Church
of St. Edward the Confessor, Kempley, 1904 -
architecturally interesting as designed and constructed by
local craftspeople.
The
church of St. Edwards was planned by the Lord of the Manor and
major landowner, the 7th earl of Beauchamp, because the old parish
church of St. Mary's was too far away from the main centres of
population at Kempley Green and Fishpool, and also the site of St.
Mary's was liable to flooding. In 1902 the foundations were laid.
In 1903 Randall Wells. clerk of works at Brockhampton was called
in and the church was built by direct labour under his
supervision. R. James a local builder was the foreman. The walls
of the church and the lychgate are in Forest of Dean red
sandstone. Originally the church and the lychgate were both roofed
in local stone tiles but the church has had to be reroofed with
pantiles.
The
church has three sculpted stone reliefs designed by Randall Wells,
above the entrance, Christ by Wells and a local carpenter. Within
the porch, Virgin and Child, and on the East wall, the
Crucifixion, both by Walter James, a local carpenter.
The
church should be open from approximately 9am to 4pm every day -
although there may be occasions when this is not so, if churchwardens
have a timing problem, or if the weather is particularly bad during the
winter.
St Edwards services are as follows: First Sunday of the month, Community Service (non Eucharistic) at 10am. Second Sunday - Holy communion at 9.30am Third Sunday - no service Fourth Sunday - Holy communion at 9.30am.
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