June 16, 2014

Truro Cathedral, Cornwall

Truro was not particularly lively first thing on a Bank Holiday Monday (26 May), but we found a little cafe in Duke Street. We went into Waterstone’s and I found a book about Agatha Christie’s houses which I sat and read while J perused the whole of the rest of the stock. Then WHSmiths – another brush with the self-service tills (am I the only one who hates them?). We sought calm in Truro Cathedral – the Cathedral Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It was a wet day and disabled access is temporary through the West Door – a...
Categories Cathedrals/Outside Northumberland/Railway History Comments: 3
June 15, 2014

Lanhydrock, Cornwall – St Hydroc

From Blackburn in the north (though still south for northern vicar) we head down to Cornwall in the south. An excellent holiday cottage (16 Brunel Quays, Lostwithiel) through the efficient Sykes Cottages. Lots of trains, steam and diesel. I managed every railway line on the peninsula, the branch lines (especially the ones from Liskeard to Looe, and St Erth to St Ives) are beautiful. On the Launceston Steam Railway – http://www.launcestonsr.co.uk – the wheelchair space is practically on top of the coal! Just one church and one Cathedral. Lanhydrock is a beautiful National Trust property, and the weather was soaking. The church is next...
Categories National Trust/Outside Northumberland/Railway History/World War 1 Comments: 2
June 15, 2014

Blackburn Cathedral

One of the suggestions I had for this Sabbatical was to visit all 42 English Cathedrals by local bus. I had plans to start at Newcastle and end at Carlisle, working down the east side, then along the south coast until we reached Truro, then returning north. Julie has a disabled bus pass (pass for disabled buses), but NO, she does not want to do this marathon trip, and NO I can’t go by myself. There are three Anglican Cathedrals I have not been to – Bradford, Blackburn and Wakefield – so I’ll try and do those (by car...
Categories Cathedrals/Outside Northumberland Comment: 1
June 15, 2014

Nantwich, Cheshire – St Mary

We last came to Nantwich when we were on a narrow boat in 1983 – I remembered that the church had lovely misericords. We drove from Little Moreton Hall and parked in the town centre, Julie had a wander round the shops, and I did the church. It is beautiful. Built mostly in the 14th century of “a warm, if crumbly, red sandstone” (what a poetic guidebook). The town’s prosperity comes from salt, and a castle and chapel were soon built after the Norman Conquest. There were two abbeys established nearby, Combermere and Vale Royal, the latter by Robert Burnell,...
Categories Outside Northumberland/World War 1 Comments: 3
June 14, 2014

Christ Church, Oxford

I have managed to get out of order. We did Claydon, then Oxford, then Little Moreton Hall, then Nantwich. Sorry – as a holder of half a geography degree from the premier University (Cambridge, in case you don’t know), I now have to write about Oxford having got my geography wrong … . We are in Oxford on Tuesday 13 May. Christ Church is a 12th century church, one of the oldest buildings in Oxford. Cathedral and College Chapel. A nice welcome, a friendly leaflet (it invites us to attend a service), which tells us that “Cathedral time is...
Categories Cathedrals/Outside Northumberland/Oxfordshire/World War 1 Comments: 2
May 21, 2014

The Chapel at Little Moreton Hall, Cheshire

  One of the pleasures of life is our National Trust Membership – we bought life membership when my Grandad died and left us some money, so every time we visit we remember him. In Cheshire on Thursday 15 May we went to what is probably my favourite, Little Moreton Hall – National Trust website. They had very welcoming people when we arrived, “if you push the wheelchair round to the right the cobbles are slightly flatter”, and a very nice cafe. Julie and I did downstairs, I climbed to the Long Gallery, and we had a wander round the garden...
Categories National Trust/Outside Northumberland Comments: 3
May 21, 2014

Middle Claydon, Buckinghamshire – All Saints’

Monday 12 May and we’re en route from Oli & Kati near Kettering to Deb & Larry in Oxford. We arranged to meet Geoff & Anne at Claydon House, a National Trust property, rebuilt between 1757 and 1771. First we walked along the front of the house, and pushed up the ramp into church.  The first Rector was John de Blarewich in 1251, and the Nave is C13 “much restored”. In 1509 the Chancel was rebuilt during a lease of 100 years granted by the Verneys to the Giffords – rebuilding the chancel took ten years. There was a restoration under George...
Categories Buckinghamshire/National Trust/Outside Northumberland Comments: 0
May 21, 2014

Perry Baptist Church, Cambridgeshire

OK, this one is a bit personal. Perry is village in Cambridgeshire (Huntingdonshire as was), just west of the A1, on the banks of Grafham Water. It was originally two hamlets, East Perry and West Perry, on the parish boundary between Great Staughton and Grafham. In the Nineteenth century a Baptist Chapel was built, on the parish boundary, a good way from the Anglicans! In the late 1970s the chapel had to be demolished as the back wall was falling into the pond. At the same time lots of new houses were built on the banks of the reservoir...
Categories Cambridgeshire/Personal Comments: 7
May 20, 2014

Southwell – Stations of the Cross

Also in Southwell Minster we enjoyed (if that is the right word) Jonathan Clark’s “Stations of the Cross”. Back, I assume in 2000, several Suffolk churches had a Stations exhibition – we had a minibus and a group from the Cockfield Benefice explored different churches to go and see them. Clark’s set has been installed here in Southwell – “Please touch”. They are quite moving – the photos don’t do them justice. 1 – Jesus is condemned to death.             2 – Jesus carries his cross.             3 –...
Categories Cathedrals/Outside Northumberland Comments: 3
May 20, 2014

Southwell Minster, Nottinghamshire

Saturday 10 May 2014. We are on our second Sabbatical jaunt. Having spent a night in Sheffield we went to Bolsover Castle and then on to Southwell, and had a lovely wander round the Minster. Southwell Minster – website – The Cathedral and Parish Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a very special place. I did a placement here in 1992, while at Lincoln Theological College, with the Reverend John Wardle, who was Vicar Choral at the time. We got on extremely well, I loved being part of the Cathedral, was allowed to precent for the first time (“Well...
Categories Cathedrals/Outside Northumberland/Railway History Comments: 4