Brief Trip to Herefordshire -It Rained!

 

We went to Herefordshire for 3 nights last week.  B had arranged to meet up with friends at a pub near Malvern one evening and it made sense to stay in Herefordshire.  To be honest the weather was either rain or sunny intervals and heavy showers so we didn't go anywhere except to B and Q Leominster to look for a plinth for a sundial and a walk along the river (I didn't take the camera!).  So just a few photos from around the site.

The Herefordshire Oak - leaves are definitely starting to change colour slightly.

The Octopus Tree

The Constable Tree

There are still flowers in the garden - rose, pot marigold plus cornflowers, white and purple heathers and sweet william.

There were several rainbows

D carved a munchkin pumpkin.

The night before the Full Moon

There were a lot of pheasants around the lanes and on the site - sadly I assume its the time of year when they are released for shooting :( I hope those on the site remain there where they will be safe although of course such a huge release of pheasants,  a non native bird, (47 million in 2016) is not good for native wildlife. A subject together with game bird shooting I could rant about for hours but here is not the place!

All photos taken by me with the Panasonic Lumix FZ330 bridge camera. (I don't particularly rate my photos but if anyone wishes to use one I would be grateful for an email first - thanks).

Herefordshire 2023 - October Visit - Part 6: Harvest Festival at St Leonard's, Hatfield

 

We planned to return home on the Sunday but it was such a lovely day we ended up staying until early evening.  I'd seen a sign in the village of Hatfield that St Leonard's had a Harvest Festival Service on the Friday evening so on Sunday morning D and I went to look at any fruit and vegetable displays still there from the Service.

St Leonard's is the third oldest church in Herefordshire. The nave is C11th and may even be preConquest and is partly built of tufa which came from quarries near Stockton on Teme. The church was extended to the west in the C14th when the chancel was probably built.  The bell turret is possibly medieval but the weather boarding dates from 1903.

The open timber west porch is partly C14th.

Lovely Harvest Festival displays in the porch.

Plain Norman tub font 

The chancel was restored in 1878 and the nave in 1903. The Norman tub font was replaced with this one which in my opinion must be the worst font I have ever seen! Although the Harvest Festival decorations have improved it somewhat!

The more fancy monuments are mainly C17th tablets to the Colles family with cherubs and mourners.

Looking down the nave to the West Gallery. The box pews and gallery are Georgian.

The East Window is by Mayer and Company 1878.

Early Norman blocked north doorway with a lintel of three large joggled stones. The Typanum comprises Opus reticulatum (square stones set diagonally).

Late C11th herringbone masonry and

quoins made of tufa

Fox and Cubs still flowering on the churchyard wall.

St Leonard's is only about a quarter of mile away and I often go there just to wander round the churchyard which at the rear of the church is a delight in the summer with wild flowers and insects galore.

All photos taken by me with the Panasonic Lumix FZ330 bridge camera. (I don't particularly rate my photos but if anyone wishes to use one I would be grateful for an email first - thanks).

Reference: "Buildings of England Herefordshire"  by A Brookes and N Pevsner Yale University Press 2017