Category: Church architecture

Lichfield Cathedral – a three-spired cathedral

Post author By greenbenchramblings
Post date February 10, 2017
4 Comments on Lichfield Cathedral – a three-spired cathedral

We haven’t shared a visit to a cathedral for quite a while now so a trip to Lichfield recently allowed us just that. A religious place of worship has existed on the site for more than 1300 years and the current cathedral now draws not just worshippers but also tourists who come to admire its architecture and artifacts.

We visited on a return journey after a weekend in Leicestershire visiting our son, daughter-in-law and our new granddaughter. We have driven past signs for the city so many times and have been determined to visit one day. This is the story of that day.

As we approached the cathedral green we found this “speakers’ corner” on the approach to the bridge. The cathedral was visible in the mist with its spire disappearing. There is sadly no place from which we could see its three spires.

The cathedral’s stonework was dark and well-eroded giving it an untidy finish, and pollution had darkened it in places to black. We were confused to find a carved tomb and a statue on the outside wall which we presumed were perhaps at one time inside the building in a part since demolished.

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The main entrance was up several stone steps and the doorways arches were beautifully carved with complex patterning. Equally impressive were the carvings on the doors themselves.

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Once inside we were surprised at how dark it seemed and how tall. There was colouful stained glass, beautiful columns and amazingly shaped ceiling structures.

The chancel was impressive because of its high vaulted ceiling and medieval painted walls. We were lucky to visit at a time when there was a display of artifacts from the famous “Staffordshire Hoard”. We were amazed by the beauty of the objects and how tiny but detailed they were.

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There were so many interesting things to see and take photographs of that I have far too many to put in this post so I have created a gallery for you to enjoy. Please click on the first photo and then navigate with the right arrow. We hope you have enjoyed sharing our visit to Lichfield Cathedral.

Tags architecture, archways, cathedrals, church architecture, Lichfield Cathedral, sculpture

architecture buildings Church architecture Herefordshire

Some Little Churches of Herefordshire – Part 3

Post author By greenbenchramblings
Post date March 28, 2016
2 Comments on Some Little Churches of Herefordshire – Part 3

The third church in our series exploring the small churches of Herefordshire was one we knew not for its architecture but rather unusually for its unique hedge! We knew of this church because the village, Brampton Bryan, because it is home to a huge used book shop situated in an old barn. It has thousands upon thousands of titles filling so many shelves that cover the walls of many rambling rooms and passage ways. The book barn goes under the name of Aardvark Books and it houses a coffee shop which serves very tasty coffee and cakes. Coffee, cakes and lots of books! How good is that!

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St Barnabus was well hidden among tall Yew trees and secreted away behind a stone wall topped with a wonderfully eccentric wobbly hedge. It curved sinuously around the churchyard and it seemed to us that the volunteer gardener who cut it must have loved this task and the freedom of imagination he put into his work. It was simply stunning! Some of the best “cloud pruning” we have ever seen!

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When we opened the door we were aware of how dark, cold, damp and unwelcoming it felt compared to the other churches we had visited earlier on. There was no sign of community involvement here at all.

But we did find some artifacts to interest us and above our heads we noticed its dark wood “Hammer Beam” structured ceiling.

We wandered around the outside of the church building to search for points of interest and found a mixed bag of things to interest my camera.

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Before saying our goodbyes to St Barnabus we could not leave without another look at its most interesting feature, the crinkly hedge.

Tags church architecture, churches, hedges, Herefordshire, stained glass

architecture buildings Church architecture community gardening Herefordshire

Some Little Churches of Herefordshire – Part 2

Post author By greenbenchramblings
Post date March 22, 2016
2 Comments on Some Little Churches of Herefordshire – Part 2

Following on from studying St Michael’s at Brimfield we drove along narrow lanes towards another small village called Yarpole. The direction sign at a junction directed us along an even narrower lane to Yarpole itself and on the opposite side of the road we spotted a brown Tourist Sign directing us to Yarpole Belfry. Thus we were expecting to find a belfry but no church. Separate belfries are a feature of several Herefordshire’s churches.

