Return To Kilpeck, 1

Students of this blog know that we first visited Kilpeck in 2009 (http://roadeveron.blogspot.co.uk/2009/10/parish-church-of-st-mary-and-st-david.html), and fell in love with the stone carvings that adorn the early 12th century parish church there, the Church of St. Mary and St. David (probably neither the Mary nor David you're thinking of). We saw similar carvings elsewhere, principally northern and western France, always in Romanesque settings, and also perhaps in Spain and Sicily. For several years we were amused but intrigued by them. I blogged about them in 2013 and 2015 as "funny faces." At Hereford, we learned finally that there is a name and a scholarship about this sculpture, namely, "the Herefordshire School of Romanesque Sculpture." The book by the same name is now in our possession. Alas, I'm going to have study what previously was just fun. But learning is among the best parts of travel. Perhaps I'll finally learn something about sculpture. In any case, we drove the 8-10 miles SSW of Hereford to the ancient hamlet of Kilpeck and its famous little church.

I swear this sign was not there in 2009--surely we would have
noticed it! (don't call me Shirley)--but just up the hill...an
artificial hill no less...are the meager remains of Kilpeck
castle, about the same vintage as the church

There, with a bit of the ditch/moat in view; guarded by sheep

More information

One remnant

The other, with fireplace visible

The countryside

Another view

The church, built, all in one go, c. 1138-1143, give or take

Welcome, similar to the one I photographed in 2009

The font, which, to me looked if anything older than the church
itself; the castle would have had a chapel...

The interior of the church, just to show it is unremarkably
parish Romanesque

Thus

And thus

Four faces...four gospels? The zig-zaggy stuff is all over
Hereford Cathedral

Church yard