During the Scarecrow Festival we came across All Saints Church, which as well as being a beauty, has a really great view. The church stands on a hill of domed chalk, and is built of ironstone (an iron rich sandstone with a mineral giving a greenish colour which darkens to brown on exposure to light).  It has been a place of worship for over 1000 years, with the present building dating from 1400 with only minor changes.

We met the vicar while we were there and asked to take photo’s, he showed us some of the interesting stuff.

Firstly a few of the church’s pillars have graffiti on, not modern as they resemble medieval drawings and have been there since anyone can remember, but no-one knows what they mean or who did them.

Tantalising mysteries!

He also pointed us to the crypt, which is thought to have held a relic, but no-one knows what that was either!

That’s well old English, and I can just about make out ‘Here lyeth Thomas..’ but that’s it!

Back upon the main hall there are some beautiful stain glass windows

and simple ones too..

The chancel and nave are separated by a rood screen..common to late medieval churches

The ceiling was amazing..

and the light throughout the church was lush..

Outside there was a graveyard..

and the view was spectacular. The fuji has a panorama setting so I tried it out..

but I also turned to portrait pano, which whilst it doesn’t encompass as much, seems better to me..

so that’s the end of my visit down South, it will be winter when I get back there, or at least late autumn, so it was nice to have blue sky days.

laters gaters

😉