Rood screen, Carhampton
I've been editing a whole load of photographs from the main church-crawl that I did when on holiday in Somerset a few weeks ago - but life and its distractions have slowed me down. So here's just a taste of some of the interesting works of art that I saw when I was out and about in some of our greatest hidden art galleries here in the UK - our parish churches. Please be patient with me, and I'll have more to show you over the weekend.
Salvage yard, Dunster
The third day of five in Somerset, a day upon which I met The Truly Amazing Skateboarding Dog! I kid you not, gentle readers - There I was, quietly wandering around a salvage yard, imagining what the dear old fireplaces must have looked like in their heydays, still installed in Edwardian houses, polished up with love and care, instead of here, gently rusting away until someone came to rescue them.
Heard a barking and a rushing, and feared the worst. A German Shepherd hurtling towards me - was I in a forbidden part of the yard? Did he think I was an intruder? Then I saw why he was approaching so fast...the blessed beast was skateboarding!!!
It was obviously his toy, and the fuss and noise were merely meant to tell me to get out of the way as he stepped on one corner, did an excellent three point turn, and sped off in another direction. The things you see in a salvage yard!!!
This was a day in the medieval market town of Dunster, and yes, you have guessed it, it was raining. The most moist day of all the week, and myself considerably under the weather, so not so many photos to choose from...but here are a few images of how I spent my time.
Back to the salvage yard. O Happy Day when I have the chance to wander around a place like this. I am sure there are good homes waiting for all these items, but it is such fun to just see them in their 'raw' state and hope that they are soon taken away, cleaned up and installed somewhere to enhance a house or garden. Old stone sinks, a wrought iron fire-basket, several eel-traps, a dove-cote, coal hods, an ancient washing machine -(the barrel shaped item) and a trio of windows that would grace any renovation once they had been cleaned up and painted. All the items somewhat overpriced, I thought...but if you are looking for just exactly one of those items, who is to say what the 'right' price really is, apart from what you are prepared to pay for it?
Took refuge in Dunster church during the worst of the downpours - where I discovered this very grand Luttrell tomb -look at trouble taken to show the detailing of the woman's petticoats...
and a 'Memento Mori' triptych, bearing all the reminders of time and
mortality - the sand-timers, the skull and crossed-bones, and the
cherubic little ascending souls, carved somewhat naievely into the
black slate slab.
Lunch in the cosy old kitchens of the 15th century Lutrell Arms, just visible on the right, behind the old Yarn Market here in the centre of Dunster,
and then back to Porlock, to visit the church of St Dubricius with its distinctive truncated tower. Inside, the early 15th Century tomb of Lord Harington - who fought with Henry the Fifth in France, and his Lady, her hair coiffured in an elegant embroidered head-dress, her head upon a pillow supported by two angels.
It was only a short walk back from the church to the apartment, passing another 15th century building, the Ship Inn, at the bottom of the notorious 1 in 4 Porlock Hill, before I was able to get warm and dry again.
I feel I have hurried you through this blog-post in rather the same way that I hurried through the day in Dunster...but once again, wasn't it worth braving the weather for all the interesting things I managed to see?
An old stone cottage on the edge of the village
Click on this extra large image to experience being right in amongst these magnificent beech tree roots
The track along the top of the earthworks surrounding the village and stone circles
Leaves falling just enough to start to see the underlying framework of branches..one of the benefits of autumn and winter
Autumn tree colour amongst the inner stone circle - the parish church in the background. Christianity once again following in the path of Pagan ancestors.
Late afternoon and dusk ensues - a welcoming glow from some of the windows
The sun falls behind the old cottages and the church...time to wander home again.
The West Lyn at Lynmouth
The second day of my visit to Somerset and the rain settled in with intention. But were we downhearted? NO! .....autumnal rain here in England is all part of the weather systems that give us our beautiful English gardens, so I try not to complain - though it has to be admitted that lots of things look better in the sun. But I know you don't mind - you all have your rain-hats and wellies on - so off we go! This time, our second outing - to Lynmouth and Lynton on the North Devon coast.
