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Bromfield is located about 4km (2½ miles) north west of Ludlow on the A49 Shrewsbury-Hereford road.
Once upon a time Bromfield must have been quite important because the church, dedicated to St.Mary, incorporates the remains of a Benedictine priory founded in 1155. This is a large dark church with a very wide nave and chancel and an equally large north aisle. The most stunning features of the interior, once you've found the light switch, are a magnificent painted roof above the chancel and a large, and rather un-English looking, triptych behind the altar.
The chancel ceiling was painted in 1672 by one Thomas Francis who was paid £7 for his efforts. The triptych is of 19th century origin and according to a leaflet in the church is a copy of a painting of the crucifixion by Ambrogio Borgonone. There is also a memorial tablet to Henry Hickman, a local son, who pioneered anesthesia in the early 19th century.
The church is on a low bluff overlooking the River Onny, the main road crosses the river on an unlovely modern concrete bridge.
Dominating the churchyard is the gatehouse of the former priory, the large and picturesque building shown in the picture.
The parish and village of Bromfield lie immediately to the west of Ludlow. The village stands between the rivers Onny and Teme which eventually merge a little way downstream. In the fork formed by the two rivers stands the remains of a Benedictine Priory. What is left is mainly in the form of St. Mary's Church, the nave of which was originally the name of the priory, and there is still amble evidence of its Norman origins. In the church is a memorial to Henry Hickman who was born at nearby Lady Halton. It is believed by many that he was the first to experiment successfully with an aesthetics.
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