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July 20, 2018

Oxburgh Hall, Norfolk – Chapel of St Margaret and our Lady

Tuesday 10 July, a day at Oxburgh Hall. This is one of my favourite NT properties. We came here as children, came with our children, came just the two of us to see an open air performance of Macbeth – heads being thrown around in front of the gateway. It was the set for one of my favourite TV series, the 1994 BBC adaptation of John Hadfield’s 1959 novel Love on a branch line. It had this wonderful hall (though some interior shots were filmed elsewhere), beautiful women, jazz, traction engines, and a steam loco (filmed on the North...
Categories National Trust/Norfolk/World War 1 Comments: 0
June 25, 2018

Northernvicar walks – Northumberland, May 2018

Julie and I had a week in Northumberland in the middle of May. We went chased across Gosforth park by a young lady I married a couple of years ago, spent too much at Cogito Books in Hexham – website – visited the refurbished museum at Corbridge, visited the Sill, dined out with friends (and children), and admired Harry and Sarah’s allotment (when did I become so old my kids have an allotment?). We stayed at the lovely “Cottage at Longridge”, just outside Morpeth – Sykes cottages website – and had stunning weather. I also managed some walks. On Sunday...
Categories 1,000 mile walking/National Trust/Newcastle upon Tyne/Northumberland Comments: 0
June 16, 2018

Northernvicar walks – January, February, March and April 2018

I had planned to walk 1,000 miles in 2017, but only managed to be a Proclaimer. I won’t manage 1,000 miles in 2018 either, but I’ll let you know how I do. In January I managed 25 miles. On 2 January Alex and I went to Hull – we walked from Cottingham station to the Brynmor Jones Library at the University of Hull for a splendid exhibition of the works of Terence Cuneo. You could get up really close to the paintings, no one minded me taking photos (so I hope no one will mind if I post a...
Categories 1,000 mile walking/Derbyshire/London/National Trust/Railway History Comments: 0
April 28, 2018

Rushton, Northamptonshire – Rushton Triangular Lodge

Rushton Triangular Lodge is an English Heritage property in Northamptonshire just north of the A14 – website. It is at grid ref  SP 830830, and on the OS map it is most definitely a triangle. There were 360 degree views on this BBC site – here – but this has not been kept up to date. (Our MA course goes on about the importance of “digital” – but so much digital stuff has died (the Betjeman Best Churches app and pages on the BBC website, to name but two) I find myself being somewhat sceptical). I had been in...
Categories National Trust/Northamptonshire Comments: 0
December 21, 2017

Avebury, Wiltshire – St James

Monday 27 November, and we are on a pre-Christmas break in Swindon. We had arranged to meet Geoff and Anne at Avebury, village with stone circle – NT website. We took up residence in the National Trust café. The museum, which needs a make-over, but is quite fascinating. One of the characters in the story – and the excavation story is almost as fascinating as the Stones – is Alexander Keiller, the marmalade man. We then went into the Manor – a building that dates back to the C16, was remodelled in the C18, and restored in the C20....
Categories National Trust/Wiltshire Comments: 0
July 15, 2017

Baddesley Clinton, Warwickshire – St Michael

The church of St Michael, Baddesley Clinton – website, grid reference SP 203713 – is a short walk from the entrance to the Hall. A welcoming notice, and traditional Book of Common Prayer every Sunday (always a good idea to play to your strengths!). Apparently the churchyard is  carpet of bluebells in Spring. There is no mention of the church in Domesday. In 1305 James de Clinton was Patron, and the priest was Magister Will’mus le Archer. Two early priests are mentioned – “Simone persona” and Magister Johannes Horgilun r’tore de Baddisle. A plaque in church dated 1634 refers...
Categories National Trust/Warwickshire Comments: 0
July 15, 2017

Baddesley Clinton, Warwickshire – The Hall

Here is the Vicar’s letter for the August magazines … Thank you everyone who came and supported the talks Julie and I gave on the Reformation. It was lovely seeing people from both churches, plus from the other churches in Allestree, plus other friends. We enjoyed putting the talks together, and now want an American lecture tour.  If you want to read what we wrote, have a look at St Matthew’s website. The study of our past must never be an academic exercise. Listening to the choir sing a Tallis motet takes us back to a composer who had...
Categories National Trust/Warwickshire Comments: 0
March 5, 2017

northernvicar walks – February 2017

My idea was to walk 1,000 miles in 2017 (after Harry ran 1,000 in 2016). I managed 11 miles in London on 3 February, and got a useful sermon for the Queen’s Accession out of it – there are a lot of royal connections between Euston and the V&A. I also spotted these two plaques on the wall of the Norwegian Embassy and are made of Coade Stone. Coade Stone is an artificial stone and we had the most northerly piece of it in St Mary’s, Ponteland (or so I was once told). This National Trust website will answer...
Categories 1,000 mile walking/Derbyshire/London/National Trust/Railway History Comments: 3
November 22, 2016

Sheffield Park Gardens and the Bluebell Railway, East Sussex

On Tuesday 8 November we did not move early, then drove south through Ashdown Forest. It was lunchtime when we arrived at Sheffield Park. A lovely National Trust property, but the queue for the café was very long – they could have done with a separate burger van. We went into the gardens and had a walk – it was lovely. The colours were beautiful – enjoy. These are just a few of my 60 photos. The NT website says “John Baker Holroyd (later the First Earl of Sheffield) purchased the house and Park in 1769, and set about remodelling the...
Categories National Trust/Railway History/Sussex Comments: 2
August 4, 2016

Kedleston, Derbyshire – All Saints

Julie and I have moved to Derby, but not yet started work. So let us do what normal people do on a Sunday – go to a National Trust property. Kedleston Hall is just down the road, so let us enjoy it – website. We drove across the parkland, parked in the main car park, and wheeled to the house. Let’s start with coffee and something to eat. Disabled access is via the rear door near the shop, and the house wasn’t quite open. I decided 17 July was a little early to buy Christmas cards. When the house...
Categories Churches Conservation Trust/Derbyshire/National Trust Comments: 0