Lynmouth, just over the county border in Devon, is sadly remembered here for the terrible flood which wrought havoc on the little coastal town on the night of 15th August 1952, when the innocent stream in the picture turned into a raging flood overnight, as rainwater collected from Exmoor and poured in a torrent down the ravine, carrying large boulders from the gorge, demolishing many of the buildings below in the main street and taking with it the lives of 34 people.
The disaster is now remembered in Lynmouth in the Flood Memorial Hall, with evocative photographs taken on the morning after, a list of those who lost their lives, and some touching artefacts collected from the devastated buildings. Around the corner from the Memorial Hall, a monument to an earlier period, in the Cliff Railway, completed in 1890, with two carriages operated by the simple and very green expedient of water power...reservoir tanks under each of the two carriages filling and emptying with water to produce a counterbalance system, differentially weighting each carrage, so that the weight of the one at the top causes it to descend, and at the same time, the weight of the descending carriage pulls the empty one below back up to the top via connecting cables. It's quite an experience to sit on the rising carriage and hear the cables rumbling away beneath you as you ascend what feels like a sheer cliff wall!
On reaching the top, the drizzly rain below turned into heavy downpour rain up in the clouds...and in a situation like that, the next sign was a sight for sore eyes...a booksale running almost permanently in the Town Hall...can you guess where I spent the next half hour?
Also there, a small display in the main entrance of the content of a Victorian trunk that had been discovered some time ago, filled with delicate needlework - click on the image to see it all in greater detail
and of course, no visit complete for me without a look around the local church - this one St Mary's, Lynton - notice the very unusual beaten copper altar frontal and the surprising, life sized image of Mary
The reredos paintings were also of very high quality...
Back down on the cliff railway - you can see here just how vertiginous the view is from the top, and also the tiny carriage just arriving at the bottom station below. Can you see the beach through the mist?
Nothing brighter at the bottom - the beach still bleak and windswept - but, "making lemonade when handed lemons", I also saw an inviting beach full of rock pools and covered with shining pebbles and shells in so many gorgeous colours and shapes. I am a total five year old as soon as I arrive on this sort of beach and could poke around in the nooks and crannies for hours...not sure if the young gull being blown about felt quite the same way about the place, though - but what amazing camouflage.
Leaving Lynmouth, past the 14th Century Rising Sun Hotel and back to the car, across windswept Exmoor...
and back to Porlock...calling in at the church in the tiny village of Exford, up on the Moor, which is, nevertheless blessed with a spectacular rood screen of a kind typical of Somerset churches, with beautiful carved tracery arches supporting a four foot wide platform on the top - the site, in pre-Reformation times of the Holy Rood.
Finally back, cold and wet, to the apartment, for very, very welcome hot tomato soup - but also the memory of a happy and interesting excursion. I'll leave you with the jollity of a clay sculpture by J. Dean, on show in the old Methodist Hall, now turned into an Art Gallery. Who would not be cheered up by seeing this on a cold and dreary day?
More tomorrow!
Wall paintings in the church of Norton sub Hamdon
Back for three weeks now, and still I haven't told you about my short holiday in Somerset. Only five days, with a fairly miserable cold, and pouring rain for all but one day, but still I had a most interesting time. once again, I'll let the pictures tell the story...
As usual, I managed to find myself a church or two to visit en route...these wall paintings in the church of Norton-sub-Hamdon have only recently been uncovered, and in fact look as if they are still in the process of being restored...and below, it looks as if St. George is having a valiant attempt to vanquish yet one more dragon on the wall outside...
Here is a closer look at one of the 15th century wall paintings
Now let me show you around the Edwardian house where I stayed - in 'High Hangar' - the top apartment of Hartshanger House, overlooking Porlock Bay. This was the view as I arrived...
While walking along the path to approach the apartment, this beautiful array of Hydrangeas greeted me
Look above, at the angle between the two roof eaves...this is the view from the little balcony situated there...down to the bay and wetlands
One end of the 'Willow pattern' sitting room and kitchenette - look out of the window to see what a spectacular view there was down to the wetlands...
The kitchen area...notice the Willow pattern stencil all around? very pretty
Below, the charming little bedroom (and the bed in which I spent most evenings, snuffling away!)
And the wallpaper in the bathroom - quite the most unusual I have ever seen, and so appropriate for the setting of the house.
