Sunday 6 February 2022

FIRE! Plus churchcrawling.

 But panic not, it was only the grill pan, and I didn't panic and despite foot-high flames, soon had a wet teatowel on it, poured more water on the teatowel and took it outside.  Well, that's tested the new smoke alarm anyway!


First of all, an Edwardian GR postbox in the wall by the church we went to see today. There you go RR, one for your attention.


HERE is a link to an excellent set of photos on The Church Explorer blog.



A tractor on a grave seems to be quite a common addition these days, to show the farmer's links to the land will never be forgotten.



Arrow-slit window, sun-dial and plaque.


This plaque reads:  "This steeple was erected at ye expense of ye parishioners by Thos. Thomas, Undertaker, Mr Morgan Gwillim, John Jones, Church Wardens 1765."


THIS is what really interested me and interesting to report that only 6 or so miles away is another very similar one at the church at Llangammarch Wells (we visited it soon after arriving here last year).  Perhaps made by the same hand?  There is a probable Irish influence (Dublin slabs have "groups of multiple concentric circles" . . .  A date of 7th - 9th C has been suggested.



And  this, which is another fragment of a cross-slab (they were all found during restoration of the church in 1887.)


As was this fragment of a ringed cross with herringbone style infill between the arms.  



An unusual table tomb - I should have photographed it from the side but if you look at the link you'll see it on there.  I think this is the first I have ever seen.


Poor little souls.  Two at just a fortnight old.


This is the old inn opposite, The Red Lion and it is the oldest in Wales, and indeed it dates back to 1186! Unfortunately it appears to be shut for good or we'd have gone in for a half and a nosey.

I am tired now as I've been listing curtains and Laura Ashley fabric over on Ebay (I'll copy them here tomorrow).  There's lots of history to the vicinity this church is in but you'll have to wait until tomorrow to read it.

8 comments:

  1. I'm enjoying the vicarious tour of antiquities. I've read of arrow slit windows but couldn't really imagine how they looked.
    Viewing the patterns etched into stone I'm seeing them as quilting designs!
    I remember a tiny grass-grown cemetery tucked away on the rural road where I grew up--my best friend and I used to poke about there in the summer, reading the names and dates of the dead; so many of them small children. Family research can be a bit depressing when we discover too many early deaths.

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    1. Aha, now you know. I can see why you thought quilting-patterns too - I did with that leaf-shaped stone.

      So many small children met an early deaths. I am wondering what took those two babies at exactly 14 days old - Neonatal Tetanus? Not thriving (perhaps born prematurely?) Fits/convulsions (often a cause of death).

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  2. That poor woman, to lose so many, so young. It would have broken me.

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    1. One of my g.g. grandmothers lost her entire family of 3 young children in the space of a week . . . I imagine something very infectious ripped through the village.

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  3. Just catching up. What a lovely lot of stones captured forever in the walls of that church. Reuse and recycle comes to mind. I am listening to 'The Locked Room' by Ellie Griffith and as you say earlier on, she gives no clue as to the baddies involved.

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    1. Shows you how much was lost though as I dare say there are some fascinating bits out of sight or smashed to rubble in the past.

      Ellie Griffiths is an excellent writer - I especially like her Norfolk archaeology-themed books.

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  4. Gosh, I'm glad you got the fire out safely ... there are safer ways to test a smoke alarm you know ;-)

    It's nice to see a tractor on a grave, it gives you an insight into the person buried there. My sons partner is into shoots as was her Dad and on his grave there is always a wreath with used cartridges and pheasant feathers. At the funeral they had to promise the undertakers that none of the cartridges were live!

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  5. So sorry for late blog comment - I am all behind with blog reading!! Wow what a wonderful church and thank you so very much for the post box photo :)

    So much history to see there - just wonderful. I've never seen a tractor on a grave so will have to look out for them. Thanks for the extra photos too in following blog post and your curtains are divine!!!

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