But when we drove into the village following signs for the Belfry we found both the belfry and an accompanying church only a few metres apart. We certainly were not expecting to find such an exciting place! The church here in Yarpole was a true community affair. We were in for many delightful and heart-warming surprises.

As we closed the car doors alongside the churchyard we got our first view of St Leonard’s over a low wall. We could only see the bell tower at that time but the big blue sign made us think there must be a church to be found there somewhere as well.

The next sign was more confusing as it welcomed us to Yarpole Village Shop and Post Office which were both to be found inside the church. We then realised this was a special place, the centre of village life around which the community revolved.

Signs outside the main porch provided further clues to the character of this community church.

On the path that wound its way towards the church porch we took a diversion to get a close look at the belfry which was separate from the main church building. Once inside it took a while for our eyes to get used to the dark before we could appreciate the ancient woodworking skills of its builders.

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We were surprised by a little sign explaining what made the churchyard special and different from most others. The graveyard is managed by volunteers to optimise the wildlife potential. Areas of grass are left uncut for wildlife, and lichen is left to grow on gravestones and stonework. Rough areas are left for nest sites, hibernating sites and groundcover for insects and invertebrates. The area is full of wild flowers to attract bees and butterflies. Another sign nearby announced a Spring Concert

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On either side of the porch carved stone faces welcomed us in, and inside the porch modern colourful stained glass windows added warmth to that welcome.

We found the door open and the sounds of voices came to meet us. This was a lively community centre with a cafe, village shop and Post Office. From the roof hung beautiful photographic hangings. The stone pillars were built from two types of stone giving it a striped effect.

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In the gallery where the cafe opened each morning a chess group was silently enjoying their games.

Exploring the interior we found the usual furniture and features of any village church and the worship side of the church’s functions sat so comfortably alongside the community functions.This is what village churches should be like, keeping themselves open and used beyond occasional Sunday services and serving the community as they were originally meant to do. Other features however were exactly what we would expect to find in any church.

We liked the idea of the pebble pool. Each pebble dropped in the water represented a prayer.

We then had a wander around the out side of the church looking for interesting little details.

So the first two churches we had discovered on our initial exploration of the villages of Herefordshire in search of little churches serving small communities were totally different. St Michael’s at Brimfield was quite traditional and typical in the way it was used and in how the interior looked and felt. But St Leonard’s at Yarpole was a totally different kettle of fish – it was a community centre and felt full of life. It had a relaxed atmosphere with a warmth missing from so many of the churches in England.

On our first day we found one more little church in this area and we will share this with you in Part 3.

Tags church architecture, churches, community, community gardening, Herefordshire, stained glass, village community, village shop, villages

architecture buildings Church architecture Herefordshire

Some Little Churches of Herefordshire – Part 1

Post author By greenbenchramblings
Post date March 15, 2016

We often drive through Herefordshire, our neighbouring county to the south of our home county of Shropshire when we visit gardens. Herefordshire has many beautiful private gardens open under the auspices of the National Garden Scheme and a few larger ones open more often so we have driven along miles of the county’s tiny winding lanes. These lanes take us through so many tiny villages many with equally tiny churches.

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We decided to explore some of these diminutive churches and find out more about them. We are not interested in those large churches built from the wool money, as these lack the character of their smaller cousins. They sit on high ground and dominate the local area. The little churches we are looking at are much more central to the village and appear to be grounded in their community rather than dominating it.

This is the first in a series about these miniature churches when we will be looking at the Church of St Michael at Brimfield.

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We drove south from home down the A49 knowing we had to find a left turn not far after bypassing the market town of Ludlow. We found the sign and turned into a narrow lane where we looked out for signs to the village church. After spotting the sign we discovered that the church was down a gravel road. We soon spotted the church through the trees and it certainly looked very interesting. So we parked up on a grass patch by the churchyard walls and searched for the gateway.

