This is Kempley church in Gloucestershire, on the border with Herefordshire. This church is really the middle of nowhere, but is worth the slightly unsettling journey to the back of beyond, because the chancel contains a full set of Norman wall paintings, from the 1130s. They make me think of Byzantine basilicas and the like, and are a rather astounding find in a rural backwater. Also, the roof of this church is England's oldest, being from the same period, but unfortunately the roof cannot be seen lest it be damaged further. A picture is worth a thousand words, so here are some of the murals, for you to form your own opinions on:
	Here is the chancel of the church, and in the middle you can see Christ seated in majesty. Go to see Kempley Church at all costs - it is a precious English heritage that is not to be missed and, in this age of sneering unbelief, it is one of the only ways for a generation of faith and artistry to still speak to us and transmit something of their simple and trusting world. I know that that age had plenty of evil, but so does ours, and it does not have the spiritual fortitude of our ancestors. A wild digression maybe, but church art does prompt deep musing, and that is one of its rare gifts in this inconsequential age.
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