St Michael, Garway was the church I had intended to visit on my last tour around, this time I managed to plan the visit on my return from Wales after leaving my wife at the caravan as we were having some work done on our house. The trip was quiet arduous in that the roads were mostly single track getting there but in the end it was worth the effort as it is an interesting church with more to see than I thought and if you check they do guided tours.
The church is on the western edge of the parish and is dedicated to Saint Michael. The earliest record of a monastery on the site is in the seventh century, but it is with the arrival of the Knights Templar in 1180 that the history of the church at Garway becomes clearer. The Knights Templar built a hut in honour of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. Brooks and Pevsner, in the 2012 revision to the Herefordshire volume of the Buildings of England, describe St Michael's as "uncommonly interesting".
The excavated foundations of part of the round church (unearthed in 1927) can be seen clearly on the north side of the present church, and the original carved chancel arch, heavily decorated and in the Norman style, survives. Most of the current church, which is no longer round, is probably 13th century including the massive defensible tower which was once separate from the main church building. There are numerous carvings both inside and outside the building including a Green Man, a sword believed to be Templar, a fish and a snake.
The church from the gate
Inside the gate looking at the church and churchyard. It was the first time I had seen the church and it looked a little odd
It gets even odder when you go around the tower and see the tower is separate from the church
I don't usually show these but it's worth reading
Wider view showing the tower and church
Looking from the north west the church looks bent and the tower attached to the church
From higher up the churchyard you get a better view of the north side of the church
Lower down the slope
Looking at the tower from the north side of the church
East end
South east of the church
South side, you can see the top of the tower
The church entrance in the west end and the covered walkway from the church to the tower
Tower and west end of the church
Few views with my iphone
North of the church
Another from lower down
South side again
This is around the north side on a blocked doorway
Blocked north doorway
This is the ruins of the original Templar church
It does not look that big
It looks like this church was built over the top
Churchyard to the north of the church looking east
Someone's monument, I did not look up who's
The churchyard is very overgrown with these two tombs well hidden in the long grass
Looking along the slop of the churchyard you can see the odd headstone poking out
Down near the church a path has been cut
Inside the church, take note of the doorway in the wall by the chancel arch
The chancel arch a fine Norman one
In the chancel
The altar
Triple east window
The church from behind the altar
The altar table slab looked like it came from the original church and had been resurrected, this part is broken off and there is a cross in each corner like this
Carving on the lectern
The nave from the chancel arch
Couple of the old tomes in the floor the oldest date is 1702
Carving on the chancel arch
Capitals on the pillars
The green man
On the other side
Another information board about the Templar church
The pulpit is Victorian, 1899
And this is the view from it
The board is by the steps
It's a good view from the doorway which would have taken you out to a rood loft is they had nor taken it down in the reformation
This looks over to the chapel on the south side
The organ is in the south chapel
This is one of the choir stalls, the back was made from the old Tudor pulpit
The south chapel
Beneath is this panel
Which has carvings on it
This got me wondering if it was part of a rood screen, truth is it was and I suspect the took the screen down and stored the parts so they could be reused
This board tells you about it but I did not read this till I wrote my blog
Looking west through the chapel
Another part of the screen reused as a desk
Looking out of the chapel to the altar
Church chest and stoup
The Norman arch
Collage of different items to see round the church
The lighting holder made in a Templar theme
Back of the church, the right hand door I think must go to the tower
Corner with the roll of honour
The names engraved on a brass plate, the additional one of R E Benjamin could be from either wars
A few of the memorials in the church the left hand one shows the Prosser Family names
Chancel roof timbers
Nice touch with the yucca pant in the window
The font I assume is Norman
I will leave you with this view of the church from the back of the altar.
Till next time may I wish you a peaceful week
