Kinlet Church
Kinlet was another early Mortimer church held by their subtenants, first the Barres, then the Bramptons of Brampton Bryan and finally the Blounts. The church was granted to Wigmore abbey by John Brampton (bef.1165-1221) sometime after he had laid the third foundation stone of the building in 1172 and probably after the death of his father in 1193.
Kinlet is a truly photogenic church. The nave would appear to be the earlist part of the structure to which a chancel and aises were added probably in the twelfth century. Built into the current chancel walls are blocked up and reused pieces of narrow apparently twelfth century windows. The aisle arcades are perfect in their simplicity.
The tower was probably added in the thirteenth century and the two pillars under its arch sport several carved heads which may represent members of the Mortimer or Brampton families.
It would seem likely that the chancel was remodelled in the fourteenth century and transepts were added. Some painted glass in the east window may be of this date. There are some fine Blount tombs of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries.
The curious half hidden effigy under the one in the north transept looks more like the effigy of an earlier female rather than a cadaver
Copyright©2013 Paul Martin Remfry