Historic churches · South West England
Church of St Mary
In or near Linton.
Church of St Mary — church in Kempley, Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, England, UK.
Wikimedia Commons contributors — see linked file page for photographer and licence licence
Plan your visit
- Typical visit
- 30 min–1 h
- Nearest railway station
- Ledbury · 8.3 km
- Free entry
- Family-friendly
- Limited wheelchair access
Getting there & planning your visit
To visit the Church of St Mary, the nearest railway station is Ledbury, located 8.3 km away. Entry is free, but wheelchair accessibility is limited. The postcode for sat-nav is GL18 2AT.
About
Church of St Mary is a historic church in the United Kingdom. Records date its origin to 1150. Heritage designation: Grade I listed building. Owned by English Heritage. Managed by English Heritage. Wikidata describes it as: "church in Kempley, Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, England, UK". Coordinates: 51.9788°, -2.4821°.
Photo gallery
Heritage listing
St Mary's Church in Kempley is a former parish church in the Forest of Dean district of Gloucestershire, England, close to the border with Herefordshire. It is a Grade I listed building. St Mary's Church is now owned by English Heritage and maintained by The Friends of Kempley Churches.
From the Historic England List Entry under OGL v3.
Summary from the official site
St Mary's Church in Kempley is a historic Norman church known for having the oldest timber roof in England. It features some of the best-preserved medieval wall paintings in Britain, including a complete set of Romanesque frescos from the early 12th century.
Read more on the official property page.
From the Wikipedia article
St Mary's Church in Kempley is a former parish church in the Forest of Dean district of Gloucestershire, England, close to the border with Herefordshire. It is a Grade I listed building. St Mary's Church is now owned by English Heritage and maintained by The Friends of Kempley Churches.
Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.
Background
History
The simple Norman church is now remote from the village it served. It has some of the best preserved medieval wall paintings in Britain. Those in the barrel-vaulted chancel, which is painted throughout, including the ceiling, are particularly rare, dating from the early 12th century. St Mary's has in its chancel "the most complete set of Romanesque frescoes in northern Europe", including the Christ in Majesty painting created in about 1120. On the walls of the nave are further images, including a wheel of life, showing the life cycle of man. The nave paintings are worked in tempera painted on dry lime mortar, unlike those in the chancel which are true frescoes. The paintings, having been…
Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Coordinates
- 51.9788, -2.4821
- County
- Gloucestershire
- District
- Forest of Dean
- Parish
- Kempley
- Postcode
- GL18 2AT
- Parliamentary constituency
- Forest of Dean
- Phone
- 01531 660214
- Established
- 1150
- Nearest railway station
- Ledbury — 8.3 km
- Opening
- Daily 10am–6pm; closed November to February 10am–4pm
- Official site
- www.english-heritage.org.uk
Sources
- wikidata: Q17525841 (CC0)
- wikipedia: St Mary's Church, Kempley (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- commons: Kempley Church - geograph.org.uk - 1373625.jpg (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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Frequently asked questions
- Where is Church of St Mary?
- Church of St Mary is in Gloucestershire, the West Midlands, United Kingdom (postcode GL18 2AT), in the parish of Kempley.
- What is Church of St Mary?
- Church of St Mary — church in Kempley, Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, England, UK.
- How do I get to Church of St Mary?
- The nearest railway station is Ledbury, about 8.3 km away. Drivers can use postcode GL18 2AT.
- When was Church of St Mary built?
- Built or established in 1150.
- Who runs Church of St Mary?
- Church of St Mary is operated by English Heritage.
- Is Church of St Mary a listed building?
- Church of St Mary is officially recognised as Grade I listed building listed.
- Is Church of St Mary free to visit?
- Yes, Church of St Mary is free to enter.
- How do I get to Church of St Mary?
- Drivers can navigate to postcode GL18 2AT. It sits within the Forest of Dean parliamentary constituency.