October 2nd – I spun out to Hoar Cross, one of my favourite autumn rides. The church here – next to the hall, but otherwise detached from the village by a mile or more and a very large hill – was built as a memorial.
Built at the behest of the Late Lady Emily Charlotte Meynell-Ingram, the Church of the Holy Angels is a loving and devotional memorial to her late husband, killed while hunting. It stands high above the village overlooking the Needwood Valley, adjacent to Hoar Cross Hall, and it is said that one of the carved angels looking down from the beautifully decorated stonework is carved in the likeness of the unfortunate hunter. This church and grounds are a hidden gem and deserve a greater appreciation.





