AT the south-east
extremity of the Malvern chain lie the two interesting parishes above-named. (Berrow
and Birtsmorton.) They were formerly in
the ancient forest, which extended many miles round and up to the hills, and
were among the earliest clearances or disafforestings. The beautiful seclusion
of the district has at length been broken into by the spade of the
"navvy," as the railway projected from Monmouth through the Forest of
Dean to Worcester will pass through Berrow, and a station is to be erected near
the Rye Cross, on the borders of the two parishes. (Noake’s Guide to
Worcestershire 1868.)
Noake need not have worried so for the “navvies” never
arrived and the line was never built, but it does serve as a perfect illustration
of the timeless attitude that is summed up by the modern acronym, Not In My Back Yard!
Berrow (population a little over two hundred in 2011) is,
despite the curmudgeonly grumblings of John Noake, a very pleasant hamlet scattered across
lush agricultural lands centered on a splendid medieval church dedicated to
the 3rd century St Faith of Conques,
and a nearby half-timbered vicarage that dates from the 17th
century. It was opposite this rambling
building that I parked to visit the church on a bright and warm day. As I walked towards the lychgate I noticed a
man sitting outside a rear door of the vicarage reading a newspaper and sipping
from a mug. With dark trousers and black
shirt open at the neck I assumed that he was a man of the cloth who had removed
his collar and was taking a few moments to relax in the sun. Yet my loud “Good Afternoon!” went
unnoticed. He simply turned the page and
read on.
Ominously the clouds started to gather as I walked up the
church path, but it was only a fleeting shadow.
My first impressing was that, given the small number of people who lived
in this parish, this is a large building.
The 15th century tower is of irregular shape with a parapet
with gaps, or crenels. (The marauding
Welsh again?) And the doorway and north wall is old, very old. Probably 12th century with
impressive and (later) scalloped capitals.
Sheltering the door the blackened
timber is late 14th century.
St Faith’s is light and spacious. (I checked later and Mee used that word also!
[1]) There is a fine Norman font, and a “Leper’s Window” in the north
wall. The nave pews belong to a
Victorian restoration but there are examples of older furniture and decoration
– notable a few side benches, the Jacobean altar (yes, I lifted up the frontal
to get a peek!) and rather impressive pulpit
panels.
I was particularly taken by the colours of the 1836 east
window lights. Dedicated to the
Thackwell family of nearby Birtsmorton Court (sadly now one of those ghastly
wedding venues) the left light depicts Jesus as a boy being taught to write;
the center shows us the Christ-child in the arms of his mother – yet already
holding the cross-bearing orb; and the right light has the risen Christ
appearing to Mary Magdalene. All rather
subdued and tasteful.
I will not suggest three gems in this church. It was a delightful visit but one in which I had
to hurry because the afternoon was running away. Instead I invite the patient reader to
consider this other, gruesome subject.
There is a memorial stone on the outside wall of the church marking the
grave of the Gummery family. And further
digging (metaphorical not actual) revealed the entry in the Berrow parish registry:
Gummery
Edward - husband
Elizabeth - wife
Anne - daughter
This is the record of the celebrated murder at the Murder House; May 11, 1780
Edward - husband
Elizabeth - wife
Anne - daughter
This is the record of the celebrated murder at the Murder House; May 11, 1780
And now you may read on by clicking this link:
[1] The King’s England – Worcestershire. Arthur Mee.
New Edition Revised 1968. P 24.
OS Grid Reference:
SO794342
