December 9, 2014

Blanchland – St Mary the Virgin

Friday 21 November 2014 was not the best day for a drive – rather grey and damp – but we headed south from Hexham to Blanchland. It is a lovely drive south. We parked in the centre of the village, and I wandered into the church – NY966504. There are some display boards, but no guidebook (how about a Benefice guide? – an attempt to link all the churches in the Moorlands benefice) and not much on any website. The village website says “the village owes its original existence to the foundation of the abbey in 1165. The church is a...
Categories Evetts' windows/Northumberland Comments: 0
October 28, 2014

Risby, Suffolk – St Giles

Just one trip into Suffolk this holiday – for an evening meal (getting a bit too dark for decent photos). Risby – a small village off the A14 – is a village that is special to us. The youngsters went to school here, Hannah did Brownies here, we enjoyed the antiques centre and cafe there, and Chris the Vicar supported me through my Curacy. St Giles church is in the middle of the village at TL802664 and is a Grade 1 listed building. Being in Suffolk we can use Simon’s wonderful site – http://www.suffolkchurches.co.uk/risby.htm. We can also read http://www.roundtowers.org.uk/...
Categories Outside Northumberland/Personal/Suffolk Comments: 0
October 28, 2014

Harston, Cambridgeshire – All Saints’

        Our final Cambridgeshire church stop was All Saints’, Harston – just across the A10, next to the river – TL418509. This is one of three churches in the Benefice of Harston, Hauxton and Newton – and they do have one website http://www.harstonhauxtonnewton.org.uk/welcome.htm. However the magazine for Harston and Hauxton does not contain any Newton news (they have their own magazine) and the weekly notice sheet has four sections – one per village and one for the benefice. This means that details of the Benefice Songs of Praise is printed four times … . Look folks, I...
Categories Outside Northumberland Comments: 0
October 28, 2014

Thriplow, Cambridgeshire – St George

When we drove through the village of Thriplow yesterday I had not got the map open and had failed to find the church. My brother reminded me it is a church worth visiting (aren’t they all?), so today we came off the motorway and looked at the map! St George’s church is at TL442469, in the north of the village. We came here as kids for the Daffodil weekend – and looking at http://thriplowdaffodils.org.uk/ they started in 1969 (I was 7) and raised £206. Since then they have raised over £400,000; next year’s Festival is 21 and 22 March....
Categories Cambridgeshire Comments: 0
October 28, 2014

Barrington, Cambridgeshire – All Saints’

Barrington has a huge village green, and the church stands at the east end – TL397499. It is part of a largish benefice – http://www.beneficeorwell.co.uk/index.php?pageid=466. I have never seen a web page directed at those of us visiting; food, accommodation and public footpaths. Ten out of ten! http://www.beneficeorwell.co.uk/index.php?pageid=479 The guidebook is 30 years old, but very thorough. It tells me that the village has a Saxon name, Barra’s tun (or place) – I remember one of Dr Barham’s books telling me that too – and 114 Saxon graves were found here in 1879. Another graveyard was found in 1987 –...
Categories Cambridgeshire Comments: 2
October 28, 2014

Foxton, Cambridgeshire – St Laurence

As a teenager I cycled many miles and tried to visit every church within a 10 mile radius of home in Barton. On this holiday we are driving up and down the M11, and have had time to come off and explore a few villages. Foxton is a small village with its own railway station – Great Northern Railway 1851. I also remember reading Rowland Parker’s little book The Common Stream about the village. There’s a good piece about the book at http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/10673706/The-Alphabet-Library-C-is-for-The-Common-Stream-by-Rowland-Parker.html St Laurence’s church is in the centre of the village TL413484, opposite a new housing development. Interesting...
Categories Cambridgeshire/Railway History Comments: 0
October 28, 2014

Felsted, Essex – Holy Cross

We drove on over the dual carriageway A120 (connection Stansted to the East) and under the disused railway line (which, at a fraction of the cost, could have linked Stansted and Braintree as it used to) – http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/f/felstead/. Through Felsted School – http://www.felsted.org – and parked next to Holy Cross church – TL676204. There is a building site at the west end of the church, they are building a new community hall – www.felstedchurch.org.uk. The architect is Henry Freeland, who did a wonderful job finishing St Eds Cathedral – http://www.frrarchitects.co.uk/project/felsted-church/ Just inside the door is a lovely old offering box...
Categories Outside Northumberland Comments: 0
October 28, 2014

Stebbing, Essex – St Mary the Virgin

We drove through the village of Stebbing and found the church of St Mary the Virgin – TL664240. I opened the door and found a mum and a couple of youngsters who had just enjoyed a messy church morning. It was lovely finding the place open, and the welcome was great – not many other Essex churches, I suspect, would have a lively group of mums and toddlers on a Tuesday morning. Reading their website – www.smvstebbing.com – it says “St Mary’s is a lively evangelical charismatic church. We have a variety of services ranging from 1662 prayer book...
Categories Outside Northumberland Comments: 0
October 28, 2014

Great Dunmow, Essex – St Mary the Virgin

We had a week in Bread Cottage at http://www.buryfarmcottages.co.uk – very convenient for Saturday’s wedding, Cambridge and London. Just a few miles from Stansted Airport, but in the middle of nowhere. I even managed a country walk.               We drove into Great Dunmow, which is just down the road. We couldn’t park by the shops, but managed to find the church down by the River Chelmer and parked in the car park – TL629230. I went for an explore, and found the church of St Mary the Virgin open. I chatted to one...
Categories Outside Northumberland/World War 1 Comments: 0
October 28, 2014

Saffron Walden, Essex – St Mary the Virgin

We are back in Essex for the wedding of Siân and Adam. We first got to know her as an RSCM Southern Cathedral Singer with Hannah – any young singers, we highly recommend the RSCM choirs – http://www.rscm.com/ukIreland/choirs.php. Lots of lovely music in this wedding, and I had the privilege of reading a lesson. We had been told “no photos during the service”, but we had a view of signing the registers (legally not part of the service!). I then had time to photo the church while we waited for things to happen. I also asked Rob (Siân’s dad)...
Categories Outside Northumberland/Personal Comment: 1