The amazing font at Castle Frome church, Herefordshire

 

This church was easy to find - I just left Ledbury on the Bromyard road, and then found the turning for it.  A quiet spot and once there was a nearby wooden motte and bailey castle on the high ground east of the church  and which was also the site of a Roman Camp (evidenced by the Hellebore still growing here - a plant always found at Roman sites because it was used as a purgitive.)  Bishop's Frome and Canon Frome villages got their names from being administered by the Canons of Llantony Abbey until the dissolution of the monasteries.  In the Domesday Book, Castle Frome was Brismerfrum. (Many thanks to the little potted history of Castle Frome which I bought in the church for 50p.)

My photographs cannot even begin to match this superb one from the cover of Malcolm Thurlby's book "The Herefordshire School of Romanesque Sculpture".  

The church is very simple in layout and the font is at the back - you get a view of the nave and chancel here.

Two Eagles representing St John, and below, an amazing survival, the rough sculpture for it.

The vast font is supported by three figures in ribbed (quilted?) clothing.  Two are now sadly missing their heads.  The remaining one reminded me of a tortoise and its shell!  This is a similar design to that used in Wurtemberg, Germany.

A close-up of the face with the curly hair and beard and slightly bulging eyes, similar to designs at Kilpeck.

The Ox of St. Luke.

The Angel of St Matthew.

What I missed taking a photograph of is the baptism of Christ with a large footed John the Baptist and the widening ripples of a big pool of water.  It was rather dark in there though.  Must do my homework before I go to the next church.  I missed some interesting bits in the church at Ledbury too.  Slapped wrist!

This tomb is of the Unett family, and dates to 1656.  They were related by marriage through Elizabeth Clodeshalle (subsequently Deveraux) whose family had been granted the lordship of Castle Frome by Gilbert de Lacy in 1341. You can just see traces of the original paintwork.

This was the only wall memorial.  Also to members of the Unett family.

This church had a very comforting atmosphere.  I sat down for a while to think of what was happening in reality in my life right now, and my eyes filled with tears. Worry rather than self-pity.

This week I booked Keith in at the GP's again and we discussed the way forward - with worryingly-long waiting lists to see Consultants, we have decided on an initial private appointment with a Neurologist to try and get a proper assessment (although I think use it or lose it is to blame to some degree).  I realize we are very fortunate to be in a position to do this but it is only because we have a small nest egg from selling our last home, otherwise we would be at the bottom of the queue.  So, we shall see.

I have a very busy weekend ahead with a 3 day Fair - first day setting up but we can't leave until 7 p.m. when they lock the doors.  Then 6.30 Saturday and we can't start packing up until 5 on the Sunday.  Fortunately Tam is doing it with me as Keith hasn't the stamina right now.  I will be worrying about him at home all the time I am away, in case he should have a fall.  Friday night's meal will be courtesy of the Chippy  . . .  Worried about the Fair on all sorts of levels but I am sure it will work out OK, and we shall be wearing masks as so many people from across the country go there to buy and sell.

On a positive note, I have cleared the area where a veg bed of sorts was - the wooden edging was surrounded by about 20 years of ivy growth in a continuous loop and took some clearing.  I have gone back to the edge of the hedge now but still need to clear behind the stump, which will have a Clematis planted by it to grow over.  I have a couple in pots which haven't thrived so will put them in later.

The gardener came yesterday to cut the lawn.  I asked him to cut down the flowering cherry tree because it had obviously got long past its best - about half a dozen bits of bloom.  Being on a dry bank with its roots in rubble has done it no favours.  The Pieris will have more room now.  I was expecting the lawn to be done in an hour especially as he has a petrol mower.  It all went quiet out there and I found him cutting all the borders (ok they needed it) with edging shears.  At the end of 3 hours (!) he said that the quickest bit was cutting the lawn.  Well, yes, that was what I had wanted him to do.  The rest I could manage in my own time.  I'm afraid I will have to do it all myself in future as his fitness levels are lower than mine and it took him 3 hours to dig over quite a small area last time! 

Have a good weekend all.