This week the Church Explorer visit's St Garmons church at St Harmon the first of ten churches I visited over three days to complete the Clerics Trail of Francis Kilvert. What got into my head to do this I will never know but I did get enough photos to write a blog on each one. Not much history on this church other than what I have given below. My original intention was to visit the churches and only take a few photos of each one due to how much storage I had but I ended up getting enough photos to write a blog on each church even if the blog is a little shorter than so that I do write.
"The parish church is called Saint Garmon (Germanus of Auxerre), with many people assuming it has been spelt incorrectly. In fact, the village name of St Harmon is a further Anglicisation of the name St Garmon. St Garmon's Church is known for having the diarist the Reverend Francis Kilvert serve as Vicar there between 1876 and 1877."
Straight path leading to the church
Near the church
Looking from the south east
North east, I think they could have been more sympathetic when building the small extension the render looks lot of place
South east view
East end
South west view
The bell is on the side of the porch under a cover
Rowland family graves
Looking east
Around the north side of the church
West end looking south
Looks to the road through the village
East of the church looking west
There are a fare few chest tombs around the inscriptions eroded on them
More chest tombs and leaning headstones
Fenced family plot with pillar monument
Porch on the church
Doorway in, unusual color to see a church door
Inside looking down the nave
Closer to the chancel arch
Kneeler and prayer desk
In the chancel looking at the altar
Very colorful altar cloth
East window showing the last supper
Altar cross on the shelf behind
The shelf sits on these carved corbels which are older than the church, I suspect they are from a ruined church or abbey
Looking to the back of the church from the chancel
The pulpit, I wonder if Kilvert stood in it
If he did this is what he would have seen
Brass chandelier
Organ fitted in the north trasept
Which shows when the sun shines
The center glass from the last two
This window is on the north side
The west window
With Madonna and child, I really liked this one
Vaughan family memorial
Another Vaughan memorial a bit older
Collage of memorials some very faded
Stained glass window in the north wall of the nave
Old photo of the church, note the bell cote, there is none on the church now which why the bells is by the porch
List of vicars of the church
Cropped out to show Kilvert was vicar between 1876-1877
Chairs in the chancel
They are either side of the altar
The font which has three faces on. It looks medieval or older my thoughts are it is the capital of a pillar from a church or abbey
Collage of the font and faces, it could even be Saxon. I came across second in another church
Last look around the church
St Harmon did have a railway station near the church which Kilvert would have used to get here, the railway closed back in the 1960s and very little can be seen now. Next week I start visiting the churches around Hay on Wye going up to Bedwardine. By the time I have finished we will be in November
Till next time may I wish you all a peaceful week
