Shobdon - Church of St John the Evangelist

The original Norman church of Shobdon must have rivalled Kilpeck (q.v.) in the richness and distinction of its carved decoration. However, about 1750 this church was demolished by Richard Bateman of Shobdon Court, and replaced with the extraordinary `Rococo  Gothick' building which we see today. The interior is a fantasy composed of the 18th century's free interpretation of, and variations on, Gothic forms. Everything ‑ walls, ceiling, pews and other furniture ‑ is painted white, picked out in pale blue. The three‑decker pulpit is of extreme elegance, and retains its red cloth hangings. In the Squire's Pew, among other comforts, is a large fireplace. There are many fine wall‑monuments dating from 1697 onwards. In the midst of all this ecclesiastical frivolity the original Norman font sits most incongruously; it is a massive bowl of rough stone, with four splendid lions marching round the stem. Richard Bateman saved the chancel arch and two door‑ways with their tympana from the Norman church, and incorporated them in a stone screen which he erected as an `eye‑catcher' or folly on a nearby hill to the north of