900 Year old Norman Church in Herefordshire
MOCCAS CHURCH
WELCOMES YOU
Moccas is a tiny scattered rural village just South of the River Wye on the English side near the Welsh border (9km away). It is mentioned in the Domesday Book and is also home to the celebrated Moccas Deer Park National Nature Reserve (whose huge ancient oak trees are thought to have inspired the Ents - walking trees - in Lord of the Rings).
The present church (St Michael and All Angels Church) at Moccas was a Norman Church built in 1130 on the site of the previous Moccas Abbey (destroyed by Saxons around 600 CE), and has been barely altered since.
NEWSLETTER AUTUMN 2018
Read or print out our First Newsletter here!
Organ Restoration Appeal
We are currently restoring the beautiful organ and case, please click on 'Appeal' to contribute. See below for more info.
The Church is a Grade 1 listed building, and included in Simon Jenkins' '1000 Best Churches'. It is a very special Norman '3-celled apsidal church'.
ORGAN RESTORATION APPEAL
Secure our remarkable & historic church organ
We are pleased to have raised almost £32,000 of our £90,000 appeal to secure the long term future of the fragile but beautiful organ and its case.
The Organ is of a very high quality design, constructed by R W Walker in 1871 on the instructions of the Rector of that time, Rev Sir George Cornewall of Moccas Court. The casing was designed by George Gilbert Scott Junior.
You can read the history below, and view more photos in the gallery.
DONATE
Paypal & Debit card:
Link coming shortly
JustGiving & Debit card
Please click here to donate
Bank Transfer
Please send payments to:
Moccas Restoration Fund
Account: 77241760
Sortcode: 30 80 55
Using your name as the reference
HISTORY
Moor of the Pigs
According to legend, an angel told St Dubricius (Dyfrig) to establish a monastery where he would find a white sow with her piglets. He named it Mochros - 'moor of the swine'. Moccas Abbey was laid to waste by the Saxons & a plague by 600AD and only a Church (built in 1130) is noted in later charters.
Ownership
In 1086 Moccas was owned by St Guthlac's Priory and Nigel the Physician. Since the 12thC the village has been owned by four families: de Fresnes, Vaughans, Cornewalls, and Chester-Masters.
In 1294 Hugh de Fresnes was licensed to fortify his manor house near Moccas Park, but that castle now has no visible remains.
Interior
The effigy in the centre of the chancel is probably of Richard de Fresne who died in 1375. His crossed legs show he had been on a crusade & the dog at his feet that he died at home. The 13th/14thC windows both have original glass & display the de Fresne Arms; a helm and two green birds.
The Apse has 3 original windows but the memorial glass is Victorian. The Altar was designed by George Gilbert Scott Jr & the altar rail came from the redundant church at Willersley, Herefordshire in 1975. The 12th/13th Century font bowl with its 17th Century cover has a 'modern' stem.
Architecture
The present church, built of local calcareous tufa about 1130, is an almost perfect example of a Norman church.
High in the Nave walls are two round-headed Norman windows. Two others are 14thC, the north one with original glass and tracery similar to the chancel north window.
The Church was re-roofed in 1978. On an oak frame in the roof space at the west end are two bells, both are too large for the open turret on the western gable.
Organ
In 1872 the organ was built-in to the west end by Messers R.Walker, replacing an earlier organ now at Dinmore Manor Chapel. The case was designed by George Gilbert Scott Jr & painted by Thomas Kempe. A swell organ was added in 1875 and the entire instrument was restored in 1980.
EVENTS
Church Services
Click here to see the Church Service Calender:
https://www.achurchnearyou.com/church/10651/service-and-events/events-regular/
Nosferatu
Friday 17th May
Past Events
Flower Festival in a Tea Cup
Sat 29 & Sun 30 Sep
10 am to 4pm
Celebration Service Sunday 3pm
Refreshments in Village Hall
Download poster here to print
SOLD OUT! FROM OUR DARKEST TO OUR FINEST HOUR SOLD OUT!
FRI 18 MAY 2018 18:30 - 20:30
At Bishops Palace, Hereford
Child-friendly
Three talks on living through the blitz, code breaking at Bletchley and surviving U-boats on the Arctic Run
Come and join us on Friday 18th May for an evening with published authors, TV personalities and historians as they recount their unique war time experiences and research on one of the most turbulent times in British History.
All proceeds raised will go towards the organ fundraising for Moccas Church.
Add to your Facebook diary here:
To book tickets SOLD OUT!
Please call Anthea Chester-Master on 01981 500 658 or email
INFORMATION
The Church of St Michael and All Angels at Moccas is part of the Church of England, in the Diocese of Hereford.
It is overseen by Rev Luci Morriss, Priest in Charge.
LINKS
Other sites about Moccas Church:
Church of England
Moccas Village website
Corpus of Romanesque Sculpture (history)
Britain Express (history of Moccas Church)
Great English Churches (Simon Jenkins)
Local partners:
Moccas Village
Moccas Deer Park
CONTACT
Our postal address for all correspondence is:
Revd Luci Morriss, The Rectory, Cusop, Herefordshire HR3 5RF
or Pam Brown, PCC Secretary on
01497 821 877
Moccas Church, Moccas, Hereford, HR2 9LH
Parking available
ACCESSIBILITY
Please call to check suitability.
Wheelchair accessibility is limited by a 'kissing gate' and grass slope.
OPENING HOURS
Daily, daylight hours