Saturday, 20 September 2025

St Garmon St Harmon

 

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.

"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."


 Information board by the entrance

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 

 
Looking easterly

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

 
There is some nice stained glass to see 

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


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