Come back tomorrow, to see some of the other places I visited.
The entrance to the road through the woods
...and we return to Greenwich Mean Time here in the UK, I invite you to take a few steps with me along the walk I took through the woods this afternoon. It's unseasonally warm here at the moment, though more seasonally wet. So in-between the showers, this was how I spent a very enjoyable couple of hours. (Correction - not strictly in-between the showers.,..but those that caught me out found me sheltering under the canopy of leaves that were still on the deciduous trees, and the thick cover of the conifers!)
Right - have you got some comfortable shoes on? Come on, then...follow me!
(click on any image to enlarge)
Still green, but the beech leaves are falling
Debris from conifer logging
Fungi, feather, leaf
Oakleaves in stages of decay
A stand of pines
Logged pines left to decay in planned management
Multicoloured beautiful beech tree
Returning to the earth - the circle of life
Cathedral of the trees
Sunlight after shower
On the way home - looking across the fields
A sumach glowing through the gate of a private garden
More glorious leaf colour
If I need to post a letter - hedgerow post box
The Great Oak
Home again!
Boats down in Lymington Harbour
Today a photo-essay of a delightful visit, last Saturday, to two of my resident county's coastal towns. Glorious weather, the sea, and even a town market day..what an excellent combination!
A veggie stall at Lymington Market
Lymington Church
The Silver-plate stall, Lymington market
The market stalls set out in front of the Georgian houses in the main street, Lymington
A side-street corner
Down by the lobster pots
The river up from Christchurch harbour
11th century Christchurch Priory
14th century reredos carving of the Tree of Jesse. Jesse - as always - looking mightily bored by the whole process of having a tree growing out of his side :-)
The superb - and un-iconoclasted - carvings of the Nativity of Christ on the upper part of the Tree of Jesse
Striking modern (2007) oil painting of Jesus in his last days, by Chris Dancer
15th century misericorde carved on an upturned seat in the choir stalls. (there for weary monks to lean against when standing through lengthy services). Click to enlarge, turn your head to your left, to see the lady wearing a long, pointy, medieval head-dress
A squawking demon
Memorial to percy Bysshe Shelley, and his wife, Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, the author of "Frankenstein"
The peaceful view on exiting the Priory...I hope you have enjoyed your visit...
To Marlborough this afternoon with my dear friend Liz, to celebrate her 36th
wedding anniversary. We followed our usual path, lunching at the Castle
and Ball in the High street before strolling around bookshops, charity (thrift)
shops, de-lic-ious little Italian boutiques selling delectable jewellry and
clothes (to fantasise over, not to buy!) And shops selling baby clothes and
miniature furniture.
We had reached the end of the High street when I spotted the notice
outside the 500 year old St Peter's Church (redundant & de-consecrated since 1974)
announcing that the craft stalls and coffee shop were still open. Now, I had
remembered visiting the church several years ago and while pleasant, the
crafts were of the "padded coat-hanger" variety - and I have not bothered
since.
But since we had an hour left before our parking ran out, we decided to
investigate - and we were both very glad that we did. On my past visit,
there was just a small area at the back of the church displaying a very
limited number of crafts, with the rest of the church screened off. A very
different sight to that of today, when the whole of the interior is illuminated,
beautifully cared for, and sectioned off for a number of interesting and very
well produced crafts, coffee and cakes, a large open area for receptions -
and even a small chapel to one side, still reserved for quiet prayer.
How wonderful that, instead of this church - like so many others - being
stripped and then demolished to make way for soul-less new housing or
offices, it has instead been preserved to keep an impressive Victorian
interior intact, and also provide a considerable amenity and meeting place
for the local community. Well done, all those who laboured hard to bring
this project to fruition!
A craft gallery at the West end of the church
The East end of the church, completely clad in Minton tiles by Wyatt during the Victorian renovations
Beautiful Victorian floor tiles by Victorian tile manufacturers Maws, and an old village bier (loaned from Minel in Wiltshire) upon which many parishoners would have been carried on their last journey
- notice also the stencilled walls
A closer view of the Victorian stencils
The font makes an attractive display area
Three children buried in just over a month - Death is no respecter of rich or poor...
The elegant interior, beautifully though simply lit
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