November 17, 2018

Longford, Derbyshire – St Chad

St Chad’s church, Longford, has a page on the Derbsyhirechurches website, but there is no mention of a church website there or on a achurchnearyou. It is at grid reference, SK 214383, and is off the road, in parkland by Longford Hall. Road access is through a gate which was opened for us as we were going to sing Evensong, but whether you would be able to drive down there (and whether you would be able to get in or not), I wouldn’t like to say. I had the opportunity of doing a quick trot round with my camera,...
Categories Derbyshire Comments: 0
November 14, 2018

Torpenhow, Cumbria – St Michael

The final church visit of the day was St Michael Torpenhow – NY 206397 – website. The guidebook was first produced in 1969 “and coincided with the truly remarkable Parish Flower Festival.” Even now the PCC are meeting to plan the 50th anniversary celebrations of a remarkable Parish Flower Festival! They suggest the Britons called the small hill a ‘Pen’. The Saxons, not understanding ‘Pen’ called it a ‘Tor-pen’ a pinnacle pen. The next bunch called it the ‘how’ (hill) of Torpen. Believe it if you wish! The church dates to about 1120, and is a C12 church which...
Categories Cumbria/World War 1 Comments: 0
November 11, 2018

Bassenthwaite, Cumbria – St Bega

Clare and I were a bit confused because the church we had just visited didn’t seem to fit the description in Betjeman’s Best British Churches.  A bit of investigation (i.e. the Cambridge Geographer read the map) took us to St Bega’s church, Bassenthwaite – NY 227287. They have the same website as the previous church – here. We parked and walked down to the church. It was probably a pre-Norman foundation, and was given to the monastery at Jedburgh in the C12. Pevsner says it is disappointing to find it is so Victorian, with the interior by S. Watson...
Categories Cumbria Comments: 0
November 10, 2018

Bassenthwaite, Cumbria – St John

We drove north along the east side of Bassenthwaite, and found St John’s church at NY 229316. The website is here. Pevsner says the church is 1878 by David Brade of Kendal, and describes it as “expensive but ill-proportioned”, though he says the inside is better. It didn’t do a lot for either of us. Tall, must be a pain to heat, and the 1900 stained glass by Clayton & Bell is not particularly inspiring. What lifted the church for me was this lovely map of the Lake, and the three windows by W. Wilson 1961. I have done...
Categories Cumbria/World War 1 Comments: 0
November 8, 2018

Crosthwaite, Cumbria – St Kentigern

On Tuesday 9 October I wanted a day with Clare, so braved Virgin Trains to go north. She met me at Penrith station, and we drove west, past Keswick on the bypass, and into Crosthwaite. The church of St Kentigern is by the school – NY 257243, website. It always good to know where the Gas valve is! St Kentigern, also known as Mungo, is a Scottish saint. He came here in 553 AD and set up his cross in a clearing or ‘thwaite’. There have been several different churches on this site – which remained in Scotland until William...
Categories Cumbria/Railway History/World War 1 Comments: 2
November 7, 2018

Egginton, Derbyshire – St Wilfrid

Chris and I drove a couple of miles down to St Wilfrid’s church in Egginton – grid reference SK 267278, website. It has a 56 page glossy guidebook. The line of the A38 is a Roman road, and “The farmstead of Ecga” may well have been settled in the C6. Wilfrid, or Wilfrith, was an Anglo-Saxon who lived from 634 to 709. A novice at Lindisfarne, he visited Rome, then received the monastery of Ripon in 661. Later he was Bishop of Hexham. There was a priest, church and mill here by the time of Domesday. The present Chancel...
Categories Derbyshire Comments: 2
November 5, 2018

Etwall, Derbyshire – St Helen

On Monday 8 October I had arranged to meet Chris my predecessor for a coffee. She is currently looking after Etwall and Egginton, two churches just outside Derby. This means she has the keys for Etwall and Egginton so she can show me round. St Helen’s church Etwall is in the middle of the village at SK 269319, and has a website. The church is apparently open on Wednesday afternoons. You can imagine a small wooden church near Etta’s Well, perhaps replaced by a stone church in Saxon times. Domesday records that there was a priest and a church...
Categories Derbyshire Comments: 7
November 3, 2018

Chesterfield, Derbyshire – Christ Church

On Sunday 30 September there were a couple of churches in Chesterfield doing WW1 Commemoration events. Our friend Anne had been with us for the weekend and was returning to Northumberland – so Chesterfield is en route. Christ Church is at SK 385723, and has a website shared with Holy Trinity (which we visited several years ago). The Derbyshire Churches website gives it a couple of sentences: “Christ Church on Sheffield Road is the sister church to Holy Trinity and both share the same vicar, David Horsfall. The Foundation Stone of this church was laid on 5 September 1869...
Categories Derbyshire/World War 1 Comments: 0
November 1, 2018

York, Yorkshire – Priory Church of the Holy Trinity

A afternoon in York on Thursday 27 September was an opportunity have supper with the kids – and do some book shopping. I left Julie in one shop and did a church visit. The Priory Church of the Holy Trinity, Micklegate, York – grid reference SE 598866 – website – welcomes you with their stocks! Inside they welcome you with an exhibition about Faith – surely something we should all have. Apparently there is also an app – search York churches. It has been suggested that this is a very early, even Roman, site – York Minister occupies a...
Categories World War 1/Yorkshire Comments: 0
October 30, 2018

Walsingham, Norfolk

I had organised a meeting in Walsingham for Wednesday 19 September to discuss pilgrimage traffic and the railways. I need to do an MA dissertation, want to do something on railways, tourism and guidebooks, and it has been suggested focussing on Walsingham will be a good idea. We parked outside the old Great Eastern station which is now St Seraphim’s Chapel, Icon and Railway Heritage Museum, and I had a hour’s chat about what could be researched. The station has an icon chapel – website – and there is another website here. Members of the Orthodox community were part of...
Categories Norfolk/Railway History Comments: 0