One of the places I like most of anywhere I’ve been is the tiny Kilpeck Church in Herefordshire, England. I was looking for a picture and came across some of my old photographs of this church.
The earliest reference to this church is from 650 AD, but the current church was built around 1140 AD. It is still used as a village church and is correctly called the Parish Church of St Mary and St David in Kilpeck. 
It sits on the Welsh borders, close to the Severn and Wye Rivers. The church is tiny, not holding more than a few dozen people, but it is still used on a rotating basis with several of the other local churches. 
The most extraordinary thing about this church are the 89 carved corbels below the roofline. 
Although some are missing, the ones that remain are just incredible. 
They are carved from red sandstone, which is not a hard-wearing material, but over nearly 1000 years, they’ve acquired a shell that protects them from the elements. He looks like something Picasso might have sketched, doesn’t he?
This is a ram’s head.
The carvings are very detailed, especially considering how old they are and the tools which were used to carve them. 
Just the logistics of figuring this design makes my head spin!
Of all of the carvings, this one is the one that stole my heart! It’s almost contemporary in its style, something out of a comic book!
Here’s another view:
That I am getting such joy out of something that was carved so long ago, by some unknown craftsman, fills me with wonder. Time marches on.
Meg-Oh my- yes I can so very much see why. I would love to see this in person some day.I can imagine your discovery of it.The animals could only have been the work of a loving spirit- I needed this pick me up. delightful, la
ReplyDeleteWhy do I feel a new header coming on? An unknown craftsman perhaps, but a lasting work. It's enviable.
ReplyDeleteOh Meg the details, just amazing!
ReplyDeleteI always lament at how disposable we've become & thank God how craftsmen of our ancestry knew how to create lasting artistry.
ReplyDeleteThe bunny & puppy are so contemporary yet we know different. I wonder if Disney ever visited???? :)
The door is what I am most enthralled by. I love the heavy hardware and the details surrounding it.
ReplyDeleteWhat's the difference between a corbel and a gargoyle?
ReplyDeleteI can not believe that this building has survived that long and is so beautiful and detailed and we tear down something from 20 years ago. MB
ReplyDeleteNow I must go there and see these wonderful carvings for myself. Thanks for the tour. ♥Rosemary
ReplyDeleteMamacita... Corbels are mainly brackets or supports. They're not usually this decorative or figural. Gargoyles are always figural, and may not be supports. Sometimes, they're used as drains or downspouts.
ReplyDeleteSuch a bit of loveliness. I am gobsmacked by stone. The tools and techniques haven't changed much (except for those using pneumatic tools). I like the fact that this church still shows its Celtic influence and its closer relationship with nature (and humor). I was researching how to make compound joints in moulding (fretwork) and came across the image for making compound roof joins. The article clearly explained the need for algebra and geometry. Lord, when was the last time I had a handyman who even knew what geometry was!
ReplyDeleteWhat an amazing place. Even the grave markers are fantastic. But all that carved stone is just beyond! Can't you imagine the stone mason who carved those corbels hunkered down over the featureless rock, puzzling out how to get to the finished product? And who decided what would be on each? The artist or his employer? And why a dog and rabbit on the same one? Why any of it? Places like this make my head spin with questions.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing it, Meg!
I should share with you how we found this church. One of my American cousins lives in the storybook town of Broadway. He and I, along with my parents, spent the day on the Welsh borders, including the town of books, Hay-on-Wye. At the end of the day, he said he wanted to show us two special places, one of which was the Kilpeck Church.
ReplyDeleteWhen I moved to Wales, one of the first drives I took after I bought a car was to Kilpeck.
Lovely - inspiriting - amazing.
ReplyDeleteI want to go there!
Wonderful, a remnant of pre-Norman Saxon/Celtic culture. Those animals are really quite unique, sort of a celtic Peacable Kingdom in stone. It's fun to speculate about the artist's personality, since the carvings are so friendly looking compared to post-plague Gothic carvings. It's amazing that it survived the Reformation and Henry VIII.
ReplyDeleteHa! Love "Pigasso" and the bunny and puppy. It's rare that a church can inspire a smile and chuckle rather than simply awe.
ReplyDeletethese are fantastic! I absolutely love the history in these old churches scattered about England. Who did these? what inspired them? what have they seen in all of these years?
ReplyDeleteso amazing.
E&E... Pigcasso! You're killing me!
ReplyDeleteBB8... Don't you just wonder about all of that? Comings and goings. Good times and bad. It's all in a life.
What beautiful and unique structure! Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteWow! I've never seen peaceful carvings such as the puppy and bunny. That is fantastic. Thanks for posting this, really opened my eyes.
ReplyDeleteWow, astonishing. Yes, my favorites are the dog and rabbit head at the end! Fantastic
ReplyDeleteThe carvings look exactly like Picasso created them! What an enriching post. Thank you.
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