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St Michael’s is constructed in sandstone from local quarries but for added interest it has a wood-framed porch and top tower section. When we reached the porch we noticed a stone font on the grass on one corner. Today it probably acts as a very effective birdbath!

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St Michael’s was founded in the C12 but its tower was added later. The lower two stages were built in the C13 with the top section, built in timber added in the C17. The tower houses 3 bells, one Medieval, one early C16 and the third added in 1659.

We were surprised how bright and airy the inside of the church felt. Freshly painted white walls bounced the light around the nave and sent alternating bands of light and shade across the aisle.

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We wandered around the interior in search of interesting features.

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We always look out for interesting windows when we visit churches and St Michael’s boasted a stunning modern stained glass window in shades of blue depicting the dove of peace. Older windows were plain but beautifully proportioned. The light fitting hanging down from the ceiling had once been home for oil lamps and then gas lamps before the current electric bulbs.

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We were pleased to notice links to the local community, original art pieces by the local Women’s Institute and children from the local school. It feels good to see newer pieces of art alongside and on equal terms with ancient carvings in wood and stone.

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Returning outside, coats were rapidly buttoned up and we donned hats and scarves against the February chill. We wandered around the outside of the building, where we discovered our blue window, a blocked up door and battered sheds and add-ons.

Returning to the car we looked for textures in the grave stones and their sundries.

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St Michaels’ in Brimfield gave us a good start in our search for interesting little churches of Herefordshire. In part 2 we study another diminutive village church a short distance away.

Tags architecture, church architecture, churches, Herefordshire, village community

architecture buildings Church architecture the sea the seaside the shore townscapes

Hampshire Seaside – Lymington

Post author By greenbenchramblings
Post date January 30, 2016
1 Comment on Hampshire Seaside – Lymington

Here is another post to remind us of warmer sunnier days. It is the story of the second seaside town we visited while in Hampshire earlier this year.

Holidaying in the New Forest gave us access to beautiful countryside, trees aplenty to give us autumn colours and just to please Jude, the Undergardener, proximity to the sea. We spent two afternoons at the seaside, the first at Lymington and the second at Milford on Sea. In this post we will share our day at Lymington.

We got lost getting to the car park in the town centre but after skirting the coast we went all around Lymington and by luck ended up parking right next to the quay.It was a better place to enjoy the town from than where we had intended to park and to make it even more convenient as we got out of the car our noses caught the aroma of fresh coffee! Brilliant car park! The coffee house was a converted boat house with views across the quay.

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Once suitably refreshed and loaded with caffeine we wandered the old narrow streets close to the quay. We were taken by the amusing and original shop names and their signage.

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We left the old town and wandered along Quay Road which ran parallel to the estuary. The many old boathouses have been converted into homes, business premises and holiday accommodation.

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We passed several boat repair yards, marinas and boat builders. We were attracted to the sign of this boat builder, with its two letter B’s depicting yachts with wind-filled sails.

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Jude the Undergardener could not resist playing in this old fashioned seaside entertainment.

Our walk took us away from the waterfront and back to the town’s main street, where we found buildings of different ages, old shops, churches and cinemas.

After a stop for coffee and cakes we walked back through the old village with its cobbled streets and tiny shops.

We had enjoyed our day by the sea even though we found no sandy beach to walk on or even shingle to crunch through.

Tags architecture, Hampshire, harbours, Lymington, quays, sea, seascapes, seaside

architecture buildings Church architecture

Salisbury – part 2

As we return to Salisbury you find us still exploring the Cathedral. We left the Chapter House behind after a long stay and returned to the nave. Enjoy a tour with my photos.

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Two mystery photos to finish off our tour of the cathedral – what do the two following pictures show?

