October 12, 2018

Sempringham, Lincolnshire – St Andrew, Sempringham Abbey

A cross Fen drive to the next Heritage Open Day. St Andrew’s church, Sempringham, Sempringham Abbey. The parish has a website, and the benefice has one too – here. You can even fly over the church – here. It is approached via a track, and I remembered coming here with the kids when we were at Lincoln Theological College, 25 years ago. There was a Saxon church here, then Jocelin, a Norman knight, built a new church in 1100. The central Norman tower was replaced in 1350-70 by the current one. The south doorway is good Norman work. The...
Categories Lincolnshire Comments: 7
October 6, 2018

Silk Willoughby, Lincolnshire – St Denis

15 September 2018. Off to Norfolk for a week’s holiday. We had a couple of Heritage Open Days to enjoy en route. First stop was St Denis church, Silk Willoughby. The deanery has a website, but it doesn’t mention this weekend’s activities. There is another selection of photos here. The church is just off the old A15 – TF 057430 Silk Willoughby was anciently two manors. Willgebi (from old English ‘welig’ and old Scandinavian ‘byr’ meaning ‘the place among willows’)  and Silkebi (Norse ‘selki’ meaning ‘young seal’). Makes you wonder why there are seals, and whether a seal was...
Categories Lincolnshire Comments: 6
October 2, 2018

Thornton, Leicestershire – St Peter

The final church was St Peter’s in Thornton – SK 468076.  It has a mention on this website and the church has a website too – interesting how Junction 22 of the M1 is seen as the unifying feature. We parked by the Lych Gate – installed by the Reverend H. Cooper, Vicar 1904-1919, in memory of his son and the other lads of the village who died in WW1. There are some interesting stories to be told of how people coped after such a loss. There is a lovely path through the churchyard, and we enjoyed the view of...
Categories Leicestershire Comments: 0
October 2, 2018

Measham, Leicestershire – St Laurence

We continued south to Measham, just the other side of the A42. St Laurence church is at SK 335122 – website. It is set back off the main road, and as we walked up we were welcomed by a cleric, who turned out to be Vivien the Team Rector. She was about to give a guided tour, and got the ramp out so we could get in. She said they were working for an HLF grant, and I am very glad to see that since we visited they have been awarded £195,800. Well done – and thank you HLF, you...
Categories Leicestershire/World War 1 Comments: 4
September 30, 2018

Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Leicestershire – St Helen

On Heritage Open Day we headed south to Ashby-de-la-Zouch. I don’t suppose that is a line I have ever written before, although I have a vague memory of going to the Castle when the kids were little. We drove down and found St Helen’s church – SK 361167 – they could have done with talking to the local school to organise some extra parking space for HODs. Very good website which links to their Heritage Project – website. What is rather nice is that the Christmas services are listed along with the heritage talks – stick “traditional” in front...
Categories Leicestershire Comments: 0
September 29, 2018

Peartree, Derby – St Thomas

Heritage Open Days are being spread over two weekends this year, but there is not a lot happening in Derby. We did some planning, and on Saturday 8 September started with one church that is open – St Thomas, Peartree – SK 353343 – website. This is what I wrote for our magazines … Saturday 8 September was Heritage Open Day, so Julie and I went for an explore. We visited St Thomas’ church in Peartree. I cannot claim that Peartree is an area of Derby I had ever visited, but I had chatted with Simon their Vicar about...
Categories Derbyshire/World War 1 Comments: 0
September 28, 2018

Northernvicar Walks – July and August 2018

July – 43 miles. Not much of any excitement – walking in Norfolk, which was recorded with the churches I visited, and a trip to the Deanery BBQ in Mickleover. August started much better. A 6 mile walk to the Cathedral via visits, then the two Derwent Valley walks, and the Manchester, Astley Book Farm, and London walks I’ve already blogged. On Sunday 5 August I drove south to the Leighton Buzzard railway – website. My brother had his Fen End Pit layout there – see his blog. I had a train ride with my  nephew. On the way back...
Categories 1,000 mile walking/Manchester/Newcastle upon Tyne Comments: 0
September 28, 2018

Quarndon, Derbyshire – St Paul

The last church of August. On Friday 31st I had a funeral to do just up the road at Quarndon as Becky the Vicar is on holiday. All straightforward, and an opportunity to blog St Paul’s – SK 335410. They have a website and we work together in Allestree Churches Together. There is an old C12 chapel, of which one chunk remains – I must walk up and photo it next time I walk through the village (which I do quite often). There is a drawing of the old church inside. Funding for this church was provided in part by...
Categories Derbyshire/World War 1 Comments: 3
September 21, 2018

Wall, Staffordshire – St John

I had been to Kidderminster on Monday 20 August to talk trams with an expert. On the way home I stopped at the village of Wall in Staffordshire and picked up a walk leaflet in their car park. The Romans constructed a marching camp here during AD 47-8, and soon a fort was built to defend the highway – this is the Watling Street, London to Chester. There would soon be a posting station, with an official hotel and fresh horses – one is mentioned as being here in the C3 Antonine Itinerary. A thriving settlement, the Vicus, grew...
Categories 1,000 mile walking/Roman Britain/Staffordshire Comments: 0
September 20, 2018

Derwent Valley Heritage Way 5, Calton Lees to Rowsley

On Tuesday 14 August I had a date in Sheffield to give platelets, and decided to drive. That was a mistake – Matlock Bath was a traffic jam. I stopped at the Calton Lees car park and did the next little bit of the Heritage Way. Not a walk with stunning views, not a walk with lots of history or things to point out … but a pleasant walk none the less. Rowsley was a major railway centre – and the stations have two pages on the Disused Stations site – website (lots of excellent history and good photos...
Categories 1,000 mile walking/Derbyshire/Derwent Walk/Railway History Comments: 0