As I mentioned in the last blog post Saturday was really far too hot. Anything over 20 degrees and I start to melt so I persuaded D we should pop to a nearby church to see if it was any cooler inside. I go to St Leonard's in Hatfield a lot so I decided we would travel a bit further and revisit St Michael's at Bockleton. I have visited several times in the past but not for quite a while now.
There are foundations of walls under grass in the churchyard to the North side of the church suggesting the presence of a Saxon church before the current church was built. The present church was built in 1160 but there have been changes since. There is a Norman nave and Norman North and South Doorways. There are two Norman windows either side of the the doorways and the remaining windows are C13th. Around the middle of the C13th the chancel was built, the tower was added in the C16th and the family chapel in 1560.
The whole church interior was restored in 1867.
The church is in the county of Worcestershire but is in the diocese of Hereford. The church serves the parishes of Bockleton and Hampton Charles.
There are two C15th lychgates and there is an interesting old custom that weddings enter by the West Gate (the one in the photo below) and funerals enter by the East Gate.
Mounting Block
The Norman doorway has two orders of colonnettes with decorated scalloped capitals and two thick rolls in the arch. There is crenellation and a lozenge chain on the hood mould. Above is blind arcading with five interlaced arches. The arches have billet decoration with heads carved on the capitals.
There were two huge boot scrapers by the door.
Churchyard at the rear and the other Norman doorway is obscured by a Portaloo!!!!
And so into the church which was a litte cooler but not as much as I would have liked!
Font probably from the 1867 restoration.
Looking down the nave towards the chancel.
Rather horrible tiles. I must admit at times I really do not like the Victorian restorations of many churches although some are better than others.
List of church vicars
Biblical texts
War Memorials
Chancel arch
Pulpit again dating back presumably to the restoration.
Chancel
East window - stained glass by Kempe 1905.
Reredos
Then into the Family or Barneby Chapel built in 1560 with two very impressive monuments.
The chapel seems to have its own font?
Tomb chest by T Woolmer London 1867. It is the tomb of William Wolstenholme Prescott and there is such a sad tale attached to it. There is a marble effigy of William and then below a carving of a young man who is William caring for a dying older man who was his gamekeeper James Brown. The gamekeeper was suffering from typhus fever which William caught and which led to his death. James Brown was from Northamptonshire and he died at Kyre on 23rd October 1865 aged 42. He is buried at Kyre churchyard and I must look for his grave when I am next there.
The other impressive monument is made of sandstone and dates back to 1574. The effigies on the Elizabethan tomb are of Richard Barneby and his wife Mary.
Sadly the front of the tomb was obscured by a pew which we tried to move without much success - it was heavy!
Boy blowing bubbles
According to Pevsner this is Old Father Time
The couple's children are presented as weepers.
A helmet between the man and his wife.
The detail on the clothes the effigies are wearing is just amazing.
A church within a church!
Churchyard Wall
On the way back I stopped off at St Leonard's Hatfield. I finally had some change and wanted to buy a set of cards they do with a handpainted image of St Leonard's. I will frame one to keep at the caravan and another to bring home to remind me of my favourite church.
It was even hotter on the Sunday and after doing some cleaning and watering of the garden and pots we came home early afternoon.
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 of mine or my sons I would be grateful for an email first - thanks).
Reference
Church Guide Book
"Buildings of England Worcestershire" by Nicholas Pevsner published 1968. Sadly I don't have the latest edition which is possibly more detailed? The only new Pevsners I have are for Herefordshire and Warwickshire.
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