Tag: churchyard

#365daysofbiking – Blown around

February 9th – Sunday I suffered for the ride of the day before, but it wasn’t too bad. The wind was heavy and Storm Ciara was heading in – I’m sure storms were not as bad before we started building them up by giving them daft names.

I remembered that the day before, I’d forgotten to visit the lovely grounds of St. Annes church in Chasetown, over the road from the cemetery. They always have great spring flowers, and that was just what I needed right now.

The easter primroses were well worth it, but sadly most of my photos were poor.

At least the wind buffeted me home.

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#365daysofbiking Nestling in green nowhere

June 15th – With things online getting on top of me, I headed out at lunchtime on a much better day to find cake, sunshine and solace.

The sunshine was patchy, but lovely and I went to my old haunt of Hints Ford to see it after the rains. Green and peaceful as ever, there was much to see: I was particularly fascinated by the honeybee nest in the tree there.

Hints is as gorgeous as it ever was and I’ve missed it – I must try to get here more often.

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#365daysofbiking Relentless

February 3rd – After a very cold night, a lovely, sunny and almost warm spring day was welcome. Around midday, with the sun on my cheeks it could almost have been March, not February.

In the cemetery opposite St Annes Church in Chasetown, the serious business of advancing the season is pushing forward undaunted by a bit of ice and snow. The annual riot of crocuses is just kicking off, and was beautiful, but the primroses in the churchyard itself were weather lovely too.

Just what I needed after this thankfully brief cold snap.

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Boxing Day – Out for a quick spin before the rains came in, and I headed to Stonnall Church, as I’d not been there for ages. It’s a lovely little church, mostly brick but with a stone extension on the rear. It looks such a homely little church, and the grounds surrounding it are full of curiosities – from the views of the surrounding village and hills to the sad, headstone-less grave under the hedge at the back. There’s a curious little war memorial made out of nails, and some of the most fascinating weather erosion I’ve ever seen.

Yet you could pass this church – high on the hill beside the road – and never notice it were there.

April 18th – Between Harlaston and Clifton Campville, there’s a small, Catholic hamlet called Haunton. There’s a church, a small convent, a huge old folk’s home that used to be a private school and a lot of odd architecture. This is a tiny place, but it has surprising corners.

In the churchyard today, I noticed this railing remnant being consumed by two separate trees engaged in a slow, determined tug of war. I was fascinated in the distortion, and wondered how old the railings were.

I swear that if you put your ear close, you could hear the trees grunting…

January 19th – A beautiful day. After some time spannering the bike to cure the previous weekend’s mechanical ills, I took a sunset run out over Chasewater, down through Burntwood and Hammerwich, back up to Pipe Hill, and returned via Wall, Chesterfield and Hilton. It was a fine, cold winter ride. 

Chasewater, as I predicted yesterday, is now overflowing and irrigating the spillway. If you want to see this (and it’s worth taking a look), get there quickly, as I suspect it won’t be allowed to overflow for too long.

The gull roost seemed huge and was growing steadily as I cycled away. The view from Wall churchyard was as lovely as ever, and I was joined by a very affectionate and playful young ginger cat. I tried to take his picture, but he just couldn’t be still.

It was a gorgeous ride on a lovely evening. Let’s have some more of this, please.

December 25th – I stopped off for a breather at Canwell. A proud, foursquare, fearsomely geometric little church that was buggered, like so many were in the Lichfield Diocese with a horridly mismatched 1980s extension. The building and churchyard are still lovely though, and the porch was beautifully decorated. It’s a lonely spot, and I daresay few of the folk who pass it know it’s there, just off the London Road, nestling in the trees.

November 10th – I was still tired, and it took me a long time to get moving, but it was a gorgeous afternoon. I headed to Hopwas Hays Wood, again to test my mettle on the downhill there that fascinates me. On the way through, I stopped at Wall in a gorgeous golden hour. I studied for the first time the new milepost erected there in 2012. It’s an impressive thing, but like a lot of statuary these days, it’s so inoffensive, I don’t really see the point; commemorating the Queen as it does, it’s neither historically accurate or informative, but the carving is lovely. On the post’s crown, a last ladybird seemed to be enjoying the sun. I hope it found somewhere decent to hibernate. 

The real star of Wall for me is not Roman but Victorian – the church, with it’s gorgeous, well-kept terraced churchyard. It’s always peaceful here, and the golden light rendered the light Sandstone church and all else it touched golden. 

September 7th – It had been a gruelling week. In Leicester for most of it, I’d had enough. The weather had been great, and I’d missed it by being holed up indoors all week. I escaped early on Friday afternoon, and endured a sleepy commute home on hot, sweaty trains. At Shenstone, I emerged in fresh air and sunshine, and immediately headed up Church Hill to the churchyard. I love Shenstone Churchyard, it’s overgrown air of neglect and nature’s reclamation softens a church whose dark, Victorian gothic I’ve never been fond of. It’s a peaceful place, and although I don’t like the church, I admire it and it’s bold architectural ambition, replete with vulgar gargoyles. I felt relaxed, already.