The church is open from 10am until dusk. Please respect the nearby residents and do not attempt the cache when it is dark.
St Mary's Church is in a secluded location on a peninsula in a meander of the River Wye and commands perhaps one of the finest vistas in the shire.
It is primarily a 13th century building, though there are traces of a much earlier building incorporated into the north doorway and the font.
One unusual feature is that the church is not oriented on a traditional east-west axis, but more south-west to north-east. The chancel arch and north doorway are 13th century, but much of the nave was extended in the 14th century, when a west tower and south porch were added.
A historical mystery
The story is told that the stone for the 14th century expansion of St Mary's came from Eaton Tregoes Castle, of which no trace remains. The only trouble with that theory is that no one really knows where the castle was located, what it looked like, or when it was pulled down.
The mystery continues with a carved head on the exterior arch of the north west window. The head appears to be that of a bishop, possibly St Thomas Cantilupe. Opposite is woman's head, possibly that of Juliana, St Thomas's sister, who marriied Sir Robert de Tregoz II of Tregoes Castle. Sir Robert was killed at the Battle of Evesham in 1265, fighting on the side of Simon de Montfort and his rebellious barons.
The font is quite unusual; it is decagonal (10 sided), which makes it unique in Hereforshire. It also has the largest diameter bowl in the county. Behind the pulpit is the niche tomb of Sir Hugh Walterton, chamberlain to the Duke of Lancaster, (later to become Henry IV). There is an altar tomb by the pulpit with a 13th century effigy of a lady, and a similar effigy in low relief in the chancel. There are wall tablets to members of the Abrahall family throughout the church, including a very fine memorial to George Abrahall (d. 1673).
Other interesting features include the 17th century carved choir stalls, and a finely carved rood screen made up of fragments from the 16th and 17th centuries. The pulpit and communion rails are also 17th century.
In order to find the cache, go to the waypoint which is in front of the porch and answer the following questions:
To the right of the porch, how many headstones are there in a line? = A
To the left of the porch, how many faces are there by the window? = B
Looking up at the tower, how many windows are there on this side? = C
There is a tall stone object on the grass in front of the porch. How many letters are there in the name of this object? = D
Checksum: A+B+C+D = 20
The final location can be found at:
N51 57.(C-A)(D-A)(D-B) W002 35.(D-C)(A+1)C
***Congratulations Coachman's Pair FTF ***
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For full information on how you can expand the Church Micro series by sadexploration please read the Place your own Church Micro page before you contact him at churchmicro.co.uk
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