The Geocache
A small camouflaged bison.
The Church
St John the Baptist, Fawley Chapel, is in the parish of Brockhampton, in the Wye valley, 3 miles north of Ross-on-Wye. A hidden gem, it is situated at the end of a lane, alongside a farm on the north bank of the River Wye, and is a two-celled building with a barrel-vaulted chancel. Construction is of sandstone rubble with a rough ashlar facing to the south wall of the nave. The earliest parts are 12th Century. It was widened to the south and lengthened westwards, probably in the 14th Century and further work dates from the 16th and 17th Centuries, when a western bell chamber and double bell-opening was added. The chancel was rebuilt in 1827. Romanesque features include the triple-arched chancel arch, the blocked north doorway and the font. A leaflet available in the church gives more details of this history.
Access
Drive down the narrow lane to the working farm. The Chapel is signed on the left hand side where the lane splits and the main farmyard is to the front and right. I would not recommend taking your vehicle up the last part of the track where residents park, but please be considerate of the farm vehicles and residents. The Chapel is often open during the day and several services are held here each month.
The Settlement
Fawley is not mentioned by name in the Domesday Survey, but the chapel was at some stage a chapel of ease. Fawley Court was the familial seat of the Kyrle family. Their most famous son was John Kyrle, a 17th and 18th Century philanthropist, known locally as "the Man of Ross" who is still remembered within the town. The current parish has a population of 57.
If you would like to add to the Church Micro series yourself then please look here
http://churchmicro.co.uk/
There is also a Church Micro Stats & Information page that can be found at
http://www.15ddv.me.uk/geo/cm/index.html