June 21, 2017

Boulton, Derby – St Mary the Virgin (again)

David, one of my churchwardens, wanted a chat – so we had it en route to the Tip. We came home via St Mary’s Boulton, where they are opening the church on a regular basis. We had visited this church on a previous occasion, but here are some new photos. The lych gate is a War Memorial. This time we entered through the south door – C13 porch with Norman tympanum. Interesting font, vase, not sure what it is. The church is open, and people are visiting regularly. They are doing a Prayer Week, working with local schools –...
Categories Derbyshire/World War 1 Comments: 0
June 20, 2017

Marlpool, Derbyshire – All Saints

On Thursday 11 May I had a full day’s Safeguarding Training at All Saints Church, Ilkeston Road, Marlpool, DE75 7BP. In any other profession you could at least count on a decent lunch – here we had to bring our own. The book Anglican Churches of Derbyshire by I.A.H. Combes, Landmark Publishing, 2004, says “This red brick church was built in 1908 by Naylor and Sale and rebuilt in 1950 following a fire”.  There is a photo of the church on fire, and a little more information, here. This website says that the church is open daily. Some nice...
Categories Derbyshire Comments: 0
June 20, 2017

Hognaston, Derbyshire – St Bartholomew

On Friday 5 May we had popped over to Ashbourne for the delights of Waitrose, and diverted back via St Bartholomew’s, Hognaston – SK236506 – website. Will we ever get back to a Society where we don’t have to collect for foodbanks? It’s a C13 tower, with a C15 top, and battlements dating to the 1879-81 rebuilding by Stevens and Robinson. Apparently the clock was a gift of John Smith’s, the clock makers of Derby, as Mr Smith himself lived here. The south wall is Norman, and in the porch is an “amazing Norman doorway”, to quote the current...
Categories Derbyshire Comments: 0
May 14, 2017

northernvicar walks – April 2017

I started the month with an 8 mile circuit of Carsington Water on Saturday 1 April. Then started the 14th week of the year with a walk at Kedleston. We had a day in Buxton – I bought a new pair of walking boots, then climbed up to Solomon’s Temple – website. I did a few miles later in the week delivering Easter cards round Allestree, and we had a coffee at the National Stone Centre while I did another walk – 23 miles that week. 14 miles in Holy Week – one has to do some work! On...
Categories 1,000 mile walking/Derbyshire/London/Railway History Comments: 0
May 7, 2017

Derwent Valley Walk 2 – Hathersage to Grindleford

I walked the first 5 miles of the Derwent Valley Heritage Way on Monday 1 August 2016 – if you want to find it on northernvicar, click on Derwent Walk on the right hand side of this screen. 8 months later I walk the next 3 miles. I will make no comment. On Tuesday 25 April 2017 we had been to Sheffield. I gave platelets, Julie had coffee with Harry. As we drove over the hills into the Peak District it started sleeting. We parked at the Plough Inn, on the B6001 at SK234804 – website – and it...
Categories 1,000 mile walking/Derbyshire/Derwent Walk/Railway History Comment: 1
May 1, 2017

Guild Church of St Margaret Pattens, London

We walked from the Temple down to the Thames, had a boat ride to North Greenwich, then crossed the Thames on the cable car. A ride to Canary Wharf and an explore there. Back to the City, and we walked past the Guild Church of St Margaret Pattens is in Rood Lane, just off Eastcheap, with its lead-covered spire reflected in the nearby buildings. The church is dedicated to St Margaret of Antioch. She died in the Diocletian persecutions of the fourth century – I wondered if she is commemorated here because someone returned from the Crusades. The fourth...
Categories London Comments: 0
April 30, 2017

Temple Church, London – St Mary

On Friday 21 April I had a day in London with Jess. We met at Euston and walked down past Persephone Books – website. They are a lovely publisher who have kept my wife happy for many years – a reminder you can read Julie’s blog here. We crossed Fleet Street and entered the Temple. I was settling down to write up this blog while watching Diarmaid MacCulloch’s A History of Christianity dvd – and he starts talking about this church. His books are excellent, and this dvd well worth watching. I don’t know why I haven’t visited this church before....
Categories London/World War 1 Comment: 1
April 24, 2017

northernvicar walks – March 2017

I started March with walks round the parish. On Saturday 4 March we had a day in Stoke on Trent – the Potteries Museum is excellent. I had a walk beside the Caldon Canal. That was 9 miles in 4 days. 20 miles in the first full week. Darley Park, a trip to the hospital and back, church and school, and a guided walk round Belper. That was part of a Derwent Valley Heritage day – we met some smashing people and it is an interesting town. Next week was even better – 29. 18 of those were around...
Categories 1,000 mile walking Comments: 4
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
March 4, 2017

Claymills Victorian Pumping Station

After we went to Repton we continued on to Burton on Trent – I think it is fair to say that Repton and Burton are miles apart! Leaving the town the I spotted a sign telling us that Claymills Victorian Pumping Station would be in steam the following Sunday (26 February). Here is their website. It is on the north side of the town at SK 263258, so just a short run down the A38 from home, then left over the railway, and easy parking. It is a Victorian sewerage pumping station – Julie was so excited. There was a lot of Burton sewerage to...
Categories Staffordshire Comments: 0