WyeNot.com - Wild daffodils in Dymock Woods and at St. Mary,s Norman Church, Kempley.

Ross on Wye and the Wye Valley Home Page, Wyenot.com.

The place for information on Ross-on-Wye and the Wye Valley

Follow us on

WILD DAFFODILS IN DYMOCK WOODS AND KEMPLEY

In the woods at Dymock and in Kempley, the wild daffodils reach their best in mid to late March. In the village of Kempley, an annual 'Daffodil Weekend' takes place in March, during which the visitor can go on guided daffodil walks and enjoy refreshments in the village hall.

St. Mary's Norman Church, Kempley, in its peaceful country location is a beautiful place to visit. The church contains 12th century water colour wall paintings of national importance, an early 16th century wooden parish chest and wooden roof beams, which are the oldest recorded in North West Europe.

I hope that you enjoy the short film below, 'Springtime in the Woods'. It shows some of the beautiful area surrounding Ross-on-Wye at its best. This, as well as more films about the local area can be watched full screen from the Wye Valley and Forest of Dean in HD Video page.

Scroll down the page for photographs of the daffodils and information about the Norman church of St. Mary's in Kempley.

ST. MARY'S, KEMPLEY - NORMAN CHURCH

The barrel-vaulted chancel of St. Mary's, Kempley is painted throughout, including the ceiling. These beautiful ancient paintings depict biblical scenes.

The plaster in the chancel was probably put on the walls soon after the church was built in the early 12th century and the pigments added before it was fully dry, although, some detail was certainly added later. These may have included details in blue azurite pigment, which were discovered in 1989 and are visible in the haloes of the 'Evangelists' symbolic figures.

The 16th century Parish Chest, located in the tower, was made by hollowing out a large piece of solid oak. The tree used would have been about 250 years old.

Above the 17th century ceiling and unfortunately out of sight, is the oldest dated open roof, without tie beams in North Western Europe. This is made from trees felled after 1125, dating the church and the paintings to the late 1120s.

St. Mary's, Kempley is open to the public and is very well worth a visit!

St. Mary's, Kempley.
The Chancel.	The Nave.
The early 16th century Parish Chest.
The Wheel of Life.

The Martyrdom of St. Thomas a Becket.	A wooden ceiling hides the 12th century roof.
St. Mary's Church, Kempley