Your Bike in front of a Church

[Blue Hills]

Possibly cougar didn't have a certain meaning when they branded that bike.

Love your bike.

 

[Andy in Germany]

Possibly cougar didn't have a certain meaning when they branded that bike.

Love your bike.

Just checked that as it's the sort of language change that can be embarrassing when I go back to the UK...

 

[EltonFrog]

St Mary’s Church, Cholsey Nr Wallingford, Oxfordshire.

Agatha Christie’s local church and she’s buried in the grounds.

 

[Tizme]

From today's ride:
All Saints' Aisholt, a lovely church in a tiny village

St Pancras' West Bagborough. Strictly speaking this is not the church, I was just about to wheel the bike up the path to get a photo when my old boss from the MT Troop, Commando Helicopter force walked out of the gate, by the time we had finished chatting I wanted to get on and have a crack at the 1:4 climb (but that's another story).

 

[Vantage]

I discovered this little gem rolling through Chorley today. No idea if it's an actual church but it was in a cemetery and looked nice.

This one I spotted going through Charnock Richard but forgot its name.

 

[Zanelad]

My bike in front of St Mary's Church in Thame.

 

[Grant Fondo]

The state of the stonework, the standard windows, the contrast with the architecture of the tower (at least the Victorians rarely demolished those), all sorts of things, once you start looking. It really makes you weep. Actually, this one has been reasonably well done, but the one above (Whimple) is an abomination - the main body of the church doesn't even try to match the tower.

To give slight credit to the Victorians, they inherited a very run-down ecclesiastic estate, and with the wealth from industrialisation, they set about a wholesale repair and modernisation programme; on the downside, they gave virtually not a jot for the centuries of history wrapped up in those old churches, and very often just knocked stuff down and rebuilt, 'better' and bigger. When you start noticing it, it makes you realise how few churches remain unscathed by the (well-meaning) vandals.

You summed up the problem with the Victorian restorers, they didnt keep enough of the original 12th ro 15th C fabric and added too much ornament. Gilbert Scott adding four dodgy turrets to my local Chester Cathedral main tower is a classic example. I hope one day they get rid of them as an awful addition.

 

[briantrumpet]

You summed up the problem with the Victorian restorers, they didnt keep enough of the original 12th ro 15th C fabric and added too much ornament. Gilbert Scott adding four dodgy turrets to my local Chester Cathedral main tower is a classic example. I hope one day they get rid of them as an awful addition.

Sadly, given the listings are on the totality of the buildings, I think that is a forlorn hope, especially when a famous architect was the author of the carbuncles. Of course, the attitude of 'new is better' carried on after WW2, with wholesale demolition of salvageable historic buildings in cities all over the UK: in Exeter, for instance, one narrow medieval street was razed to make way for a new bus route (which then never materialised).

It's only since I've started looking properly I've realised how few churches have avoided the Victorians' over-zealous sledgehammers. Out of Devon's 600 churches, I suspect it's in single digits.

 

[briantrumpet]

Do tell us more.

Or at least hint.

One of the finest collections of medieval woodcarving I've seen outside of a cathedral.
https://briantrumpet.wordpress.com/2019/06/22/plymtree-church/

 

[Blue Hills]

Just checked that as it's the sort of language change that can be embarrassing when I go back to the UK...

I think it's an americanism.
Back to the holy stuff

 

[biggs682]

Kelmarsh church

 

[biggs682]

Rushden Church

 

[Andy in Germany]

MBIFO Neuenhaus Lutheran church, south Germany.

Sulzau Catholic (?) Church, somewhere over yonder beyond Rottenburg, south Germany.

 

[PeteXXX]

The Diocesan shrine, and Catholic Church of our lady of perpetual succour, in Great Billing village, on today's ride.

 

[Deleted member 1258]

Maxstoke on the way back today.