About Us
St Mary's Walterstone is part of the Ewyas Harold Group of Parishes.
The earliest parts of the fabric of this church to survive are the chancel windows of c.1500 and the late medieval base and shaft of the churchyard cross. However, it is likely that the later walls, dating from restorations in the 16th to the 19th centuries, stand on the original foundations. The font is c.13th century. An early 17th century stained-glass window depicts the quartered arms of the family of Cecil, brought here from the family home at nearby Allt-yr-Ynys, where the cousin of Sir William Cecil, Lord Burghley (the chief minister of Queen Elizabeth I) lived. This cousin’s funeral at Walterstone Church in 1598 was an extremely grand ceremony, with the church and churchyard overflowing with mourners. The monuments include a 1775 Price tablet of slate signed by Aaron Brute, a notable sculptural mason of the 18th century. The Price family included vicars of Walterstone and early pioneers of the Church Missionary Society. The parish has an Iron Age hillfort and reported Roman remains. Walterstone motte-and-bailey castle is adjacent to the church and the views towards the Skirrid are superb.
SERVICES
The normal service pattern depends on availability of service leaders. Currently we are holding services approximately every 6 - 8 weeks or so.
Now that the restrictions have eased, we are resuming our Community Lunches at Walterstone Village Hall. The next one will be on May 15th at 12.30.
Please check the services and events tab on this website for updates. You will be most welcome to join us for services at the church or at the Hall for lunch as dates are confirmed. Note that we do not hold services in the church in January or February.
VISITING
The church and churchyard are both open to visitors and we invite you to drop in if you are passing.
We are delighted that St Mary's Walterstone is to be a stopping point on the new Golden Valley Pilgrim trail to be launched soon. We look forward to welcoming pilgrims and other first time visitors to Walterstone.
The church is also a stopping point on the new Twin Valleys Ley Line Trail see this link
To welcome our visitors, we have a new leaflet about the Church - please pick up a copy when you visit. We hope you enjoy visiting St Mary's and its churchyard in the foothills of the Black Mountains!