The Church of St Mary, or St. Mary the Virgin Church, Kington,

Herefordshire Herefordshire ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the West Midlands (region), West Midlands of England, bordered by Shropshire to the north, Worcestershire to the east, Gloucestershire to the south-east, and the Welsh ...

, England is a

Grade I listed In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Hi ...

parish church. The church was established , but is much-altered. It has a 12th-century tower, originally free-standing, and included in the church when the latter was extended in the 13th century. A double broach spire was added in the 18th century. The tower houses a six-bell

ring (The) Ring(s) may refer to: * Ring (jewellery), a round band, usually made of metal, worn as ornamental jewelry * To make a sound with a bell, and the sound made by a bell Arts, entertainment, and media Film and TV * ''The Ring'' (franchise), a ...

. Five were made by

Rudhall of Gloucester Rudhall of Gloucester was a family business of bell founders in the city of Gloucester, England, who between 1684 and 1835 cast more than 5,000 bells. History There had been a tradition of bell casting in Gloucester since before the 14th century ...

between 1736 and 1739, including the tenor, which weighs and is in the key of F-sharp. The other bell was made by William Evans of Chepstow in 1764. The bells were refurbished in 1978 by the

Whitechapel Bell Foundry The Whitechapel Bell Foundry was a business in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. At the time of the closure of its Whitechapel premises, it was the oldest manufacturing company in Great Britain. The bell foundry primarily made church bells ...

. The church also has an organ made by J. W. Walker & Sons Ltd, installed in the North chancel chamber in 1883 and improved and refurbished by

Henry Willis & Sons Henry Willis & Sons is a British firm of pipe organ builders founded in 1845. Although most of their installations have been in the UK, examples can be found in other countries. Five generations of the Willis family served as principals of th ...

in 1959.

Lych Gate St Marys Church Kington - geograph

The

lychgate A lychgate (from Old English ''līc'', corpse) or resurrection gate is a covered gateway found at the entrance to a traditional English or English-style churchyard. Examples also exist outside the British Isles in places such as Newfoundland, the ...

is constructed from

carved stone Stone carving is an activity where pieces of rough natural Rock (geology), stone are shaped by the controlled removal of stone. Owing to the permanence of the material, stone work has survived which was created during our prehistory or past tim ...

, dates from the 18th century, and has its own Grade II* listing. Its design is unusual, with a domed roof capped with a

finial A finial () or hip-knob is an element marking the top or end of some object, often formed to be a decorative feature. In architecture, it is a small decorative device, employed to emphasize the Apex (geometry), apex of a dome, spire, tower, roo ...

, and open arches set into each wall. Inside the church is an

alabaster Alabaster is a mineral and a soft Rock (geology), rock used for carvings and as a source of plaster powder. Archaeologists, geologists, and the stone industry have different definitions for the word ''alabaster''. In archaeology, the term ''alab ...

monument to Sir Thomas Vaughan (died 1469 at the

Battle of Edgecote Moor The Battle of Edgcote (also known as the Battle of Banbury or the Battle of Danes Moor) took place on 24 July 1469, during the Wars of the Roses. It was fought between a royal army, commanded by the earls of William Herbert, 1st Earl of Pembroke ...

) and his wife Elen Gethin. The church was

in October 1953, giving it legal protection from unauthorised alteration or demolition. It is part of the

Diocese of Hereford The Diocese of Hereford is a Church of England diocese based in Hereford, covering Herefordshire, southern Shropshire and a few parishes within Worcestershire in England, and a few parishes within Powys and Monmouthshire in Wales. The cathedral i ...

and is one of five (three in England, two in Wales) that are jointly administered as the "Kington Parishes"'.

Nearby

Opposite the church is the original 17th-century building of

Lady Hawkins' School Lady Hawkins' School is a 11-16 secondary school in Kington, Herefordshire. The headteacher is Allen Brace. The school is now housed in modern buildings erected in 1962 and 1973, with other buildings erected more recently, almost all of which ...

, now in use as a private residence.

References

External links

Kington Parishes

Herefordshire Through Time
- archaeological resources related to the church {{DEFAULTSORT:Kington, Saint Mary Kington, Herefordshire Grade I listed churches in Herefordshire Church of England church buildings in Herefordshire 13th-century church buildings in England