Ledbury - Church of St Michael and All Angels

This great church of St Michael and All Angels (Historic Churches Trust), is so full of interest and beauty - both the building itself and its contents - that here there is space only to indicate some of the more noteworthy features.

There was a large pre-Conquest church here, but early in the 12th century a Norman rebuilding took place. The new church was as long as the present one, for remains of it can be seen in the west front, while most of its chancel, with the strange 'port-hole' windows, still survives. In c.1230 the three lower stages of the detached tower were built, and 100 years later a remarkable addition was made to the north side of the church. This has at various times been known as St Katharine's Chapel (but there is no sign that an altar ever stood here) and the Baptistery (but the font has recently been moved elsewhere). It is now called the Chapter House, on the presumption that it was built for that purpose as part of an abortive scheme by the Benedictine monks of Hereford to make the church collegiate. This building is notable for its five magnificent 'Decorated' windows, studded inside and out with the peculiar 'ball-flower' ornament which is an infallible