St Mary’s Church, Kempley

A glimpse of ancient worship is vividly revealed by this wonderfully preserved painted church interior, now visited by pilgrims walking the Three Choirs Way

‍Highlights

• Extensive early frescoes

The wall paintings of this rural church are among the oldest and most extensive in England. A sublime Christ on the chancel ceiling still raises his hand to visitors in blessing, more than 900 years after he was painted.

The oldest paintings show their age, the colours and detail now faded. But their extent is remarkable, allowing modern visitors to immerse themselves in the experience of a 12th-century Christian.

There are brighter paintings from the 14th century in the nave, but Kempley’s true appeal lies in the chancel. The paintings here are frescoes – paint applied to wet plaster. They date from the 1120s and are based on scenes described in the Book of Revelations. The central figure of Christ sits on a rainbow surrounded by the four symbols of the Evangelists: lion, ox, man, and eagle, all with angels’ wings.

The style of the chancel paintings is Romanesque, influenced by both southern and eastern iconography. Christ holds up his name written in Greek shorthand: IHC XPS, Jesus Christ.

The chancel invokes not just a different age but a different kingdom, images of a world finally and fully under Christ’s rule. An orb at his feet symbolises his longed-for majesty over the earthly realm. Along the side walls can be seen the Apostles looking up to the Saviour – on the east wall, a bishop with all the trappings of a liturgy. Gaze long enough at this heavenly vision, and you might start imagining incense.

Back in the nave, by contrast, the later medieval paintings are a sombre reminder of the realities of everyday life. St Michael stands with his scales of justice, weighing up the sins of a soul. He can be seen in the splay of the small window in the north wall, the Blessed Virgin alongside pleading for the sinner. A Wheel of Life on the wall nearby is now hard to discern but would have reminded worshippers of the fickle nature of fame and fortune in this world. St Thomas Becket’s murder features on the south wall by the door.

The building has the oldest roof timbers in England, dating from the early 12th century when the frescoes were painted. It is redundant, looked after by English Heritage, but local churches hold occasional summer services here. It is more than a mile from the village it once served, set amid fields and absolutely unspoilt.

Directions‍

St Mary’s Church, Kempley, Dymock GL18 2AT

www.english-heritage.org.uk (search for Kempley)

W3W: copycat.souk.argue

GPS: 51.9788N 2.4821W‍

The church is down a narrow lane heading north from Kempley village, signposted with a brown heritage sign. It is open daily from March to October, and at weekends in November and February; see website for the latest details.