Waxwing

Waxwing
"To see a world in a grain of sand,
And a heaven in a wild flower,
Hold infinity in the palm of your hand
And eternity in an hour."

From "Auguries of Innocence"

by William Blake

Thursday 10 December 2020

Berkswell and St John the Baptist Church

 

As mentioned in the last post we went a short walk round the local village of Berkswell last weekend.  It is only a small village with a few half timbered old cottages, stocks, a village green and pump, and my favourite pub "The Bear" and one of my favourite churches. I didn't take any photos of the Green this time as it was full of people. I suspect people had driven to the village to meet up and chat with friends. Certainly the car park was full and two ladies were sat on picnic chairs drinking from a flask!  It was  sad to see the little general store and post office seemed to have closed down. The museum in the village closed a few years ago sadly.







The 16th century Bear Inn. In a normal year we would have been going for a meal this week as it was my birthday on Tuesday but being in Tier 3 pubs are closed at present. To be honest even if it had been open I wouldn't have fancied going for a meal at the present time. 









The Well House (17th century) once the Old Rectory. 








Bercul's Well which may been used for early Christian immersion baptisms. It is a 4.9 metre square stone basin and was restored in 1851.






We found a few mistletoe berries which seemed to be growing on a holly hedge. Must admit I had not realised Holly was a host plant of mistletoe.





















It was much quieter in the churchyard. Apart from one man taking photos at the entrance there was no-one else about.  Easier to take pictures if no-one around as every time I stopped in village I would turn to see someone marching straight in my direction and the pavements are narrow! I was constantly crossing the road to avoid people as so many just don't seem to understand what "social distancing" means 😬


St John the Baptist according to Pevsner "is easily the most interesting Norman village church in Warwickshire" and it also features in Simon Jenkins' 1000 Best churches book.  It is a church that is always open but at the moment the door looked well and truly locked and there was no sign of the usual "Church is Open" sign.


The Gothic War Memorial by Sir Charles Nicholson was built in 1921.






The churchyard cross dated 1850 is on a medieval base of 6 steps.








Part of the corbel table



There is usually a Pied Wagtail on the church roof.





















I always pause to look at some of the graffiti carved on the tower walls.





















I did search for snowdrops but no sign yet of any leaves emerging. It is a good churchyard for birds. I've seen Green Woodpeckers here, a family of Spotted Flycatchers and one winter my first Hawfinch.

I will try and go back late January to check again for Snowdrops.



For my birthday D cooked at the weekend our favourite Pizza express pizza (Veneziana with a tomato base and pine nuts, red onion, capers, black olives, sultanas and mozarella) with polenta chips. Then on my birthday B made a Toffee and Pecan Meringue Roulade.






I'll share a few photos D took in the next post as I haven't uploaded them from the camera card yet.  So photos above all by me taken with the Panasonic Lumix FZ330 bridge camera.


I hope everyone is staying safe and well.










10 comments:

The Quacks of Life said...

nice to see you got out for a walk :)

Sarah Head said...

I love St John's. We visited a month or so ago as I was hoping to show my husband the crypt but they had locked the church early and we were shut out. Many years ago I visited with a friend and we wondered whether there might have been an octagonal portion of the church originally with the obvious connection to the Templars with the dedication to St John. I love the processional crypt too, with the medieval ceiling stars. It has such an atmosphere down there.

I agree that the well would have been used originally for baptisms. Another use I wonder about it is, given it's size, whether it was a medieval bowsenning well. The only surviving wells are all in Cornwall, but the practice was also well known up until the 19th century in Scotland, although there they tied the poor unfortunate behind a boat and dragged them around a sacred island in Loch Marie. The use of cold water shock therapy was taken into the Asylums and is still be advocated today under the guise of cold water swimming for depression.

Rustic Pumpkin said...

I am so sorry I forgot to wish you a Happy Birthday! The days just merge now, and I think I have succumbed to the sameness of everything. I am wondering now who else I have forgotten. So, Belated Happy Birthday! You son cooked a delicious looking meal for you, and I don't blame you for not wanting to set foot in a pub at this time. Glad you had sunshine and dry days for your walks. I don't fancy the look of that well as a possible baptismal pond or pool, do you?

Ragged Robin said...

The Quacks of Life - Thanks Pete - to be honest I made myself go as I was getting to stage of not being keen on leaving house! Did enjoy it when there especially the churchyard.

Sarah Head - Thanks so much for your most interesting comment. The crypt at St John's is very special indeed. I haven't been inside the church for a few years and have been meaning to for ages but it looks as though it will have to wait until life returns a bit more to "normal". Never thought about a Templars connection - I will have to dig out my books on church and village. I know there is such a connection with St Mary's Temple Balsall. Another area with a rather special atmosphere.

Fascinating to read your thoughts on the well in medieval times. I will have to research bowsenning wells. Thank you.

Rustic Pumpkin - Thank you and please don't worry. To be honest apart from present opening it was really a normal sort of day. As you say the days just merge - sometimes hard to work out what day of the week is. Thanks so much for Belated Birthday wishes too :) I wouldn't fancy entering the well either!!

Rosie said...

Berkswell looks a pretty village and the church sounds interesting. I've enjoyed looking at all your photos and I'm glad to hear you had a lovely birthday:)

Ragged Robin said...

Rosie - Thanks so much. Berkswell is rather lovely and the church well worth a visit. Thanks again for the birthday wishes :)

Pam said...

It looks like a gorgeous day for a walk and a lovely place to walk!! I love seeing the Wagtails, we have a few around our little town centre, it makes shopping a bit more interesting to spot them flying about!

Belated Happy Birthday :)

Ragged Robin said...

Pam - Thank you. Yes their little wagging tails are a delight. We have a pair at the caravan site and years ago there used to be roost at a shopping centre near home. Sadly the trees were trimmed rather drastically and PW's disappeared :(

CherryPie said...

What a lovely walk you had.

I feel for you about the social distancing issue. I am often plagued be oblivious/selfish people not respecting social distancing.

I haven't seen any spring flowers yet but in the past couple of days a few photos of flowering daffodils and snowdrops have been shared in one of my walking groups.

Ragged Robin said...

CherryPie - Thank you. Some people not respecting social distancing is a real pain :( Wild primroses are in flower now at the top of the garden :)