A Local Country Walk in North Warwickshire

 

I hope everyone has had a lovely Christmas.

Today we went a walk in the North Warwickshire countryside and it was cold enough to blow away the cobwebs!

We had initially decided on a walk round Shustoke Reservoir but the 2 mile path is high on a ridge and the wind was bitingly cold so that plan got abandoned after a few hundred yards!

So instead we went for a walk along the lanes round the Shawbury and Maxstoke area.

This is the door of a cottage at the little hamlet of Maxstoke.  I've mentioned before this house was on the market last year and you can imagine how much these days I wish we had bought it!!

This is the church of St Michael and All Angels, Maxstoke. It it is Grade 2 listed and dates back to the C14th with 18th and 19th century additions.  It was founded by  William de Clinton who was born in Maxstoke and later became Earl Huntingdon.  The church may have been founded as a chantry chapel rather than the church for the nearby Priory.

The church is usually locked but we did visit some years ago for a Christmas Tree Festival so if you would like to see inside please see St Michael's Maxstoke

Victorian Wall Letter Box in the wall of the 14th century Maxstoke Priory. 

The Priory of Augustinian Canons at Maxstoke was also founded by William de Clinton in 1336/37.  It was dissolved in 1536 during the Dissolution.  The site today is surrounded by a surviving sandstone precint wall.

Below is the gatehouse but the rest of the ruins are on the land of a working farm and in I think the grounds of the Old Rectory so are not accessible. Many years ago when I was a teenager I was walking in the area with friends and the farmer did allow us to view them briefly but today there are "keep out" signs!!

It wasn't a long walk but it was good to get some fresh air out in the countryside.

I hope everyone is staying safe and well.

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 son's I would be grateful for an email first - thanks).

A Local Country Walk

 

Last week D, E and I went for a local country walk. A lovely sunny day but very cold!  I did consider the usual Shawbury circular walk but parking is SO difficult there and I didn't fancy getting the car stuck on a muddy grass verge so we went to Maxstoke where there is a small car park by the church.

This house was on the market a year or so back - at the top of our budget but it is bigger than it looks as there is an extension at the back. I can't remember what put me off - it may have been an ultra modern kitchen? - all stainless steel (not my cup of tea).

Maxstoke is tiny more of a hamlet than a village containing half a dozen houses, the church, priory and farm.

The church of St Michael and All Angels is Grade II listed and dates back to the 14th century with 18th and 19th century alterations. It was founded by William de Clinton who was born in Maxstoke and later became the Earl of Huntingdon. The church may have been founded as a chantry chapel rather than a church for the priory nearby.

The church is normally closed but we did visit a few years back for a Christmas Tree Festival so if you would like to see inside please see St Michael's, Maxstoke

Fourteenth century churchyard cross

Plants in Walls

Victorian wall letter box in the wall of the 14th century Maxstoke Priory.  (I am currently reading the Shire book on Old Letter Boxes and am somewhat hooked!)

The Priory of Augustinian Canons was founded again by William de Clinton in 1336/37.  He was also responsible for the construction of nearby Maxstoke Castle which we have visited in the past on their annual Open Day.  The Priory was dissolved in 1536 during the Dissolution and the site is surrounded by a surviving sandstone precinct wall.  The gatehouse is shown in the photo below but the rest of the ruins are on the working farm and I think the grounds of the rectory and so not accessible and the Gatehouse had a big Keep Out sign!!! I did see the ruins years ago when a teenager as I had walked there from Coleshill with a couple of friends and the farmer kindly granted us permission.

I did spot some graffiti but no dates so I have no idea how old it is.

The ruins being old there are ghost stories attached to the priory. The priory initially consisted of a prior and 12 canons and its recorded that they failed to live a life of piety but had a rather good time instead watching play actors, jugglers and tumblers and singers.  Many complaints were made about their marauding behaviour and one canon attacked and killed another during a fight.  By the time of the Dissolution only 7 monks remained and it is believed that when they were turned out of the priory they made their way to nearby Fillongley and took up residence at the church there.  Last century there were several reports of ghostly monk sightings in the church.

Ghostly monks have also been seen in the ruins of Maxstoke Priory and chanting has been heard.  

Leaving the church and priory behind we walked around the lanes.

There weren't many birds around although we did hear two gun shots not far away which may explain things. The other thing to mar the walk was the site of dumped rubbish.

Why do people do this? It annoys me SO much.  Surely instead of driving into the countryside they could just drive to the local tip. Although as B has pointed out before it could be if they are a company they could be charged by the tip and they are anxious to avoid this but that is no excuse in my view.

Nearly back at the Priory.

Remains of a medieval fish pond in the grounds of the Old Rectory.

I hope everyone is staying safe and well.

All photos taken by me with the Panasonic Lumix FZ330 (D did take a few but they were very similar to mine).

Reference

"Ghosts of Warwickshire" by Betty Smith

Pevsner "The Buildings of England Warwickshire" by C Pickford and N Pevsner.