Spring Flowers in a Country Churchyard

 

Desperate to see some Spring flowers and wild flowers I've paid a visit to the local church of St Mary and St Bartholomew, Hampton in Arden.

The chancel of the church is Norman c1130 and the west tower Perpendicular.  The tower once had a spire but it collapsed in 1643.

The churchyard was fairly quiet although I did see a few other people walking through.

There were daffodils galore.

"Daffy Down Dilly has come up to town

In her Yellow Petticoat and her Green Gown."

The churchyard on the North side was covered in Lesser Celandines and Primroses just as I had hoped.

Lesser Celandine Ranuculus ficaria is one of the first wild flowers to appear in Spring flowering between March and May.  According to John Clare, the poet, children called them "Golden Daiseys".  Lesser Celandine is also known as Pilewort, Golden Guinea, Golden Stars, Star Flower, Bright Eye, Scurvywort and Butter and Cheese.  The flowers close when it rains and is cold only opening when the sun apppears.  In the Language of Flowers it represents "joys to come".  It was the favourite flower of the poet William Wordsworth who asked for it to be engraved on his gravestone but the stone mason got it wrong and William ended up with a Greater Celandine instead!

I found just one Snakeshead Fritillary - a white one.

Daisy Bellis perennis 

Daisies are said to represent Mary's tears as when she was picking the flowers for the baby Jesus she pricked her finger and the pink tinge to the petals was caused by her blood.  Children for years have made daisy chains and it is the flower of the newborn in some areas where it is referred to as "bainwort" because legends suggested a daisy chain could stop fairies carrying away the baby.

The flowers close up at night and when it rains. Local names include "Billy Button" and "Hens and Chickens".

I found a few violets.  Violets represent humility and are also an emblem of constancy and steadfastness.  Romans used violets to make wine and a wreath composed of them cured a hangover!  Today crystallised petals are often used as cake decorations.

A type of pussy willow catkin.

Beds of Heather

Grape Hyacinths

Crocuses

Forsythia

Despite the sunshine and warmth and flowers I failed to see a single butterfly or bee!

Churchyard Angels

Interesting rain heads

Old Doors

 

Green Man

15th century base of a cross - octagonal with quatrefoil panels.

I first looked round the church a few years ago and was surprised it was open. Of course at the moment it is locked but if you want to see inside the church (there is some lovely stained glass) please use this link St Mary and St Bartholomew

Opposite the church is the White Lion - a pub I've not been in. Closed at the moment but I noticed the wine merchants nearby was doing a roaring trade.

I hope everyone is staying safe and well.

All photos taken by me with the Panasonic Lumix FZ330 bridge camera.

References:

"Discovering the Folklore of Plants" by Margaret Baker

"Britain's Wildflowers : A Treasury of Traditions, Superstitions, Remedies and Literature" by Rosamond Pilcher.

Parish Church of St Mary and St Bartholomew, Hampton in Arden

Last Saturday I went along to a Vintage and Antique Fair being held in the village hall at Hampton in Arden. I was hoping I might be able to buy a vintage jug but there were only a couple on sale and neither really appealed. To be honest all the china, old books and jewellery reminded me of sorting through my mum's personal items and I didn't stay long.

I had taken my camera and decided to have a look round the churchyard of St Mary and St Bartholomew. I've only ever been in the church once when my grandfather married his second wife about 45 years ago! Unexpectedly too the church was actually open - apologies for the huge amount of photos but there was some beautiful stained glass in the church some of it with a natural history theme which I found delightful.

The wildflower garden looked as though it had been taken over by brambles but there were a lot of wild flowers blooming throughout the churchyard.

Many of the graves had fresh flowers placed on them.

There were some interesting gravestones with birds and flowers engraved on them.

Wild flowers included Primroses, Lesser Celandine and Daisies and Daffodils are now flowering profusely.

Even the drain pipes were interesting!

I often find angels as memorials in churchyards a trifle unsettling (they always remind me of those frightening Weeping Angels in Doctor Who!!) but this must be the most beautiful angel I have ever seen.

The porch and inner entrance door are around 400 years old.

I found this memorial window in the porch with its wild flowers and butterflies so charming.

Another window in the porch contains stained glass images of the church and village.

This is the escapement of the original church clock.

St Mary and St Bartholomew - sorry not the best of photos!

Some of the nave dates back to the 13th century but it was altered over the centuries. The pillars are Norman. The Tower was added to the nave in the 15th century. It used to have a spire but this was blown down in a storm in 1643. The tower now contains 8 bells which were brought from the church of St John, Manchester in 1976.

This beautiful window in memory of a young girl illustrates the canticle called the Benedicite. "O all ye works of the Lord - bless ye the Lord". The window images include daffodils, lambs, a hare or a rabbit etc. The window is one of several modern windows in the church made by Miss Nora Yoxall (1892-1998) and Miss Elsie Whitford (1897 - 1992) who were graduates of the Birmingham School of Art. They took up stained glass almost by chance and worked together for decades designing and making their own windows. From 1949 they worked from a small studio in Blockley, near Chipping Campden.

This window depicts the the death and resurrection of Christ and also shows the bombing of Coventry Cathedral in 1940. The Resurrection Window depicts Sir Jacob Epstein's sculpture of St Michael's victory over the devil which is outside the new Coventry Cathedral built in the 1960's.

And now for another lovely window with wild flowers and plants. Someone on Twitter kindly told me that the inscription was coined in the 12th century by Abbess Hildegard of Bingen. She is considered to be the founder of scientific natural history in Germany and the Veriditas describes the divine healing power transferred from plants and flowers. She lived between ~1098 and 1179 and was a German Benedictine Abbess, writer, composer, philosopher, christian mystic and visionary. She sounds a fascinating woman and don't you wish sometimes you could travel back in time and meet people?

The carved wooden rood screen was given in memory of Sir Frederick Peel, son of the Prime Minister Robert Peel who founded the police force. Sir Frederick lived in Hampton Manor and St Mary and St Bartholomew was his parish church. Above the screen is a carved representation of Christ on the cross with Mary his mother and St John.

This modern stained glass window by John Hayward shows the risen Christ bringing light to the souls of the dead.

The choir is the oldest part of the building and was part of the Norman church built ~1130.

This window is dedicated to the memory of a former verger and sexton who is seen cutting the grass in the churchyard.

The top of this window contains some of the oldest surviving fragments of glass in the church put together in the tracery. Below are sketches of birds copied in the 1920's from 15th century windows in the Commandery at Worcester.

The East Window was given in memory to Sir Frederick Peel's first wife in 1904. The theme is Christ in Glory. Beneath are representations of men and women who have worshipped God in song and verse.

This is a rare heart tomb where the heart of a medieval knight, possibly a crusader, is believed to be buried.

Shields of families who have been Lord of the Manor are displayed around the nave. Sadly, I only took a photo of one but considering the number of photos it is probably just as well!!

Norman carvings round the tops of Norman pillars

One of the pillars contains carved stone heads of 14th century Hamptonians - I think this may be one in the photo below? The church was quite dark and it was difficult getting photos of these.

Stone carvings in the tower - again it was hard to get a picture because of the angle and lack of light!

I had taken some photos of the carvings around the exterior of the porch and it wasn't until I got home that I realised one was a Green Man (thanks Amanda for confirming) :) If I go back again I will try and get a better photo now I know he is here.

Finally, a few photos of the village as I walked back to the car.

All photos taken by me with the Panasonic Lumix FZ330 bridge camera

Reference - Leaflet in the church
and many many thanks to the Rector who came into the church while I was there and kindly showed me many features I would otherwise have missed.