February 1, 2014

Greensted – St Andrew

When I was a lad I collected stamps. In 1972 (when I was 10) this stamp was issued – designed by Ronald Maddox – and it was in my collection. Apparently it was one of a seven stamp set of “Village Churches”. For information the others were Earls Barton (Northamptonshire), Letheringsett (Norfolk), Helpringham (Lincolnshire) and Huish Episcopi (Somerset) – do I see a southern bias? A few years later, when the Central Line still ran to Ongar, my friend Phil and I got off the train at Blake Hall station and walked here. (That was part of a few...
Categories Outside Northumberland Comments: 0
February 1, 2014

Great Canfield – St Mary

Our friends Geoff and Anne drove across from Maidenhead and we went to the Black Lion pub in High Roding for a very good meal. Then we stopped at Great Canfield church – just down the road from our cottage at TL594180. The benefice website for the the six parishes has a wonderful typo “a past report by the Diocesan surveyor said ‘This church is’” – that’s where it finishes. Add your own comment! Geoff’s grandfather came from here, and Geoff had been efficient enough to have the phone number of James the churchwarden. He happily came and unlocked and...
Categories Outside Northumberland Comments: 18
February 1, 2014

Three Essex churches

A week in a cottage near Stansted Airport. That sounds delightful … . Chosen to be convenient for both Cambridge and London, it turned out to be a delightful cottage. Three farm outbuildings transformed into holiday cottages. One of them accessible for wheelchairs – which is how I found it “disabled cottage Cambridge” – and Bread Cottage, the one we had, was easily accessible for Julie. The only downside was a beautiful white marble floor. When she knocked something over, or dropped something, we had a smashing time! We were only five miles or so off the M11, five...
Categories Outside Northumberland Comments: 0
February 1, 2014

Hartburn – St Andrew (again)

Last time I came here building work was in progress and the church was locked – today (7 January 2014) it was open. The church is at NZ090860, standing high above the Hart Burn (“which gives the little town its name” (I always thought that was a Peter Sellers quote, but google denies it)) – there is a car park just opposite the church as you come round the bend from Morpeth. It is a magnificent tower. The leaflet says it was built in 1080 and is this strong to store the tithes due to the priory at Tynemouth....
Categories Evetts' windows/Northumberland Comments: 0
January 7, 2014

Tynemouth – Holy Saviour

Going back a few weeks, Gareth was in the Freeman Hospital and I needed to escape. I took the metro round to Tynemouth – and we cannot visit the church without admiring the station first. Pevsner says “1882 by William Bell for the North Eastern Railway Company.” Bell was the architect, Harrison the engineer – and they built a stunning station. It is huge – built to cope with the excursion traffic. A few years ago it was pretty derelict – it is far too large for the needs of the metro. Recent renovation is superb. More information here. (For...
Categories Newcastle upon Tyne/Railway History Comments: 0
December 28, 2013

Personal pause – update

I’m sorry to have to report that Gareth died on Boxing Day – the Feast of Stephen. We are very grateful to the staff of the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle, to those at Great Ormond Street Hospital who gave him his heart transplant 9 years ago, and (above all) to the donor and family who gave us all hope and life. Gareth was a chorister at St Edmundsbury Cathedral, sang in the St Cecilia Chorale, worked in the Cathedral Refectory, and was a server – one Saturday he had spent the whole day serving food in the Refectory, had...
Categories National Trust/Personal Comments: 4
December 14, 2013

Riding Mill – St James (again)

Last time I tried to get into St James it was locked, so I wasn’t very hopeful as I drove back from Slaley. I came down past Shepherd’s Dene, the Diocesan Retreat House. They do some lovely things here – see their website – and they are very welcoming. The food is excellent (which is a mark of any good retreat centre). We often use the Wellington Hotel when we want a decent meal – recently taking about 25 people for supper after Evensong at Hexham Abbey. This time the church was open – marvellous! Now all we need is a guidebook …...
Categories Northumberland Comments: 0
December 13, 2013

Slaley – St Mary the Virgin

There is a whole area south of Hexham I feel I know quite well, though I have not explored. The Moorland benefice – Slaley, Blanchland with Hunstanworth, Edmundbyers with Muggleswick and Waskerley, Healey, and Whittonstall – are looking for a new Vicar, and I got roped in to help them draft the parish profile, the document which prospective applicants are sent. We had an evening at Healey Hall, sat round a table in the library by the light of candles, all trying to agree what made this benefice special, what each community could offer, and what they want in...
Categories Northumberland/World War 1 Comments: 0
December 12, 2013

Longbenton – St Bartholomew

Back to sunny Newcastle – though, on 21 October 2013, it was anything but sunny. A DAC visit to St Bartholomew Long Benton – NZ277691 – good website with a photo gallery. You can read back numbers of church newsletters – The Mothers’ Union want their tribute (or they’ll send the girls round). There is a large organ which fills a side chapel. The side chapel has a lovely Evetts’ window (search him on this blog if you’re a new reader). The Evetts’ window is hidden by the organ. Can they replace the organ with a modern electronic version which will...
Categories Evetts' windows/Newcastle upon Tyne Comments: 0
December 12, 2013

Bugthorpe, Yorkshire – St Andrew

We have a friend, Gaenor, in Bugthorpe (east of York) – a friend we haven’t seen for years. We went down for lunch, and afterwards wandered across to the church. It is in the centre of the village, SE772579 – the key is available from the Post Office. Later I went onto the Diocese of York website. Unlike that of the Diocese of Newcastle you cannot click a simple “Find a church” button to find location, Vicar, website etc. No glorious guidebook for this Grade 1 church – but it’s nice that the sheet of A4 tells us a little about St Andrew. I...
Categories Outside Northumberland Comments: 0