Photos of the Romanesque St Peters Rowlstone Sculptures

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Photos of the Medieval Norman Romanesque St Peters Rowlstone Sculptures. Noman Romanesque Church Sculptures. Photos by photographer Paul E Williams.  (TIP – use the icons below the slideshow for thumbnail photos and info)

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Photos of the Norman Romanesque St Peters Rowlstone Church Sculptures

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Photos of the Medieval Norman Romanesque Sculptures of St Peters Church Rowlstone (Rowlstone), Herefordshire, England.

Norman church of St Peters at Rowlstone

The two bay Romanesque Norman church of St Peters at Rowlstone has survived almost in tact. At the time of the Doomsday book it was recorded as belonging to Hug de Lacy.

Romanesque Hereford School of Stone masons

The relief sculptures over the south door and on the capital supporting the chancel arch are attributed to the Romanesque Hereford School of Stone masons. After much analysis of the ecclesiastical sculptures in Hereford Cathedral and surrounding churches, some unifying characteristics have led to the conclusion that a group of stonemason, possibly trained at the Cathedral together and, undertook many projects in the region.

Sculpture of Christ Pantocrator

Above the south door of St Peters Church is a Romanesque tympanum relief sculpture of Christ Pantocrator or Christ in Majesty. This design is typical of the prevailing iconography used in the eastern Roman Byzantine Empire.

Christ is depicted in an oval mandorla which was used in the Byzantine Eastern Orthodox Church to represent a moment which transcends time and space, such as the Resurrection. The mandorla is being supported by flying angels. The ribbed clothing of Christ is typical of the Hereford School and the oriental style is typical of Byzantine art of the period. Rather strangely the angels only have four fingers.

The tympanum has a heavily rolled moulding above it which is typical of the eleventh century. Outside this is a square sectioned chip carved eight pointed star stone moulding. This design is also found on the east arch of the presbytery of Hereford Cathedral.

Interior Sculptures

Inside is a Romanesque round headed chancel arch supported by carved capitals. The chancel arch also has rolled moulding with a star chipped outer moulding.

The decorated capitals depict a bird in foliage and 2 angels on of which is carrying a book. On the right hand capital the angels are depicted upside down and it is though this alludes to the crucifixion of St. Peter, who the church is dedicated to. St Peter was crucified upside down.

Anglo-Saxon and Celtic Influences

The style of the carving borrows heavily from Anglo-Saxon and Celtic designs as can be seen in the intricate patterns of the foliage around the bird. The amount of Romanesque sculpture that survives in Herefordshire is remarkable and even though the tympanum at St Peters was damaged, possibly during the reformation or by Puritans, many sculptures have survived especially at nearby Kilpeck Church.