There was a double rainbow with its end in Newbridge-on-Wye as we were driving towards it - the arc of it was in really strong colours, but of course I was driving so couldn't take a photo. I had to make do with this fading image at Llanafan Fawr.
The church was probably an episcopal see at one time - an idea arising from an inscription on a stone known as St Afan's tomb - I looked, but couldn't find it, but many of the chest tombs there had inscriptions absolutely smothered in litchen, and unreadable, so I dare say even if I'd found it, illegibility would have ruled. Apparently this tomb marked the spot where St Afan was murdered by Irish pirates (a long way from the sea!) or more likely, Danes. At any rate, his Festival day is 16 or 17th November. Sabine Baring-Gould up from Devon on a church-crawling holiday, noted that a smallholding known as Derwen Afan (Afan's Oak) was nearby, and the rectory went by the unusual name of Perth y Sant (the Saint's Bush).
Unfortunately as it was locked, we were unable to go inside and see the equal-armed cross on an Early Christian Monument near the altar, although the fragments of even earlier crosses in the porch wall more than sufficed.
The church forms part of a much larger ritual/Christian landscape, as on the far side of the road is a ring motte 200 yards west of the church, some 45 yards in diameter - imagine a castle motte without the castle on it, which was a defensive structure. There are also other relics from the past nearby - a standing stone perhaps half a mile from the church and looking at the map, a stretch marked Roman Road from Beaulah, continues marked Sarn Helen (same thing really) passes nearby. Originally the church would have stood on a cross-roads as the lane beside it carries on as a trackway opposite and up into the hills - imagine transhumance grazing in the Iron Age into Medieval times.
Anyway, time to carry on with my Ebay listings. Here are the curtains and fabrics I hoped to use here, but we have the Wrong Size Windows!
Laura Ashley hydrangea curtains.
1985 Laura Ashley Oak Leaves fabric.
William Morris (by Sanderson) linen fabric which I wish I could use here, it's so beautiful.
More vintage Laura Ashley fabric (1975). You're noticing a theme, I'm sure!
We may seek out another local church today . . . watch this space.
Oh that William Morris design is gorgeous, could you make some cushion covers out of them instead of hanging them. I don't think I could bear to part with them.
ReplyDeleteAren't rainbows just magical, and a double rainbow even more so. I miss the view we had in Wales, we saw so many rainbows over the Conwy river and I always stood and looked at them.
Isn't it? 3.3 metres makes an awful lot of cushion covers though! I love William Morris, but the windows here are very large (which brings lots of light in) so something has to give. Even our gorgeous ex-display curtains have to go - which reminds me, I need to take photos and list them pronto, before my 70% off listing offer ends.
DeleteI wish I had been able to pull over somewhere to take the great big bow of the rainbow at Newbridge. Ah well, I have the memory. You must miss your old home at times, even though with the way things have gone with your back, you made a decision at the right time.
My Gran had the same curtains as your first photo - she bought them when she arrived in the UK and loved them, I suspect my mum has them tucked away somewhere safe now :) A lot of folk use the vintage fabrics to make dresses or skirts - they are in quite demand.
ReplyDeleteI think that says everything about my old-fashioned taste kj!!
DeleteI just need the space really.