The Golden Valley - churches and castles - Kilpeck church and castle
On our little tour of the Golden Valley we popped in to see Kilpeck Church. When my parents were first settling in this area, during the Second World War, they stayed at the rectory while they were looking for somewhere to live. The church, St Mary and St David, is renowned for the many little Norman stone carvings arranged under the roof. There are 85 of them still surviving. It is thought to have been built around 1140 although substantially repaired during the Victorian period. The south doorway, also Norman, is heavily carved. It was originally confined in a wooden porch but the sandstone is remarkably resilient and thought to be able to stand the elements. Kilpeck Castle sits on a castle mound above the church, although there is precious little of it left. It is thought to have been built around 1090. It was quite a haul up the mound as the path was very muddy and slippery. Once there though we could admire the fabulous view from the top.