Well, January 17th, ‘24, was a great day! Not just one nice interesting old church. Nor the added bonus of two, or even three such edifi… but four!!!!
So rather than cover all four in one go – oh, and there was the Gt. Chishill windmill, as well (and beautiful skies and landscapes; good day!) – I’m giving several parts of this rich day their own separate entries.
Not quite sure why. But I didn’t take many pics inside. I was going to say that’s cause it was locked up. and I think it was. Yet the above photo suggests otherwise. Hmm!?
A little later in the day I came upon St Margaret of Antioch, in Barley (what a lively and for an English village!). She was, as you’ll see, most definitely open.
There’s so much in this church, by way of fascinating eccentricities and beautiful details. A dictionary definition of an embarrassment of riches.
Sometimes the effects of the vandalism of bygone ages can have, by accident as well as design, pleasing results. The above window, which I suspect recycles remnants of a formerly far richer window, winds up having a pleasingly simplistic almost rustic minimalism.
The above picture caption refers to a Miles Davis album, that’s also a ‘motion picture soundtrack’ (Ascenseur pour l’échafaud). Of course it’s not the steps to the gallows (or guillotine!), but steps to the church tower, as made clear by the bell-ropes.
There are lots of absolutely gorgeous buildings near St Marge. Here are a few snaps of just some of them.
This one, above and below, is particularly unusual, with the covered stairways.
And to finish, this over the road metal sign, a fox n’ hounds motif, belonging to a pub of that name (or some close variant?). A bit of decorative presumption, bordering on. neighbourhood vandalism, that I doubt one could get away with nowadays. But it certainly gives the location extra character.
It’s an all metal thing, on an I-beam profile. So probably not that old? Not also the old-fashioned ‘Werther’s Originals’ colour scheme of Richmond’s Coaches!