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As we left the cathedral after several hours of walking on hard stone floors our feet were relieved. We were pleased to discover that the weather had improved and we had blue skies and sunshine. This gave me the chance to take a few more pics of the cathedral as we walked through the close and back into the town.

We went off in search of more architecture but this time on a much more domestic level.

We returned to the car via the river bank where we followed a path that we used to walk along when we used to live close to Salisbury over 40 years ago. I thought I would finish my two posts from the city with this shot of a brightly coloured outhouse door. Someone has a sense of humour!

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Tags architecture, cathedrals, church architecture, Salisbury, Salisbury Cathedral, Wiltshire

architecture buildings Church architecture memorials outdoor sculpture remembrance sculpture townscapes

Salisbury – a cathedral city

Post author By greenbenchramblings
Post date November 28, 2015

We hadn’t visited the city of Salisbury for many years so as we traveled down to Hampshire for a mid-week break we decided to drop off there on our way. We wondered if any memories were stirred up.

We wandered through the city following tourist signs which directed us to the cathedral. As we passed through the streets we tried to see if we remembered anywhere but it all seemed such a long time ago.

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We found the ancient stone gateway which led us to the Cathedral Close, a peaceful open grassed area where couples sat talking and individuals sat with a book or newspaper. A group of youngsters played a game of cricket appreciating all the freedom the space gave them.

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We wandered around the Close to gain views of the vast building and discovered the occasional piece of sculpture.

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The Cathedral in Salisbury is well known for two main features, the Magna Carta and its wonderfully preserved cloisters. When we walked around the four sides of the square Cloisters memories began to stir. We remembered this part of the building clearly.

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There were small reminders around the Cloisters about the importance of the Magna Carta. We loved this piece of calligraphy on the floor. “Responsibilty, Society, Change, Freedom, Justice, Liberty”. We found the historically important document itself carefully protected from the light and visitors’ fingers deep within the Cathedral building.

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The document itself was displayed in the Chapter House where a new display showed replicas of King John’s seal and a piece of vellum on a stretcher. When we saw the Magna Carta we were in total awe at being so close to possibly the most important document ever written. Our hearts skipped a beat! It was incredible to think that this document was written in 1215 and it was still in perfect condition.

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We loved this quotation from Franklin Roosevelt!

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The Chapter House which housed the Magna Carta was beautiful in its own right especially its vaulted ceiling. A Peppa Pig helium balloon had floated to the ceiling and added a splash of colour, bright cerise pink! Jude was pleased to find a kneeler dedicated to St Jude!

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Wandering around the Cathedral we found many interesting artifacts illustrating many centuries, including the world’s oldest surviving mechanical clock created in 1386 and a memorial plaque from the Burma Campaign.

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A much more recent and very eye-catching piece was this font designed by William Pye. It reflected the stained glass windows and produced a gentle sound of running water.

The huge stone pillars in the nave were decorated with fabric hangings once again reflecting the thinking behind the Magna Carta. They said so much and also added great beauty and colour.

Art work hung from the roof of the side aisle depicting the colours and falling leaves of autumn. They were fascinating and intensely beautiful, moving in the slightest breeze.

Salisbury was so full of interest I will continue in part two.

Tags architecture, cathedrals, church architecture, churches, cities, cityscapes, human rights, Magna Carta, outdoor sculpture, Salisbury, sculpture, townscape, Wiltshire

architecture buildings Church architecture Herefordshire town gardens townscapes

The Little Town of Ledbury

Post author By greenbenchramblings
Post date October 4, 2015
2 Comments on The Little Town of Ledbury

We have driven through the Herefordshire market town of Ledbury, which nestles below the Malvern Hills, many times over the years and as we drive along its long wide main street we always vow to stop and have a wander around one day.

Well in early September we did just that and we were so glad we did! Interesting buildings, old and new were to be found round every corner, down every alleyway and in every narrow street. There was an amazing sense of pride in the town and a sense of creativity to be found in the galleries and design shops. This pride was not just of the town’s past but in its present.

