A Stroll Around a Picturesque Warwickshire Village

D and I visited Stoneleigh - a pretty and historic village near Kenilworth on Saturday afternoon to try out the new bridge camera. Well in actual fact I took along my tried and trusted Olympus and let D do the experimenting. Why is it that a twenty something can pick up a new camera and, without even looking at the manual, have an instinctive knowledge of what all the buttons, controls and dials do whereas after studying the manual for half an hour or so I hadn't a clue? Conditions were far from ideal for photography - it was rather dull and gloomy with rain promising to fall at any second and, as we didn't arrive until two thirty, it already seemed to be getting dark.

Stoneleigh, originally called Stanlei, was once situated in the vast forest of Arden - sadly only a few trees from this forest remain in the area in nearby parkland at Stoneleigh Abbey. Around 45 cottages built in the 1500's remain in the village today although many have undergone alterations over the centuries.

The front of Chestnut Cottage shown in the photo above is a seventeenth century framed cottage with much of the original wattle and daub infilling of the walls still to be seen.

There has probably been a smithy on the village green since the sixteenth century - the present building was built in 1851.

The Almshouses were built in 1594.

The Seventeenth Century Bridge Cottage is sometimes called Van Dieman's Cottage - stories tell that brothers who lived there were convicted of poaching and deported to Van Dieman's Land (Tasmania). They survived their sentence (unlike many others) and eventually returned to the village.

The present day bridge was built in the early 1800's replacing an earlier one.

Here is D on the bridge composing a picture (please see the photo of swans below). On Saturday I finally understood why my family are always leaving me behind and moaning about me taking photos (and stopping to identify every butterfly and flower). I strolled round snapping away as quickly as possible (a habit I have got into due to the moans and groans when I am with others) whereas D was taking his time and composing each and every photo. I remember thinking to myself why doesn't he just hurry up and take the shot so we can move on - no wonder they get fed up with me!!!

A lovely example of layered sandstone in the bridge.

I loved the higgledy piggledy arrangement of rocks in this wall in front of one of the houses.

By now the light was absolutely awful - even on ISO 1600 (which I've never used before outdoors) and using F8 I was only getting a shutter speed of about one thirtieth of a second.

Jane Austen once visited this area - her mother's cousin inherited Stoneleigh Abbey in 1806 and a visit to the Abbey provided her with inspiration for novels such as Mansfield Park, Northanger Abbey and Persuasion.

Before leaving we had a quick look at the Parish Church of St Mary the Virgin - parts of which date back to the first half of the twelfth century. There were extensive alterations in the Fourteenth Century and it was restored during the nineteenth.

I didn't take many photos inside the church as it was very dark and gloomy and, as another couple were also looking around the building, I didn't like to start using the camera flash.

I did manage to get a photo of the late 11th or early 12th century font though. Arcading round the sides contains figures of the Apostles. It is believed the font was brought from Maxstoke Priory where it had lain among the ruins for 250 years.

This modern collage made in 1970 by students at the Birmingham College of Art represents the Dove - the symbol of the Holy Spirit.

This effigy of a woman was brought into the porch from the churchyard and it has been suggested she is holding a child. There is a rather sad story behind the effigy that tells how many centuries ago a knight who lived near the church went to war leaving his pregnant wife behind. On hearing news of his death she is said to have ripped open her belly and killed herself. She was buried on the north side of the churchyard under the effigy of a woman and child.

We had noticed there didn't appear to be any pubs in the village and on reading a booklet on the history of the village and church when I got home I discovered that all 3 village pubs had been closed by the local Lord of the Manor - Lord Leigh - when his daughter who was cycling to the church was laughed at by a number of drunks!


I've included a few photos taken by D with the new camera - on the first photo (you may need to enlarge it) you might be able to make out in the far distance a few 100 yards away a white speck.

And here is the white speck on full zoom - a pair of white swans. I know its not the best of photos but it just show how good the zoom capacity of the camera is.

This is a macro shot of a tiny piece of moss on the bridge - am looking forward to trying the camera with moths and insects when winter is over.

Finally, just to compare a photo very similar to one I took when we first arrived.

We did take the camera for a very brief visit to Winterbourne House Gardens on Sunday when I was family chauffeuring again but I'll put those photos in another post later in the week.



Reference : Booklet entitled "A Walk Round Stoneleigh looking at the Historic Buildings" and a Guide to the Parish Church of Saint Mary the Virgin leaflet.