D had heard that the tea room in Berkswell had recently re-opened under new management so on Sunday we drove over to Berkswell for lunch there.
The tearoom is called the Nook and it was lovely. D had a very tasty baguette filled with goat's cheese, pear slices, chutney and rocket which looked delicious and I had cake which was good too!!
Afterwards we wandered up to the churchyard of St John the Baptist to look for snowdrops.
This cottage used to house a museum sadly it is now closed.
Bercul's Well (from which Berkswell takes its name). There is some evidence of a pre-Conquest shrine at the village and this well near the church may have been used in connection with religion as an immersion site for early baptisms. The well is in a stone walled basin and is 4.9 metres square and was restored in 1851.
The Gothic War Memorial by Sir Charles Nicholson erected in 1921.
St John the Baptist is one of my favourite churches and churchyards and regular readers I am sure will remember previous posts I have written on the village and church.
The chancel, crypt and parts of the nave are Norman built in the C12th. Pevsner describes the church " as the most interesting Norman Parish Church in the county". The church is built of red sandstone and has an interesting corbel table.
The Preaching Cross has a base of steps which predates the church and may even be Saxon. The cross at the top was changed in 1850.
The two storey timber framed porch with an external staircase dates back to 1500.
It is always good to see a sign saying the church is open :) I didn't venture inside this time but if you wish to see the interior please see an earlier post - link here. St John the Baptist Berkswell Just scroll down a bit past the exterior photos!
C12th oak door to the church with handmade nails!
The wall of the tower has some graffiti - many from the C20th but some are older.
There are bird boxes in the churchyard including this owl nesting box. D heard a Great Spotted Woodpecker drumming somewhere nearby.
The whole churchyard had carpets of snowdrops - so fitting as it was Candlemas Day.
Cyclamen were in flower and there were buds on daffodils and a few Lesser Celandine in flower.
This is Well House which was once the Rectory. Maud Watson who is buried in the churchyard lived here with her father, the vicar. She was the first Wimbledon Single Ladies' Champion.
The village stocks on the green which only have 5 holes. Local legends suggest that this is because they were built for recurring offenders, one of whom only had one leg.
All photos taken by me (except for the fungi photo which D took) with the Panasonic Lumix FZ330 bridge camera. (I don't particularly rate my photos but if anyone wishes to use one of mine or my son's I would be grateful for an email first - thanks).
14 comments:
That is a lovely place to visit and the church looks very interesting to look around especially that crypt. Couple of things I used to live with my parents at a bungalow called the Nook it was right down the end of a lane called Paternoster Lane. I have snowdrops in my garden but not been to a church to see any yet, hopefully soon
so pleased for you that you got out and about! It's been a long winter for sure. I didn't see Timothy? The goat cheese and pear filling sounds delicious.
Thank so much Billy. It is a lovely village and church and not too far from home. Interesting about your parents' bungalow. I hope you see some snowdrops in a churchyard soon.
Thanks so much Debbie. Timothy was at home in the warm! I shall copy that sandwich filling idea at home. To be honest I wished I had had that rather than cake!
A lovely visit, I think I've said before that Snowdrops and churchyards are a perfect combination, so right together. Talking of combinations I really like the sound of goat's cheese and pear together. Your cake looks tasty too. Glad you were able to get out and find snowdrops and Lesser Celandine too:)
Thanks so much Rosie - and I agree the combination of churchyard and snowdrops is perfect. There are several localish churchyards that have good displays. I'd like to visit Easton Walled Gardens again too but it is a trek! Well worth trying the baguette combination - David said it was really good!
Such a lovely blog post. We don’t go out too often, at the moment, and so it’s a real treat to read blogs like yours! Snowdrops are really making their presence felt right now and I had a bank full of them in my previous garden and they spread and spread as the years went by. So lovely.
Thanks so much Sal. Making a conscious effort to try and go out more even though its cold as my GP said cellulitis more common in those bed or house bound! So I need to get more active! It is such a joy to see Snowdrops - your bank at previous garden must have been so lovely.
Gorgeous! Ir's so lovely to see signs of spring, even though it is of course very early. But all those cyclamen as well as the snowdrops are just wonderful and heartening. And you had sunshine!
Love the church porch as well, and the door with the hand made nails. Your cake didn't look too bad either! :-)
Thanks so much Mandy. It is so good to see flowers again and we did spot one Drone Fly on the Snowdrops :)
It is an interesting church and one of my favourites - we will certainly visit the tearoom again!
I must go down to our little church as it will be white with Snowdrops. What a lovely church and churchyard. I can see why it's one of your favourites. Some good old graffiti there too.
Thank you BB - hope you can get to your little church and see the snowdrops :)
It sounds like you had a fabulous day out and your sandwich sounds delicious :-)
CherryPie - Thank you - it was good to get out :)
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