Even as we got out of the car after parking up, there were signs of the town’s rich architectural heritage and indications of the town’s pride in it.

Once on the main street which runs through the centre of the town the huge range of ages and styles of architecture was obvious in whichever direction we glanced.

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Occasionally we came across a sign of modern architecture glued to the old and it looked refreshing and sat comfortably alongside its elders.

Luckily for us if we wandered behind the main street frontage and searched its alleyways and malls we found plenty of coffee shops to choose from. Suitably refreshed after our usual coffee and cake we continued our voyage of discovery.

Wandering down a narrow side street we found ourselves looking into a garden, a place presented to the town as a place of peace and quiet with attractive, colourful flower borders and several benches to rest on and appreciate the attractive surroundings. We wandered through the “Walled Garden” and found a narrow walled walkway which led us to the church.

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After a wander around the church we continued our walk around the streets of this historic town discovering even more architectural gems. This town is so photogenic!

But within, inside, below, above and behind all this architecture hides some beautiful little details, which I discovered through my viewfinder. Please enjoy this gallery of close-ups, secrets and details.

The best place to find these details was by getting away from the shoppers and the business of the main streets and looking into the alleyways and behind doors and gates. I shall finish this celebration of the character of the Herefordshire market town of Ledbury by sharing the photos I took looking into such places.

Tags alleys, architecture, buildings, church architecture, churches, Herefordshire, Ledbury, towns, townscape, townscapes

birds Church architecture the sea the seaside the shore

3 photos at the seaside

Post author By greenbenchramblings
Post date August 19, 2015

We spent a sunny day wandering along the North Wales coast early last week. We strolled along the promenade at a place called Rhos. I thought you may like this little set of three pictures.

The smallest church in the UK with room for 6.

First gull to second gull, "Just look at those two! Haven't they heard about the harmful rays?" — First gull to second gull, “Just look at those two! Haven’t they heard about the harmful rays?”

Tags church architecture, churches, North Wales, sea, sea birds, sea side, Wales

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Walking the Shrewsbury Battlefield – Part 2

Post author By greenbenchramblings
Post date May 15, 2015

Back at the site of the Battle of Shrewsbury we return to look more closely at the church and the sculptural tree. First though it might be a good idea to say a little about the battle itself. The Battle of Shrewsbury took place in 1403 just north of the town. Here two armies met in what was to be a ferocious and bloody battle. The rebel army of Sir Henry Percy, locally known as Harry Hotspur, met the Royal army of Henry IV on the land of the medieval Manor of Albright Hussey. There is now no sign of the village but there is a building known as the Albright Hussey which was built over a century after the battle in 1524. So many lives were lost during the battle that a memorial chapel was built in 1406 in their memory.

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This church is now known as St Mary Magdalene’s Church. Below is my photographic record of our visit to the church. We loved the detailing around the door knocker with its design based on a crown, and all the different gargoyles around the top of the building from which would originally have spouted rainwater.

Inside the church we soon found its famous stained glass windows, but we were also drawn to the reed lamp holders and the oak carved figures on the ends of the pews.

The ancient lych gate is looking worse for wear but its intricate carved detailing is still here to be enjoyed and appreciated, but I wonder for how much longer.

Over 5000 men died in this battle and their remains lie in an unmarked mass grave below the churchyard. Some of the headstones found in the churchyard here are very simple and others show very stylised carving.

When we finished looking around the church and its surroundings we made our way back along the footpaths around the site of the Battle Field. Half way back we spotted a pool in the middle of a field which still showed signs of medieval ridge and furrow farming patterns. Close to the hedge we saw a wonderfully sculptural old tree. The tree must have fallen years ago and has now lost its bark so was smooth in texture. This is Mother Nature at her most creative. Please enjoy looking at my photos of this natural piece of sculpture.