Ewyas Harold St Michaels Church, in Herefordshire's Golden Valley.


Ewyas Harold has an attractive church that dominates the village and is the main church of the benefice. Its massive 13th century tower was formerly detached, evocative of the need for a secure refuge in troubled times along the English-Welsh border. The earlier dedication was to Saint James and Saint Bartholomew and it was served by monks from Dulas. Although initially based at Dulas, the Gloucester Cathedral appointed vicar also served the church at Ewyas Harold resulting in a change of dedication. The builders were the Tregoz family who held the nearby castle, with its chapel of Saint Nicholas. The early 14th century effigy in the chancel is reputed to be of Clarissa de la Warr, daughter of John Tregoz and grand-daughter of the sister of Saint Thomas Cantilupe of Hereford. 16th century carvings from Flanders and 17th century panels were preserved in the restoration. There are six bells, rung regularly. The stained-glass is among the features added in modern times. The cross base and shaft in the graveyard are medieval. The village of Ewyas Harold is in the Golden Valley in Herefordshire, England, near the Welsh border with present-day Monmouthshire and about halfway between the towns of Abergavenny and Hereford lying on the Dulas brook, and is contiguous with the neighbouring village of Pontrilas. The village is named after Harold, son of Ralph the Timid earl of Hereford, and grandson of King Æthelred the Unready. It lies on the site of Ewyas Harold Castle, of which only the motte remains. It is the nearest village to the Pontrilas Army Training Area.


Size: 7360px × 4912px
Location: Ewyas Harold, Herefordshire, UK
Photo credit: © Philip Chapman / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No

Keywords: 13th, abbey, bartholomew, bells, brook, cantilupe, carvings, century, church, dulas, ewyas, flanders, gloucester, golden, harold, herefordshire, james, michael, pontrilas, saint, stained-glass, thomas, tower, tregoz, valley, vicar, village