Wonderful Wall Paintings of Gloucestershire and the Cotswolds

Once upon a time our churches were full of colour and imagery but today often only ghosts of those decorations remain – fragments of glass, mutilated wood and stone, and the ephemeral, fading glimpses of wall paintings. In Gloucestershire and the Cotswolds, however we are very lucky in having exciting schemes of wall paintings from one of the very earliest schemes to survive in Britain at Kempley, terrifying dooms at Mitcheldean and Oddington, to Tudor wall paintings that hint at a flowering of Renaissance art in Gloucester – and so many more!

These medieval schemes tell the stories of the Bible, of the saints, and act as warnings and reminders of correct behaviour. Step into this medieval world with Kirsty Hartsiotis, as she takes you through what these paintings meant to the congregations of the past. But did you think that wall paintings are a thing of the past? There are Protestant texts galore, and the Victorians and Edwardians too decorated their churches with paintings, with exceptional examples at Highnam and Woodchester’s Roman Catholic church. Today, we’re less likely to paint on the walls, but paintings are still being produced for our churches, and Kirsty will bring us right up to date.

 Tickets £7.50 / £6 / £5 Museum in the Park members (Memberships is FREE to join)

Advance booking recommended. Book online here or call 01453 763394

Image: 12th century wall paintings at St. Mary, Kempley, Gloucestershire