Here in northern England, December has given us too many grey days. Above the cloud cover there was glorious sunshine but here on the ground we have been conducting our pre-Christmas lives in a murkiness that has been almost devoid of colour.
However, today - Saturday 14th, the weather gurus promised blue sky and yellow sunshine. Needing exercise and the stimulation of previously unknown territory, I headed out into Nottinghamshire. An hour after leaving home, I was parking Clint near the oil well in Farley's Wood south of Milton. There were two nodding donkeys there.
I drank coffee from my flask and then set off on a circular walk that took me two hours and fifty minutes to complete. This included a longer stop than anticipated at All Saints Church in the village West Markham. A friendly woman who is one of the ancient church's keyholders let me in and we talked for several minutes about the church and life in general. There was an incredibly old font there with figures carved into the side. It is certainly over a thousand years old.
There were periods during my circuit when light clouds again obscured The Golden Orb but on the whole it was a nice day. I am glad that I didn't plan a longer distance. Five miles was enough and consequently my troublesome heel did not play up. Back at Clint's boot (American: trunk) I drank another coffee from my flask before heading home, listening to the Liverpool v Fulham match on Clint's car radio.
With very dull weather, it's hard to get motivated to get out and walk.
ReplyDeleteI agree. Illumination is vital.
DeleteThe Milton church looks like the mausoleum it is. It's not my favourite.
ReplyDeleteAll saints looks welcoming and pleasant.
I'm glad you saw a sneaky bit of sun
The lady I met there spoke about how the church had nearly died forever but she and a team of others had fought to keep it going and increased its congregation and usage. You would have fitted right in Kylie.
DeleteOnce again the architecture stuns me; gorgeous buildings.
ReplyDeleteAll Saints Church, West Markham has simply evolved as a building over its thousand year history.
DeleteI can't match your five miles, but I did walk home from the city last Friday, a distance of maybe two miles and a bit and wasn't at all achy the next day. I should do that more often.
ReplyDeleteThe churches are beautiful, and the well donkeys too, I've never seen any that colour before and I like it.
Any walking that we do is the opposite of smoking cigarettes. It helps us to live longer.
DeleteI think a lot of us are similar to Philip Larkin and like church going YP. I know I do especially when I visit Blighty.
ReplyDeleteYeah but you are a sinner - you need to go regularly to confess to your many sins.
DeleteLucky you! Saturday was forecast to be the only day of this entire week with a bit of sun, and it really WAS just a bit of sun, lasting for a couple of hours and not at a time when I was able to go for a walk.
ReplyDeleteDid you take a photo of the ancient font? The inside of the church looks homey, like a place where people like to gather for social reasons as much as for worship.
The neoclassical church looks entirely like someone's "personal" church, a typical wealthy and/or aristocratic family's building from that time. I imagine that it is relatively monochrome inside, with plenty of white marble, and not very welcoming.
In constrast, Manor Farm looks beautiful in the golden sunshine.
I tried to take a picture of that amazing font but it came out very blurry. I must have moved. Also there was a lot of clutter around it. To see it go here:-
Deletehttps://www.tate.org.uk/art/archive/items/tga-8728-1-27-41/piper-photograph-of-a-carved-font-at-all-saints-church-in-west-markham-nottinghamshire
You need to plan your walks better, where you can buy a cup of proper coffee. Don't you have food vans?
ReplyDeleteA visit to two churches seems excessive. Do you think you'll be getting religion?
The first photo reminded me of the Fallkirk boat lift.
Though I have been a non-believer all my life, I am still very curious about church buildings - rather like an anthropologist looking back on past times.
DeleteI'm glad you take Clint out for rides into the countryside, it introduces us all to the slightly bizarre element of the UK. When churches take on a completely different form and become mausoleums In that last photo I can see the cold that comes from blue skies in winter.
ReplyDeleteIf The Duke of Newcastle had paid appropriate taxes, he would not have enough spare cash to fund the building of that mausoleum.
DeleteI am not sure you've ever shown us a picture similar to the mausoleum you shared today. Perhaps you have and I've forgotten. But it is NOT an attractive building, is it? Not sure I'd want to spend eternity within its gray walls.
ReplyDeleteGlad you got out and about.
But as far as I know, you are not The Duchess of Newcastle Mary. The nice lady in the other church told me that her marble tomb is a lavish and spectacular work of sculptural art but I didn't get to see it.
DeleteIt was indeed lovely to see some sunshine yesterday.
ReplyDeleteIt is easy to forget what the world looks like in technicolour.
DeleteEnjoy the sunshine when it shines, and enjoy the cloudy days - the days are too precious to waste.
ReplyDeleteGrey days often suck away my enthusiasm for walking. I cannot help it.
DeleteIt has either been too cold or too gloomy to get out for a walk so I envy your adventure, Neil.
ReplyDeleteI like to walk in sunshine whenever possible.
DeleteI love the old buildings, it connects us to the past. We don't have that here and it is something I miss. However, we do have beautiful landscapes.
ReplyDeleteYes you do and you have captured some of them brilliantly with your camera/phone.
DeleteThat neoclassical church seems rather unusual for a village.
ReplyDeleteYou are right. It was a surprise to me.
DeleteYou have much more energy than I do. Even more than I did at your young age. BTW, have I mentioned that we have a daughter who is your age? Like her mother though, her beauty belies her years. Say when do we get your recipe for . . . wait for it . . . your very special . . . YORKSHIRE PUDDING?
ReplyDeleteAll family Yorkshire Pudding recipes and cooking methods are closely guarded secrets that we Yorkshire folk are not allowed to share with outsiders. Sorry Brucie baby.
DeleteSaid like a true cook! "Always leave one ingredient out if you share a recipe!"
DeleteThank you for the link to the photograph of the font. It's humbling to realise that something so old is still in use.
ReplyDelete