St Michael Moccas

 

St Michael Moccas is only a short way along the road from Kilverts church at Bredwarine and stands in the grounds of Moccas Court. The church stands on it own across the fields and is only accessible by footpath, though there is a track runs past I noticed when I got there. 

"The parish church of St Michael is well known as the site of the very early Welsh Moccas Monastery, founded by Saint Dubricius in the 6th century, as recorded in the Book of Llandaff. The church has a notable monument to the de Fresnes family, lords of the manor in the 14th century."

 Closer to the church you see a fence around it to stop farm animals entering the churchyard

 The view of the east end of the church from near the track entrance

^{South west view}

 North west side

 Blocked north door

Couple of old stones one looks like it came off a tomb

The churchyard is not that large, most of it being around the north and west sides

The south side is near the track which is off to the left lower down the slope

Headstone of Rex and Winifred Chesney near the north wall of the church

The churchyard west of the church

Don't be fooled thinking it could go further, it stops just after the last like of graves with a Haha ditch

Looking back east along the north side of the church

Looking north across the west end

The porch taking us in

Inside is very bight

From behind the font

In the choir is this tomb with effigy on

The apse is where the altar is contained 

The three stained glass windows in the apse

Looking back through the church past the tomb

Nave to the organ

  The whole west wall is dominated by the organ and panels beside it

Might be repeating the shots but taken with my camera 

The arch look Norman but I could not tell you is it is Victorian

 

The tomb and effigy 

 

Collage of the tomb effigy

It is though to be Sir John or Reginal de Fresne 1375

Odd looking lion at his feet

Looking back past the tomb

The pulpit and lectern

Gives this view of the church

 And a nice one of the organ which was built between 1871- 78 by J.W.Walker and sons who are still going today

View back through the church from by the pulpit

Plenty of information on the church at the back

 

There is some nice stained glass to look at

 

Two of the windows seem to only have the top part done

Seems like the lowere part is missing

There are more memorials but these two you can read

Poppy heads on the choir stalls

Which curve at the west end

Roll of honour 

I will leave you with the font which again I'm sure is Norman on a Victorian base

Till next time may I wish you all a peaceful week 

St Andrew Bredwardine

 

 This week the Church Explorer takes you to St Andrew Bredwardine this third of the churches on his Clerics Trail tour and one of the more important as Kilvert was vicar here and is where he is buried. When I got here I notice people walking around the churchyard and asked if they were looking for Kilvert, the answer was yes and told me where to go. I do wonder if they went around the church

The history is from The National Churches Trust website as I can find none on Wikipedia 

"The church is Norman, although there is evidence of a Saxon church, and parts of the chancel may be of Saxon date. The chancel is at such a pronounced angle to the nave that some members of the congregation cannot see the altar.

There is early stone carving on the lintels of both the south and (blocked) north doorways; the north doorway has two figures, one with a bird's head and the other perhaps with a monkey's head.

In the church are a huge bowl shaped Norman font, and the effigies of two knights, one is from the 13th century and the other is from the 14th century. The latter is of Sir Roger Vaughan, who died defending Henry V at the Battle of Agincourt in 1415.

In the churchyard, on the north side, is the grave of Francis Kilvert, Rector here for two years until his death in 1879. His diaries record the lives of the people of this area, and his descriptions of the seasons, the weather and the Border countryside and its way of life are among the best of their kind."

You can also read about it in a board outside the churchyard

Most of the church is hidden from the road son the south side is the view most people will see when they visit

West end of the church

North side showing the off set tower

 Back to the south

 Phone shot of the tower

 Blocked north door

 

 Kilver called it the Devils door, not sure he appreciated that it was Norman

The porch were if you go in you will see another Norman doorway

 The detail is on the lintel 

I wonder if the tympanum was carved or just plain

 Collage of the carvings

There is quite a big churchyard

 

But Kilverts grave is the one everyone goes to see

 

 It looks a little too well maintained for a grave that is nearly 150 years old so I dare say the Kilvert society look after it

This one stands out but it was not who I thought it might be it belongs to William  Broom Giles and his wife Ellen Amie

Lots of ole headstones

 Double headstone inscription still legible 

Solitary grave near the entrance, beyond is the current cemetery and where I found out later where Kilverts wife is buried

Inside the church with I found much nicer that some other I visited the same day

 

Looking down the nave

Near to the chancel

Choir stalls and altar

The altar and beautiful altar cloth

The reredos behind I thougth amazing

Behind that the east window

The altar rails were amazing

With word carved in them.They were made local by James and George Brierly 

Another view of the reredos

View to the back of the church

Moving to the left slightly

Portrait view

From in front of the pulpit

The pulpit

Standing where Kilver would have looking at the congregation 

It also gives a good view of the chancel 

The organ

This was on show on the north wall

 

Door leading to the vestry and bell tower

I think these are tin plate and Victorian

Effigy of Walter Baskerville 

The effigy of Sir Robert Vaughn is in much better condition 

Quite a few memorials to see

Nice brass Roll of Honour 

This one from the Second World War

Couple of wall hangings

Choir stalls

Over on the north side of the chancel 

Near the entrance you will find some famed information on Kilvert

One on his diary and a photo of him

The other about his grave and his wife's

I cropped this part to show. I must admit I looked over to where the cemetery where his wife is buried but had not read the information or I would have gone over and taken a photo of her grave. I find it really sad she is not buried with him

There is a kitchen are at the back

You can also find a tomb lid near the chancel

List of past vicars, you can see Francis Kilver listed in 1877

Love the Norman font 

 

Last view of the church from the font

I noticed a prayer on the pulpit lectern so I will leave you with that.

Till next time may I wish you all a peaceful week