Woolhope is in the E of the county; seven miles SE of Hereford. The village is in hilly
country, in the valley between the Woolhope Dome to the NW and the ridge of Marcle Hill
to the E. It consists of a cluster of dwellings around a crossroads, and the church
stands on a knoll to the N, overlooking the village. St George’s has a
continuous nave and chancel without a chancel arch, and aisles to both nave and chancel. The
N aisle is as long as the chancel, while the S is shorter, but
both have four-bay
arcades. At present the screen and
chancel step are positioned so that both nave and chancel have two arcaded bays, but this
arrangement dates only from 1882, when the screen was moved
westwards to accommodate the choir. Beyond the arcades, at the E
end, there is a 12thc. N lancet that now communicates only with the end of the N aisle,
which has been screened off as a vestry. The S arcade is 19thc. throughout, but the W part of the N arcade is 12thc., with a round-headed W bay carried on
a pier and respond of Romanesque
design, thoroughly restored. The rather plain W tower is 13thc. in its details. The
church apparently dates from 1157, when the bishop gave permission for the building of a
church here. The Church Guide suggests that the original building was a rectangular box,
and that the Romanesque arch in the N arcade belonged to a
chantry, also mentioned in early documents. The N aisle and tower were added in the
13thc., and the N aisle extended eastwards in the 14thc. There was a major restoration
in 1882, funded by the Booker family with work carried out by Stone Brothers of
Fownhope. At this time the S aisle was added and the S doorway of c.1300 moved
into the new aisle wall, the chancel was extended into the nave,
the chancel floor was raised and the church was refurnished.
Romanesque sculpture is found in the N nave arcade and a pillar
piscina.
