St. Lawrence, Weston-sub-Edge

The church of St. Lawrence, Weston-sub-Edge near Broadway in the Cotswolds has the appearance now of a 'Victorian Barn'! After an enthusiastic rector heightened the roof and rebuilt the chancel etc. it is hardly recognisable as a mediaeval church. However the signs are there if you look.




Inside the church:-
There is the blocked off doorway to the ancient rood-loft still outlined on the south wall. (The pulpit is Jacobean)


The piscina and alcove that used to hold the aumbrey remain in place on the south wall of the sanctuary.

There are the remains of ancient carvings in a corner near the north doorway.

As seen in the first photo there is a large moated site to the west of the church. This covers an area of some 2 hectares (4 1/2 acres). It is marked on O.S. maps as 'Site of Manor House'. There is no obvious 'Moot Hill' as at Guiting Power but the ancient church site and the dwelling of the 'Lord of the Manor' are ajacent. More telling is the fact that the church building is due east of the manor house site which could possibly date back to Anglo-Saxon times?? It would be interesting to know if any excavations have taken place here and what dates are given for the buildings.

Guiting Power in the Cotswolds

The church of St. Michael and All angels at Guiting Power in Gloucestershire is of interest on several counts. It is of course the name of a hymn tune set to the words 'Christ Triumphant'. Historically its roots go back to Anglo-Saxon times if not earlier. There is a tiny Saxon sarcophagus in the church and a 'barrow' in the parkland just to the north-east of the present church building. There are remains of the Norman / Early English church incorporated into the present building. Alongside the 'barrow' are the foundations of a tiny Saxon chapel and an ancient trackway runs over the field to the eastern boundary of the churchyard.
A book called 'Church and Manor' by S. A. Addey (published in 1913) talks of the foundation of Saxon churches alongside the THING-VOLLR or Moot Hill. The Tinwald Hill, the home of the Isle of Man parliament is about 130 yards west of the small chapel of St. John. The ancient records of Iceland show the Great Moot or Al-thing joined by a fenced path to the circular Law Court to the east. A little to the south of the Law Court is an oblong church.
Is it possible that, as Addy suggests, we have here at Guiting Power an ancient Norse settlement, adapted over the years into a Christian Manor and church?

The so-called 'Barrow' is to the north of the tiny Saxon church. The flat top to the 'barrow' does suggest that it could have been used for a village / district 'parliament'.


A beautifully carved Romanesque (Norman) doorway.












The tiny Saxon sarcophagus, one of the smallest found in the U.K.

Remains of Saxon chapel/church

Guiting Power in the Cotswolds - more pictures

North doorway of present church

Detail of North doorway








Sunken track to church

Saxon chapel with mound to north-west

Bradford on Avon

This tiny church of St. Laurence was 're-discovered' by Canon Jones in the 19th century. Before its re-consecration it had been used for secular purposes (apparently becoming a house, a school and part of a factory). There is always a question mark over the original purpose of a building of this type. looking at the layout it is more likely to have been the 'hall' of a saxon nobleman or wealthy merchant. This would fit well with its past history. Otherwise the question is - when and why was it taken over / handed over for secular use?

Brixworth in Northamptonshire

All Saints' church, in Brixworth founded circa 680 AD and described by many experts as "The finest Saxon church north of the Alps". An interesting feature is the use by the early builders of Roman bricks from the site of a villa in the fields to the north of the present church.

Brixworth church detail

Looking at the south door, we can see where the original Saxon work has been infilled and a smaller 'Norman' doorway inserted at a later date. The arch of the 'new' doorway is typical of the period 1100 to 1150.


The photo on the right shows the Saxon 'herringbone' stonework and the use of Roman tiles in the arch of the door








Left: A photo of the nave of the church looking west to the inside wall of the tower with its triple light saxon window.

Right: This is taken looking east to the altered chancel arch and the saxon sanctuary in the form of an apse. I wonder if the original building was two storey?
There is a 'step' in the interior walls all round, below the clerestory windows. There is certainly the outline of a door on the inside wall of the tower below the triple window; this means that there was at least a gallery across the west end of the nave.

Zennor in Cornwall

A picture of the famous mermaid carving on a bench end in the church of St. Zenoria in Zennor on the north coast of Cornwall. shown here with a comb and a mirror. The local legend tells how a mermaid fell in love with one of the young village boys who sang in the church choir. After Evensong one Sunday evening she enticed him down to the sea where they both disappeared!
The mermaid was carved in churches as a warning against temptation. The mermaid of legend entices men to their destruction with her beauty and sweet singing.

East Portlemouth

One of my last parishes before retirement was East Portlemouth near Salcombe in South Devon. The mediaeval Rood Screen there has on the chancel doors a representation of the assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. We tend to forget that it was a 'Roman Catholic' church before the Reformation. This screen is a reminder of our common heritage in England.

The Lord in Glory is also depicted on the screen. This should have been on the other centre panel opposite the Virgin Mary, as below, but got moved in one of the restorations onto the right hand pair of doors by the organ.

East Portlemouth - Saints

Also painted on the screen are :- Possibly St. Henry VI (Good King Harry) and St Roche with his dog on hind legs giving him a loaf of bread; St Helena, mother of Constantine, with the true cross; St Cecelia with her portable organ and St Barbara with her tower; St Jerome with his lion. There are a number of other saints depicted too. If you are in Devon it is well worth a visit.

Madron near Penzance

The small village of Madron should be famous for its very early carved gravestone said to date from around 700AD. In the Churchyard is a typical Celtic cross. However....






















.....the thing that sticks in my memory is the door! "Jesus said 'I am the Way'" but obviously NOT this way! (There is another door into church which is open during the summer season).

A Carver with 'Attitude'

In the small church at Brent Knoll (near the M5 Sedgemoor Services) are some wonderful mediaeval pew ends. The carver obviously had little respect for mitred abbots (or is it a bishop?). He is shown as a fox preaching to an audience of animals including geese. Above him is a 'monk'(ey) holding a moneybag while underneath two monks (sorry monkeys) grill a goose on a spit. The fox (abbot) is then shown in chains, under judgement (owl in top section) and finally he is hung by the geese with the dogs applauding underneath. The whole seems to be a commentary on the greed of the monastic system!

Eardisley near Hereford

The font at Eardisley church is one of the most ornate 'Romanesque' fonts in the U.K. The local legend is that the Lord of the manor went on pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. He was so impressed with the carvings there (The famous "Portico de Gloria") that he suborned one of the masons and brought him back to the Welsh Marches. The result is the combining of Celtic, Saxon and Romanesque sybolism found in churches in the area.
The theme of the carving is the saving of a sinner from hell by Our Lord Jesus Christ. Norman soldiers as 'devils'?? Christ, with the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove resting on His shoulder, appears to be dragging the reluctant sinner to safety.
This font is well worth a visit if you are in or around Hereford.