Sorry the blog has been a bit quiet – and I think I’ve solved the technical problems. Open each photo with “paint”, reduce its size, do the odd bit of cropping or adjusting (but I don’t play with colours or anything clever like that), remember to save, then transfer to the wordpress media library. Do all this without swearing, and you are a better man than I am Gunga Din.
On Thursday 19 January we had Deanery Chapter – not my favourite pastime, but it gives me a chance to look round churches. St Peter’s, Littleover is at SK333342, in the centre of the old village (now a suburb of Derby). There is a large churchyard, with an impressive war memorial – probably worth a proper wander round in sunnier weather.
You enter the church through the west door and find a high, well-lit building, nicely painted and cared for. When you read the guide you realise that the door at the end of the south aisle is the Norman door turned inside out; it now leads to the bell tower. The current church dates to 1335, then the north aisle was added and the roof raised in 1857. South aisle added in 1908, the west end added in 1961, and the chancel reorganised in 1988. No doubt I am the only person who wishes they would put the screen away.
The pulpit and reredos were given in 1872, and the East Window was added twenty years later.
The Harpur Memorial is lovely. “Richard Harpur, Knight, Justice of the Peace, the most honourable of the Justices of the County, for 35 years. He married Mary, daughter of Sir Thomas Reresby, of Thirbur, Yorkshire, Knight, by whom he had four sons and three daughters. He did on 16th March 1635.” You will note that one of their children died.
The saint windows in the South Aisle date to the 1930s, but the guide does not tell me who the artist was. The Resurrection and the Incarnation were installed in 1873 and 1879 respectively.
The font is C11. I liked this piece of carving – but there is no mention of it in the guidebook.
It seems to be a church with a lot going on – here is their website – and the Vicar makes excellent cake.