St Andrew, Bredwardine

St Andrew’s Bredwardine is a fascinating Norman church, in a beautiful and peaceful setting above the banks of the River Wye.

The South doorway and much of the nave date from the time of the Conquest, and the chancel was rebuilt after being partially destroyed by Owain Glyndwr’s soldiers in 1406. Inside there are Saxon carvings, a massive font, plus the tombs of a gigantic knight, Walter Baskerville and a smaller effigy of Sir Roger Vaughan, who died defending Henry V at the Battle of Agincourt in 1415.

In the churchyard are the tombs of two notable residents who lived in Bredwardine, albeit for a short time, namely George Jarvis and the Reverend Francis Kilvert. The former’s will set up the Jarvis Charity in the late 1700’s, while Francis Kilvert is known much more widely for his fascinating diary.

Kilvert ministered in St Andrew’s from November 1877 until his untimely death in September 1879. His diary sheds light, humour and pathos on the hard life of the poor in Victorian Times