St Peter's Church, Rowlestone (The Tympanum)

The carving on the Tympanum above the doorway into St Peter's church shows Christ in Majesty. It dates from about 1170, and experts have assigned it to the local school of ‘Kilpeck Romanesque’. Whilst the details are difficult to see on this photograph, and even in situ, the information board in the porch tells us that his right hand is raised in blessing, in his left hand he holds a book, and he is surrounded by four angels, and “whilst the subject is not unusual, the way it is depicted here is probably unique”.

Again they are difficult to see, but the capital of the shaft on the left has a Green Man carving, and the one on the right the ‘bird-entwined-in-foiliage’ motif which is also found inside the church, on the right corbel of the chancel arch.

(Information provided by Rosemary Lockie)