December 19, 2018

Alnwick, Northumberland – St Michael’s (again)

We had a weekend in Northumberland, and on Friday 7 December we drove north to Alnwick. As my wife and Anne settled in for several hours in Barter Books, I went for a walk to St Michael’s church. I did a very brief blog of this church several years ago (I’ve just checked … 2011!,  when the Bailiffgate Singers were singing for a wedding – now was my chance to improve it, and play with the new camera. The church is on the north side of the town, NU 184137. Their website is here, and the Bailiffgate Singers look...
Categories Northumberland Comments: 3
December 17, 2018

Coventry Cathedral – a personal pause

My beautiful wife Julie is a Coventry girl, and Monday 3 December 2018 was our 35th wedding anniversary. We drove to Coventry, parked at the west end of the old cathedral and then went in to the new one. We needed a verger to take us down from the nave floor to the basement, and direct us through to the café. After a snack we went back upstairs, and had an explore – the photos were taken on my phone. We also purchased lots of guidebooks to write a full blog next time we come. The Cathedral was destroyed in...
Categories Cathedrals/Personal/West Midlands Comments: 0
December 11, 2018

Derwent Valley Heritage Way 6, Rowsley to Matlock

On Friday 16 November I got up early and caught the first Transpeak bus north to Rowsley. Why is it taking me so long to walk this Derwent Valley Mills Trail? It’s only 5.5 miles from Rowsley to Matlock and as it was a damp, grey morning, that would probably be far enough. I cut through the industrial estate on the side of the old station, then headed south on a footpath along the east bank of the river. Then you come to the northern end of Peak Rail – http://www.peakrail.co.uk/. I haven’t had a ride on the line...
Categories Derbyshire/Derwent Walk Comment: 1
December 4, 2018

Alstonefield, Staffordshire – St Peter

This year our MA course has more mature students, and one of them, Carrie, was handing out flyers for “A Visual and audio exhibition to Commemorate the Centenary of the end of WW1” in Alstonefield – their local history group got some lottery money. I spent the morning of  Saturday 10 November fighting with all the talks needed for tomorrow, and it was later than I had hoped before I got away. Alstonefield is just across the border into Staffordshire (and Lichfield Diocese) – SK133553 – and it would have been a gorgeous drive if the sun had been...
Categories Staffordshire/World War 1 Comments: 0
December 2, 2018

London – St Edmund, Lombard Street

And finally, London church number 4 was St Edmund King and Martyr, Lombard Street, EC3V 9EA. I can’t find a church website, but the building now houses the London Centre for Spiritual Direction – website – and this ‘about us’ page has a couple of paragraphs on the building. We wandered in, but if you want to visit it might be an idea to check there’s nothing on – or join them on a Wednesday morning for their midweek service. The original church dated to about 900 AD, which is only 31 years after Edmund was martyred – I...
Categories London/World War 1 Comment: 1
December 1, 2018

London – St Michael Cornhill

London church number 3 was St Michael, Cornhill, EC3V 9DS – website. There was a Saxon church on this site. It is recorded in a document of Evesham Abbey in 1055. The tower was rebuilt in 1421, and destroyed in the Great Fire. Rebuilt in 1669-72, with some debate about whether Wren was involved. The tower was rebuilt in 1715-22 in a Gothic style, later added to by Hawksmoor. Sir George Gilbert Scott carried out a major restoration between 1857-60 – so welcome to a Victorianised church. Over the door, St Michael is disputing the body of Moses with Satan...
Categories London/World War 1 Comments: 0
November 23, 2018

London – St Clement Eastcheap

London church number 2 was St Clement, Eastcheap – it’s in Clement’s Lane, EC4N 7AE. There is a fascinating blog. We found that the building is occupied by the offices of the Amos Trust – website – and Glad’s House – website. Child Rescue Nepal – website – tells me there are 100,000 child slaves in that country. I have to say I don’t think I’d heard of any of those organisations, and they welcomed us into the church and let us explore. It was an C11 church, dedicated to the third Bishop of Rome. He was martyred by...
Categories London Comments: 0
November 22, 2018

London – St Mary Abchurch

On Friday 9 November I had a day in London with Claire., and we did four City churches. We started with St Mary Abchurch (Abchurch Lane, EC4N 7BA) which was a very good place to start. The Friends of City Churches have their offices here, and we could get a map. There are 48 churches, and Claire has started ticking them off. (The website is pretty good telling us which churches are open and when). This is the Friends website, and they are on facebook. They also produce a City Events leaflet every month, listing services, talks, organ recitals,...
Categories London Comments: 0
November 21, 2018

Cromford, Derbyshire – St Mary’s

On Saturday 3 November we drove up to Cromford and parked by the Mills. The girls went for a wander round the shops, I went to visit St Mary’s church. Here is a website – Cromford in Prose and Poetry  – and here is the church website. The church is next to the Mill, SK 299571 – just by the bridge and across from Willersley Castle. In 1792 Sir Richard Arkwright, the owner of the Mills, built himself a mansion, now known as Willersley Castle. He then started work on the church, but sadly died before it was completed....
Categories Derbyshire/World War 1 Comments: 0
November 18, 2018

Sudbury, Derbyshire – All Saints

On Saturday afternoon (20 October) we drove across to Sudbury Hall National Trust property. Even disabled drivers have to park in the main car park and there is an electric van – but it’s not very easy to enter. We started with the Second Hand Bookshop, then did the Museum of Childhood – it’s all accessible and good fun. An interesting display about the portrayal of race – more information here. And they have a dalek. The House is not accessible for those in wheelchairs, so we went for a walk/roll through the gardens and up to the church....
Categories Derbyshire/National Trust/World War 1 Comments: 2