Church of St Swithin, Ganarew facts for kids
The Church of St Swithin is a special church in Ganarew, a small place in south Herefordshire, England. It's a parish church, which means it serves a local community. The church is named after St Swithin. It is part of the Church of England and is considered a Grade II listed building, meaning it's an important historical building.
Church History
The church has a long history. In 1624, a person named Giles Rawlines was the rector, which is like the main priest of the church. The church you see today was mostly rebuilt around 1850. A famous church builder from the Victorian period named John Prichard did this work. The church needed a lot of repair because its foundations (the parts that hold it up) were failing.
Building Style and Features
The Church of St Swithin is built in a style called English Gothic architecture. Experts describe it as "Decorated" Gothic. This means it has fancy designs and patterns, especially around the windows. The church is made from sandstone and has a tiled roof.
Inside the church, there's a special carving called a reredos. This beautiful white marble sculpture shows the figure of Christ with two angels. It also serves as the village's war memorial, remembering those who served.
Church Grounds
Around the church, there's a graveyard. You can find a tall, pointed memorial there for the Bannerman family. They used to live nearby at a place called Wyastone Leys. There's also a very old stone cross in the churchyard. It's so old that it's protected as an ancient monument.
The graveyard also has a war grave for a soldier from the Royal Engineers who fought in World War I.
