Last week we spotted our first garden butterfly of 2022 - a Red Admiral on the patio nectaring on bergenia flowers.
Last Thursday D and I visited Barston - a small hamlet not far from Solihull. I had heard, via Twitter, that the church there was now usually open. I did visit the churchyard a few years back to see the wild flowers as it is a Local Wildlife Site but the church wasn't open then. If you'd like to see this post please follow the link St Swithin's Church Barston .
In Saxon times Barston included most of the area of Berkswell. In the reigns of Henry II and King John portions were given to the Knight's Templar and, following their dissolution, to the Hospitallers.
A local legend suggests that a underground secret passage from St Swithin's church to Temple Balsall (the Knight's Templar headquarters) exists. But as this would run underneath the River Blythe this seems improbable especially as the Forest of Arden which covered the area would have made it easy to move between the two places without being seen.
The chapel which once existed on the site of the present church was dedicated to St Swythin and belonged to the church of Berkswell which allocated the chapel a curate. This chapel was burnt down in 1721 when the present church was built by Thomas Fisher of Eastcote Hall. The Georgian church underwent what Pevsner calls an "insensitive restoration" by E H Lingen Barker in 1899-1900.
Crocuses, Snowdrops and Daffodils were all in flower in the churchyard.
Unfortunately for me the church was well and truly locked again! But luckily a very kind gentleman who was working in the churchyard offered to unlock it for me when I explained I was hoping to see two rather special windows.
I really was very grateful to him for his kindness and I said I would only be 10 minutes. He sat in a pew and chatted and I realised yet again how poor my hearing has become. I must have missed a lot of information because most of what he said I couldn't hear. It also meant I had to concentrate hard which meant I took the photos in rather a rush as you will see with the usual "forgot to check the window is correctly horizontal and not tilted"!
I fell in love with windows by Yoxall and Whitford when I visited St Mary and St Bartholomew in Hampton in Arden a few years back and I had discovered recently one of their windows is also in Barston church.
The window was designed and made by Nora Yoxall (1892-1998) and Elsie Whitford (1897-1992) in 1970 in memory of Frederick Gillman, a local farmer who died suddenly aged 34. It depicts changing seasons in the agricultural year and is incredibly beautiful.
Opposite the above window was the other window I had come to see which complements the Yoxall and Whitford stained glass beautifully. It celebrates the new Millennium and was created by the Art of Glass, Earlswood. It shows scenes and features of life in Barston in the year 2000 and contains the biblical text "Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today and for ever." (Hebrews 13.8). The kind gentleman did explain the buildings and features in the window but what little I could hear I have forgotten although I do know the nearby River Blythe is at the foot of this lovely window.
The window was funded by members of the parish and the congregation.
The East Window by William Holland 1863.
Fisher family Hatchments
The font is made from a design by Dudley Male of Birmingham and apparently the old font was buried under the foundation stone of the new one in 1854.
As usual I missed features such as the war memorial, the altar rails, the pulpit,lectern and a memorial tablet but I will go back to see flowers in the churchyard in the summer and perhaps the church will be open.
I went back to the car to fetch D - he had taken this photo of a robin while waiting.
There are two public footpaths you can follow from the churchyard. The first one we tried was very muddy so we tried the other one which wasn't quite as bad.
These sheep in a field came running over to the fence as soon as they saw us - I suspect they were waiting for someone to feed them as they were very friendly.
Alkanet and primroses in flower and someone had planted a daffodil in the gate post.
Back in Barston
I've started work decluttering the garage and the first task was to start going through items I brought back from mum's house. This was her old bread board which contains the text "Give us this day our daily bread". How I wish I had a kitchen big enough for a dresser to display it.
The items I wish to keep are now in a proper storage box. There are a lot of photos (prints) to go through and we still have all those boxes of slides. The trouble with the slides is that they are all in glass cases which have to be removed before you can scan them. With regard to the cine films B has a cine projector and he has bought a gadget to help you film the films with a video camera before transferring to a computer but it will be a long job but cheaper than having it done professionally.
You may remember when D and I went to the Big Elephant Parade at Worcester Cricket Ground I said I had brought back a small elephant. Well here he is and now he has a name Winnie! I was keen on either Edwin Elephant or Wulstan (an early bishop of Worcester cathedral and saint) but the elephant wanted Winnie so Winnie it is!
I hope everyone is staying safe and well.
Photos marked *D taken by my son the Red Admiral with the Canon SX50HS bridge camera and the robin with my camera
Rest of photos taken by me with the Panasonic FZ330 bridge camera
Reference:
St Swithin's Church History by P S Orton (online from church website)
Pevsner Buildings of England Warwickshire by C Pickford and N Pevsner
