 he was a made a Viscount. He died in 1744. His son John became the 2nd Viscount and he was responsible for rebuilding the Norman church in 1749-52.  The furnishings of the church were fitted under the supervision of his uncle The Hon. Richard Bateman, a friend of Horace Walpole  and a member of his "Committee of Taste". Influenced by Walpole he was fond of Gothicism in the Strawberry Hill style.  The Nave Chancel and Transepts date from this period.

The Tower is battlemented in Early English style and was constructed in 1725-1736 replacing the original central tower which had collapsed in 1719.  This formed part of the rebuilding of the church mentioned above.

Ooh!  ogee headed windows galore!

According to Pevsner Shobdon posseses the finest C18th architecture in Herefordshire with "Rococo Gothic at its most elegantly fanciful"

The interior of the church and furnishings are the sole example of this unique Gothic style of Georgian architecture and furnishings following the example of Walpole at Strawberry Hill. The church is Grade 1 listed.

The tower contains old memorial tablets. For example this one to John Handiford died 1676.

Then we enter the church (finally you say :)  )  - yes it is all a little sugary sweet! but the furnishings are just amazing.

The pew ends have pierced quatrefoils above ogee arches.

Apart from the East Window the stained glass is by William Price the Younger and I thought it was rather lovely.

The West Gallery - I did try to go up there before we left to get a photo of the church from above but sadly the door was locked.

The three tiered polygonal pulpit.

Many of the mouments are to the Bateman family and this one by Nollekens commemorates John 2nd Viscount Bateman died 1802. At the top is a putto with portrait medallion in front of an obelisk.

Being a huge fan of Romanesque churches and especially the work of the Herefordshire School of Romanesque sculptors I find it very sad that the Norman church was rebuilt even if the new one is quite amazing.  However, the Romanesque font which was moved out of the church at the rebuilding as it didn't suit the furnishings! was returned early in the C20th from where it had been languishing in the gardens of the Court.  It is sadly weathered but there are four sinister lions on the base of the short stem by the Herefordshire School.  The carved lions remind me of similar ones I have seen at Leominster Priory and Castle Frome church.

For comparison here is a photo of the lion on the font at Castle Frome Church and the

lions on a capital at Leominster Priory.  Both were also the work of the Herefordshire School.

Church banners

Windows in the transepts contain Bateman heraldic glass.

East Window by Heaton Butler and Payne.

Victorian font in late C19th Decorated style.

The church architect is unknown - although various names have been suggested. All we know is that he was from London and there are elements derived from William Kent and Batty Langley.

There are a few fragments of glass from the original church displayed in frames in one of the transepts.  

The church interior was repainted in 2014 at the same time that major roof repairs were carried out.

Luckily the rain held off and after the visit to the church we walked up a tree lined avenue to see the Shobdon arches. These were erected as a folly around the time the church was built or just after and comprise the chancel arch and two doorways of the Norman Church. Sadly, having been exposed to the elements they are very weathered but you can still make out some of the carvings by the Herefordshire School which I'll write about in 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:  Guide Book to the Church

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

"Churches of Herefordshire and Their Treasures" John Leonard Logaston Presss 2005 ed