October 28, 2021

Lichfield, Staffordshire – Cathedral church of St Chad, again

On Saturday 16 October 2021 we set off south to go to Bournville, but the A38 was closed at Fradley Junction. We had a guided tour of industrial estates, and then decided that Lichfield would be far enough. We managed to park not far from the Cathedral, and started with their café. I thought this was an interesting scaffolding buttress. Then we entered the Cathedral and could explore the Nave while a communion service went on at the East End. Lovely icons over both candle stands and the crucifix – worth having a read of www.patrickcomerford.com/2018/11/the-crucifixion-icon-completes-triptych.html. In brief, Gabriel...
Categories Cathedrals/Staffordshire Comments: 3
October 25, 2021

Old Radnor, Powys – St Stephen

Go and have a look at Old Radnor parish church said one of the ladies in Kington, so we did – SO 250590. St Stephen’s church is in Wales, but still the Church of England. (That’s made it fun when the Covid regulations have been different across the border). The views are lovely, and we should probably have gone to the pub next door. Good website – their photos are better than mine, so do have a look – https://www.kingtonparishes.org.uk/oldradnor There was probably an early church here dedicated to the Welsh saint Ystyffan, a member of the Welsh royal...
Categories Wales Comments: 0
October 24, 2021

Kington, Herefordshire – St Mary

On 30 September we drove across the border as Julie wanted to visit Lockdown Books in the small town of Kington – https://lock-down-books.com/. It is only open three days a week, and is a radical bookshop with not a lot of stock. He’d responded to a Julie email about accessible bookshops, and we got a lovely welcome. He’s obviously enjoying running it, so why not! We walked up to the parish church of St Mary’s – SO 291566 and were surprised to see so many churches parked outside. It wasn’t a funeral, the flower arrangers were getting sorted for...
Categories Herefordshire Comments: 0
October 23, 2021

Oswestry, Shropshire – St Oswald

We spent the last week of September 2021 on holiday in Wales, and on Wednesday 29 we crossed the border and went to Oswestry. Julie enjoyed Booka Bookshop, and then we went to St Oswald’s church. The last time I came here was for a job interview in 2008 – the world could have been very different if I’d got that! It was good to find the church open, and they have a website – https://www.stoswaldsoswestry.org.uk/church-history/. In 642 Oswald, King of Northumbria, was killed by Penda, King of Mercia – tradition has it that he died on the spot...
Categories Railway History/Shropshire Comments: 0
October 22, 2021

London – St Magnus the Martyr

The final church I managed was St Magnus the Martyr on Lower Thames Street, EC3R 6DN,  down by the top of the old London Bridge. They have a superb website – https://www.stmagnusmartyr.org.uk/ – with lots about the history and life of the parish. I would love the music, but it’s a bit too “high” even for me – rather too male! The noticeboard made me smile – I want to be a “Cardinal Rector”, although I want to a proper University! You would probably be wise to stop reading this and look at the virtual tour at https://www.stmagnusmartyr.org.uk/virtual-tour/ A...
Categories London Comments: 0
October 19, 2021

London – St Mary at Hill

St Mary-at-Hill church, just round the corner from the Monument, was open and well worth a visit. They have just finished a new exhibition and there are some fascinating display boards. Their website is supposed to be www.stmary-at-hill.org, but it wasn’t working for me. I suspect it will have lots of lovely photos. Mine are lousy, so go and find some better ones – you won’t be disappointed. I recommend the blog and photos at http://www.alison-allmand-smith.co.uk/harvest-of-the-sea/ – this is the fisherman’s church, and there are some gorgeous displays. It dates to 1336, the north aisle was rebuilt at the...
Categories London Comments: 0
October 18, 2021

London – St Botolph’s-without-Aldersgate

I walked from the Barbican, past the Museum of London and the memorials to the Wesley brothers’ conversion, then crossed the road to St Botolph’s-without-Aldersgate EC1A 4EU. They have a website at https://www.stbotolphsaldersgate.org.uk/about-us/about-us/, and you can download a history sheet (memo to self, download the sheet before you visit). It is “without Aldersgate” as it stands just to the north of the old City gate. The first building on this site dates to about 1050, the second was built in the mid C14, survived the Great Fire, but fell into disrepair in the mid C18. It was completely rebuilt...
Categories London Comments: 0
October 16, 2021

London – St Giles, Cripplegate

Wednesday 15 September 2021 and my first trip to London for far too long. I took the train to St Pancras and then went a couple of stops along the Circle to Barbican. I had an explore, and found that St Giles was open. It is on the south side of the Barbican and I last visited when Hannah had a RSCM course. It was lovely to find the church open, and empty. Their website is https://www.stgilesnewsite.co.uk/. A.N. Wilson commented “The Barbican is now an immense plate-glass fantasy, enormous gleaming towers soaring upward to the sky. But, doggedly, in...
Categories London Comment: 1
September 1, 2021

northernvicarwalks – August 2021

I should entitle these monthly summaries “northernvicardoesn’twalk” or “northernvicarridestherails”. I only walked 20 miles this month. I rode lots of trains. The Wrexham Bidston line, Sheffield trams (though I had to walk the final mile when they took my tram out of service!), the Apedale Railway, two days in Bristol (including a ride through St Philip’s Marsh Depot), Edinburgh and the tram, Birmingham (with two freight lines), and Bedford/Leighton Buzzard. I can feel your excitement! There was a lot of work done – an email from On High “hoping I was having a quiet summer” got a resounding raspberry....
Categories 1,000 mile walking/Railway History/Yorkshire Comments: 2
August 31, 2021

Alstonefield, Staffordshire – St Peter (again, for Lockdown Chronicles)

On Tuesday 31 August Caroline (our church administrator) was back after a week away, so we had a couple of hours trying to sort out where on earth we are! Then we drove north to High Peak Bookshop as Julie wants pictures for her blog – books and lunch. She was quite chuffed to find this book as her review is mentioned in its blurb. We had a beautiful drive through to Alstonefield and, like the last time I visited, struggled to find St Peter’s church. It’s on an earlier blog – http://www.northernvicar.co.uk/2018/12/04/alstonefield-staffordshire-st-peter/ Disabled access through the west door...
Categories Staffordshire/Uncategorized Comments: 0