St Mary's church, Llandovery - sadly still shut

 The Monster is asleep on my bed.  I've just dunked his foot in a weak Hibiscrub solution, dabbed some of the old dried blood off and then dried it (make up remover pads work a treat).   I have to do this twice a day.

He was beside me on the sofa last night.  He felt cool and his breathing was heavy - like he was worried by the cone or it was pressing on his throat.  I put the little pink blanket over him and a warm hot water bottle and he was soon purring away, but his breathing still looked a bit laboured.  He was tucked up in the living room overnight and seems a bit brighter today, though really fed up that he wasn't allowed out.  I was out this morning but when I got back, carried him out to sit on the side lawn for a few moments, but he wanted to Go Exploring, so had to come back in again.

 I went to see my friends Pat and Pam.  Had lots of horsey cuddles with Pat's horses and a good natter.   On the way back I took the little lane up to St Mary's Church, hoping it might be open, but no . . .

This appears to be in French . . .  I am hoping gz has better eyesight than I do.

Memorial slabs inside the porch.

How frustrating that it remains locked.  I can't really find on-line details of the alterations you can see in the wall or earlier windows, entrances.  Perhaps I will be better informed  when I can finally get inside.

The drive to Carmarthenshire today was through such a beautiful array of wild flowers.  The Bluebells are such an intense blue at the moment and many of them are lining the hedgerow side of the verge, laced with the purest white of the Greater Stitchwort, and the mid-pink of Red Campions.  The Hawthorn hedges are just coming into bloom and act as a creamy white foil behind them.  Nearly all the  trees (bar the Ash) have their leaves now, and of course the Oak trees are a murky olive green just yet.  It was so beautiful.

St Mary's Church, Gladestry

 

I managed to cut off the very top of the spire, which is a pity as it is topped by a Flying Serpent.  It dates to 1709. The Flying Serpent is Biblical and is a symbol of divine judgement.  The broach spire was added 10 years later to accommodate an additional ring of bells (cast by Abraham Rudhall, Gloucester) and the church tower may have been modified/lowered at this point in time.

In the 1860s, Kilvert was a frequent visitor and preached here on occasion.  The curate (later Rector) was Revd. David Vaughan.

The church has ancient roots - 900 years - and is believed to have been founded by Harold Godwinson, last Saxon King of England.  A move more tactical than spiritual as he was making his presence felt in the Welsh hinterland.  There may have been an earlier Celtic church here.  It is on the Radnorshire border, and Welsh stopped being used here for sermons and services as early as 1700.  It is Grade 1 listed and considered a church of "exceptional national, architectural and historical importance."  (Taken from Church website).  Included in this description are the "outstanding pyramidal tower", the 16th C roof timbers and the 13th C priest's door (pictured below).

The font is Norman.

The lecturn.

An elegant stone pulpit.

HERE is a link to the Stained Glass.  Most of it dates from the early part of the 20th C.

Hard to read, but I think it is about a generous benefactor of the parish.

St George, but I don't know who his companion is.

The remains of an early stoop in the porch.

We viewed a lovely cottage in this village, right on Offa's Dyke, and with Hergest Ridge above it, with beautiful views and a managable garden, but it wasn't really big enough, had no outside storage and in retrospect, 5 miles from Kington wasn't that convenient for shopping.

It was another hot day yesterday and I got my walk in along the railway line early.  I pottered about and didn't achieve a great deal, but cut back overhanging ivy branches with a plan to make a proper flower bed beneath and transplant the climbing rose Tess of the D'Urbervilles from its planter.  She has never really recovered from a night of minus 12 a couple of years back.  I spent a couple of hours watching a German murder mystery series, The Black Forest Murders, though it had sub-titles and I was busy hand-quilting the last border for the quilt I began before we moved!

St Mary's Church, Clifford

 Sorry folks, last week didn't improve much with keeping. Keith had his UTI (onto the 2nd lot of antibiotics by then - fortunately these worked.)  I was more than a bit tired and worn out and I just wanted to crawl into a corner with a good book. It was very difficult to even drag myself out of bed each morning - I felt like I'd run a marathon overnight.  

    Danny, Emma and "I" were here this weekend, which cheered me up.  "I" helped me bake some Chocolate Chip Muffins for them to take home, and we discovered she has a new passion - washing up.  She stood on the stool and washed up the same plastic bowl for quite 20 minutes, very happy and chattering to herself :)  Then we did some jigsaw puzzles I'd found in the local charity shop.  I've just ordered several dinosaur ones (all in the same pack) for Christmas.  Danny wants this to be a screen-free house when they visit, so it will be simple toys and then board games as she gets old enough.  They went for a walk in the rain, which then rained MUCH more the longer they were out, and came back soaked.

     Anyway, here is St Mary's Church at Clifford for you.

I presume this was the site of an old preaching cross, now topped with a more modern sundial.

There were a lot of chest tombs in the graveyard - not all as upmarket as this one.  In fact, the whole graveyard was densely "planted" with various tombs so I think this must have served quite a large part of the parish.

The church is 12th and 13th C, and this font dates from that period too.  Restorations were carried out in 1839 and 1888.  HERE are the listing details if you are interested.

The door above is also dedicated to Hubert Bagster Trumper T.D.  It sounds like he was much liked and admired in the county.

The great and the good are remembered.  I liked the castellated memorial two down, though the dedication is hard to see now.

HERE is a link to the family - as you will see families intermarried in this area and a few of them will already be familiar to you.  It really is worth following the link and reading.

This is what I really came to see.  I am thrilled that this effigy has survived down the centuries.  Such a thing is rare - the only other one in the county is at Much Marcle.  He dates from the late 13th C.

In memory of the fallen . . .

A rather splendid church organ.

The manor house, just across the lane.

View across the ploughed fields just before the church.

I am shortly off to view the Monday auction again.  I shall take a good book (and need it!)  It's a shame it doesn't start till mid-afternoon.  Keith is interested in something, so it would cheer him up if I am able to get it.  I am still struggling with low energy levels but at least I will get out and I can leave Keith some nibbles whilst I'm away.

Gabby is coming up to see us tomorrow, and Tam and Jon at the weekend, so that will cheer us up greatly.  Tam and Jon can cover whilst I go off to Malvern on the Sunday.  BFN.