Hidden in a tiny Gloucestershire church are paintings almost 900 years old. The chancel in St Mary’s Church, Kempley, is covered in extraordinary preserved medieval paintings, created in around 1130. They are among the most complete surviving Romanesque painted schemes in northern Europe.
At the centre of the ceiling is Christ in Majesty, surrounded by angels, the four symbols of the Evangelists, and the Seven Golden Candlesticks of Revelation.
Below, the Twelve Apostles gaze upwards towards Christ, their flowing robes still revealing the artistry of their medieval creators.
These paintings were hidden beneath whitewash for centuries before being rediscovered in 1872.
Today, they offer a rare glimpse into a time when churches were filled with colour, symbolism and powerful visual storytelling.
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