Church of St Mary

The Church of St Mary stands in Kington, Herefordshire, beside the old market town’s main square. Built around 1300, it has a 12th-century tower that once stood alone and was later joined to the church in the 13th century. An 18th-century double broach spire crowns the tower, which holds six bells cast by Rudhall of Gloucester and William Evans of Chepstow. The heaviest bell weighs 569 kg and is tuned to F-sharp. The organ, installed in 1883 by J. W. Walker & Sons Ltd, was improved in 1959 by Henry Willis & Sons. The lychgate at the entrance is carved from stone and dates from the 18th century. It has a domed roof topped with a finial and open arches on each side. Inside the church is an alabaster monument to Sir Thomas Vaughan, who died in 1469 at the Battle of Edgecote Moor, and his wife Elen Gethin. The church itself is Grade I listed, giving it strong legal protection since 1953. It belongs to the Diocese of Hereford and is one of five churches jointly run as the Kington Parishes. Across the square stands the original 17th-century building of Lady Hawkins’ School, now a private home. The church’s square-tower silhouette and the stone lychgate frame views of the town’s quiet streets. Inside, the alabaster memorial and the organ’s polished pipes catch the light from the nave windows. The bells still ring on special days, their deep tones carrying over the rooftops.