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Author: Rev. Peter Barham

Priest who spots things; mainly churches and trains.
January 3, 2022

Ballidon, Derbyshire – All Saints

All Saints church, Ballidon, is on the right of the road as you drive up to the village – grid reference SK 203 544. It is now in the care of the Friends of Friendless Churches – friendsoffriendlesschurches.org.uk – a charity I have discovered in the last couple of years. Their magazine is a treat. There is a laybye almost opposite the gap in the wall which leads to the church. On Friday 31 December 2021 we were glad to be able to pull off the road and park here as there are a lot of large lorries which...
Categories Derbyshire/Friends of Friendless churches Comment: 1
December 30, 2021

Swanwick, Derbyshire – St Andrew

I went to Swanwick first thing on the Thursday before Christmas to take a funeral. It was a very foggy day (when we were in the cemetery it was like something out of Dickens). I went back before the New Year to get some outside photos – and it rained. The church is by the crossroads in the middle of the town – SK 405531. Parking not easy for a funeral. The church was built between 1858 and 1860 by Benjamin Wilson – he was a Derby architect who also built Ashbourne Town Hall and St Giles Matlock. Swanwick...
Categories Derbyshire Comments: 0
December 29, 2021

Orwell, Cambridgeshire – St Andrew

St Andrew’s church is at TL 362504. We used to come to this village to have an explore of the old chalk pit, now a nature reserve, and I remember watching two steam engines ploughing a field – engine at each end and plough being dragged across. I don’t remember visiting the church, but in those days I hadn’t discovered the windows of Leonard Evetts. A group of five parishes, all of which have open churches (I’ll be back), and a good website at https://www.beneficeorwell.co.uk/ The church is on a steep rise on the north side of the village....
Categories Cambridgeshire/Evetts' windows Comments: 0
December 28, 2021

Barton, Cambridgeshire – St Peter

Our 38th wedding anniversary, 3 December 2021. We drove to Barton and parked by the school so I could have an explore of St Peter’s – TL 408557. The village of my childhood. We moved here when I was 9. Lovely that St Peter’s church was open – indeed church, chapel, school and Vicarage, still seemed the same as they were half a century ago. But Mr Law no longer lives in the Vicarage and Miss Mason no longer lives in the School House. Looking at the church website – https://www.bartonstpeters.org.uk/ – I did not remember that there is...
Categories Cambridgeshire/Personal Comment: 1
December 28, 2021

Cambridge, Cambridgeshire – St Bene’t

St Bene’t’s church is the oldest in Cambridge. A classic Anglo-Saxon tower, each stage a little narrower than the one below. There are six bells in the tower. In 1273 there was one, and the Rector, Alan, disputed the new University’s assumed right to ring it to summon the gownsmen to lectures. It was agreed that they would make an annual payment for the use of said bell. The most recent work done has been to install a ramp down through the churchyard, and there are still some nice memorials in place. This was a 2019 project with Freeland...
Categories Cambridgeshire Comments: 0
December 27, 2021

Cambridge, Cambridgeshire – St Andrew’s Street Baptist Church

We are in Cambridge for a Wedding Anniversary break and on 2 December 2021 (37 years and 364 days since that Fateful Day) we walked along to St Andrew’s Street Baptist Church. I realised that, although we worshipped here for three years and were married here, I know nothing about the history of the church. The website helps – https://www.stasbaptist.org/Groups/239182/Our_History.aspx – and I hope they don’t mind if I use a couple of their photos. On 16 April 1721 a group of Christians took over the stable and granary that was on this site, and started a new church....
Categories Cambridgeshire/Personal Comments: 0
December 27, 2021

Cambridge, Cambridgeshire – Great Saint Mary’s

Great Saint Mary’s is the main church in the centre of Cambridge – the University Church. In my youth their Director of Music also conducted Cambridge Youth Orchestra, so we did various concerts here. In our undergraduate days we came to various events here – I remember Michael Flanders and Donald Swann leading a packed church in “Mud, mud, glorious mud” with the Vicar, Michael Mayne, conducting from the pulpit. I used to bring the Confirmation kids over from Bury every year and we used to climb the tower. Leaving Julie in Heffers bookshop, I headed up the 123...
Categories Cambridgeshire Comments: 0
December 26, 2021

northernvicarwalks – November 2021

This was the month we finally managed to restart our Toddler Group, and that was a huge pleasure. Remembrance Sunday was busy too – I felt mixed emotions, pleased that the place was full, but worried about the number of people who were there. I managed two train trips – a day to Hull and a morning up the Joint Line. An almost-daily Facebook Ramble. We had two lovely days out. Sadly Bourneville church was locked, though the bookshop was open. Kenilworth church was open, but there was a wedding in progress (how dare they be busy when northernvicar...
Categories 1,000 mile walking/Derbyshire/Railway History Comments: 0
December 26, 2021

northernvicarwalks – September 2021

I don’t know if anyone reads these monthly summaries, but if – in the future – I want to know what railways I did, what walking I didn’t do, or my thoughts on facebook, at least I will know where to find them. There was a railway jaunt based on Sheffield. As well as the London churches I blogged about, I did the Docklands Light Railway and the whole of the Circle line. A ride on the Tyne and Wear Metro while up North with Harry and Sarah. And a couple of journeys while we had a week’s holiday...
Categories 1,000 mile walking/Railway History Comment: 1