Restoration: Kington Parish Church Herefordshire

This edifice before its recent restoration consisted of the ancient nave 50 feet high, a new addition built on the north side in the year 1829 (a chancel belonging to the owner of the great tithes with Vaughan's chapel annexed), and a tower on the north side containing a peal of six bells.

The part of the church in which the restoration has taken place is the chancel and nave; these formerly were covered with plaster, and the roof lath and plaster from the beams supporting the roof, so that the church had a flat ceiling. The gallery formerly, running along the north side has been removed, the roof opened, and the plaster removed from the walls, the rood vaulting taken from the ceiling, the chancel thoroughly restored, the old seats removed, and open stalls substituted through the chancel and nave, the windows filled with stained glass, the floors re-laid with red and black tiles, a new porch erected at the north entrance, the erection of a new stone pulpit, substitution of new windows on the north side, the removing of the rough-coat and whitewash from the outside walls of the church and tower, the introduction of new windows in the tower, with new steps, porch, &c., up to the belfry. In 1873-74 the north side of the church - a very ugly structure added in the year 1829 - was taken down and rebuilt at a cost of about £2,000. R.W. Drew, Esq., of Park street, Westminster, S.W., was the architect, and Mr. Charles Edwards, of Leominster, the builder. The north wall of the chancel, which had long been in a dilapidated state, was also rebuilt by the lay impropriators, the greatest care being taken to restore it to exactly its original condition. A new pavement of Godwin's encaustic tiles was laid in the chancel, and gas standards placed in the new nave. [Littlebury’s Directory and Gazetteer of Herefordshire 1876-1877]

Reference     Littlebury’s Directory and Gazetteer of Herefordshire 1876-1877