May 19, 2018

King’s Lynn, Norfolk – Greyfriars

I am in King’s Lynn for the day – on a historic diesel unit (photos on the next blog … can you contain your excitement?). Greyfriars garden is just a few minutes walk from the Minster – TF 621197 – and I remember going here as a child. On one occasion I dropped a thermos flask – I can still remember the wrath of my mother. The Franciscan monastery in Lynn was founded in 1235 – and there were 38 friars here 90 years later. Elsewhere in the town were the Blackfriars (the Dominicans), the Whitefriars (Carmelites), and the...
Categories Norfolk/World War 1 Comments: 0
May 18, 2018

King’s Lynn, Norfolk – Minster, St Margaret

King’s Lynn Minster or, to give it its full name, The Priory and Parish Church of St Margaret, is run by “The PCC of St Margaret with St Nicholas and St Edmund” – presumably there were other nearby parishes now amalgamated (I did have a smile that anyone has managed to amalgamate an Edmund!). They are currently in the throws of an £845,000 restoration appeal. Good that this will give better disabled access, typical that the meeting room will not be accessible (why would  disabled person ever want to go to a meeting?). The website is here, and the...
Categories Norfolk Comments: 0
May 17, 2018

Selby, Yorkshire – Selby Abbey, St Mary & St Germain

Selby Abbey, the parish church of St Mary the Virgin and St Germain is at the centre of this little Yorkshire town – SE 615324. It has a good website. We met our friends Jean and Adrian there on 20 April, and found disabled access is on the south side, clearly signposted. In the north transept is a little shop and café – where else do you start? A very nice, full colour, Jarrold guidebook – a Pilgrim’s Guide (a simple A4 sheet with a little about each section and an appropriate prayer), a “What Christians believe” sheet, a...
Categories Railway History/World War 1/Yorkshire Comment: 1
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
April 6, 2018

Baslow, Derbyshire – St Anne

On Easter Monday (2 April 2018) we had been to Sheffield so I could give platelets. It was a rather grotty day, but we drove back via the Peak District. St Anne’s church Baslow is in the middle of a popular Derbyshire village SK252722, on the River Derwent. When I eventually get back to the Derwent Valley Way I will walk through it. I could also do the Peak Pilgrimage – website – and visit it. So why is there no church guidebook? There have all the information on the church website so print it off, and charge a...
Categories Derbyshire/World War 1 Comments: 0
March 3, 2018

Derby – Chapel of St Mary on the Bridge

Tuesday 6 February. After a morning at University studying for the MA in Public History and Heritage, I went to do some in depth research – a public service in a heritage building. Box ticked! The Bridge Chapel in Derby, or The Chapel of St Mary on the Bridge, stands beside St Mary’s bridge – grid reference SK 353368. I have walked past it regularly – it is a lovely walk from home, down through Darley Park, under St Mary’s bridge, and into town. It is cared for by Derby Cathedral, and is open for regular services, heritage open...
Categories 1,000 mile walking/Derbyshire Comments: 4
March 2, 2018

Cambridge – American Military Cemetery

We drove out of Cambridge, past my old home in Barton,  then up to Comberton, Madingley Road and the American Cemetery. Cambridge American Cemetery and Memorial is place which I have never visited, despite all my years living less than ten miles away. The website is here – and you can see it is run by the American Battle Monuments Commission. You might want to ponder why they have a “Battle Monuments Commission” and we have the “Commonwealth War Graves Commission”. It is just beside the old A45, the A1303, west of Cambridge, grid reference TL 405595. The first...
Categories Cambridgeshire Comments: 2
March 1, 2018

Chesterton, Cambridge – St Andrew

This wall played an important part in the Second World War (or at least a wall like it). I believe that my grandad, Albert Barham, was churchwarden of St Andrew’s church in Chesterton. He was a manager at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, so remained at home. Family tradition says that one of the jobs he did was as Fire Warden, based at the church. My uncle Derrick was a teenager, my dad Jeffrey a bit younger. They would offer to test the stirrup pumps. The churchyard wall was a favourite spot for American troops to say “good night” to their girlfriends....
Categories Cambridgeshire/Personal/World War 1 Comments: 4
February 18, 2018

Greystoke, Cumbria – St Andrew

We drove back along Ullswater to Pooley Bridge, then cut north across the A66 and to the village of Greystoke and St Andrew’s church – NY 443307. Quite a sizeable village and, to quote Pevsner, “a major church, broad but markedly deficient in height.” An early church here, perhaps linked to the Castle which was apparently built by the Viking leader Lyulph, was re-founded as a collegiate church (one of only two in the region) in 1382, perhaps a response to the Black Death, which carried off half the English clergy. Then it had a master, seven chaplains, and...
Categories Cumbria Comment: 1
February 15, 2018

Martindale, Cumbria – St Martin

We continued up Martindale and came to the Old Church, St Martin’s, NY 434184 – website. This has a regular Evensong in the summer. There were hundreds of names in the visitors books of both these Martindale churches. I know it is January, but why are there no leaflets suggesting other churches worth visiting, offering people pointers for prayer, or even explaining the Christian faith – surely missed opportunities. I have commented before that there is a “Tourism” page on the Carlisle Diocesan website, but you need to know (1) you are in Carlisle diocese, and (2) that you...
Categories Cumbria/Roman Britain Comments: 0