Patientes igitur estote fratres

I am ambivalent about the work of the stained glass artist, Christopher Whall (1849-1924). At his best his work is admirable: the beautifully coloured, well-drawn and composed windows match those of the best of the Arts and Craft Movement. However, he too often descends into windows that have the maudlin characteristics of Victorian childrens' story book illustrators. A piece that is otherwise fine in every respect can be spoiled by a group of child-angels with "cute" faces. The example above, a detail from a 1905 window in St Michael's, Ledbury, is an example of his better work. The inscription translates as, "Be patient then Brothers and Sisters".

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Lumix FZ1000 2

All Saints, Brockhampton, Herefordshire

All Saints church at Brockhampton near Ross on Wye, was built in 1901-2 by W.R. Lethaby. The architectural historian, Nikolaus Pevsner describes it as "one of the most convincing and impressive churches of its date in any country." The clerk of works was A. Randall Wells, the architect of nearby St Edward the Confessor at Kempley, Gloucestershire. All Saints was built in the Arts and Crafts tradition, and, like Kempley, its style is a modernized Gothic. Unusually for a small parish church it has two towers, with the bells in the wooden tower over the porch rather than over the crossing. The building is thatched and has an interior as unusual and impressive as its exterior. Unfortunately, at the time of my recent visit, it remained closed due to the coronavirus.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Olympus OMD E-M10

St Edward the Confessor, Kempley

The village of Kempley in Gloucestershire is fortunate and unusual in having not one, but two of the most interesting churches in England. St Mary, of Norman origin, with the oldest roof and the best medieval wall paintings, was declared redundant in 1976, and stands away from the present village centre. It is now managed by English Heritage. The currently used church, dedicated to St Edward the Confessor, was completed in 1903 by the architect A. Randall Wells when he was 25 years of age, and is a key building of the Arts and Crafts movement. It was constructed using local labour and materials and is a modern interpretation of medieval styles and forms. The finest features, to my mind, are the bell tower with its saddle-back roof, and the massive, reticulated west window.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Lumix FZ1000 2