Technically speaking these shots are from the Holy Trinity church right next door to the hall, but we did it on the same day so I’ve chucked it in with the Hall report. 🙂
The History Bit
Holy Trinity Church is known locally as the ‘Church on the hill’ and has been central to Washington’s large parish for centuries. The oval mound on which it stands, once within a rounded enclosure, suggests the re-use of a pagan site. Rounded churchyards usually have Celtic origins. Unfortunately the Domesday Book (1086-7) excludes places north of the Tees and because of this the church’s earliest documents belong to the 12th century. In 1112 the area around the church was mentioned as being part of Bishop Rannulf Flambard’s lands. Again it is mentioned in 1149 as being part of Bishop William of St Barbe’s estates. The next bishop, Hugh of Le Puiset (1153 – 1195) decided to re-organise his estates. In one of the areas to be changed he required more land to build a castle and to make a new borough. This area was known at the time as Stockton and Hartburn and was held by William of Hartburn. William exchanged his lands and by 1180 William had settled in his new lands and was known as “de Wessington” from which the name Washington derives.
Some really old graves to be found
and also some new ones
theres always a spider
We did go inside..
In 1832 the old church was demolished and, sadly, it is likely that many historic objects disappeared. This included the Saxon (or early Norman font). However, fortunately, the font was later found, being used as a water trough, and returned to the church where it still stands.
and that’s the end of our day out in Washington. (UK…Not where Trump works 😀 😀 )
(info @ http://www.holytrinitywashington.org.uk)
fraggle ~ rocking a camera across the Universe 
Lovely colours, and some interesting old gravestones too.
That’s the church where Julie’s niece got married. We had to run up those steps in heavy rain, then all cram into the foyer to avoid the deluge!
Best wishes, Pete.
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Haha that foyer is well small! Cheers Pete 🙂
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It is tiny, and we were jostling for space!
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Beautiful as always. I really like your framing on the stuff that’s sort of hidden by leafy stuff.
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LOL, thanks Jay x
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What a wonderful grave for a little girl – so sad, but still fun and appropriate.
One of the cemeteries where numerous members of my family are buried has a grave I have been fascinated by since I was a little kid. It’s a young boy’s grave, and embedded in the stone are his marbles (it’s an older grave). It was fascinating as a kid, and I still stop by to see it regularly when I am at that cemetery. It’s much like a older and plainer version of this young girl’s headstone.
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I love graves for the stories they sometimes tell, it’s all history 🙂 cheers Sarah x
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I do like the madly decorated graves, although I fear that they will not stand the test of time. I wonder if the old stones sunk or the soil level rose 🙂
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Yes they don’t look like they will last too long. I think with the stones it’s a bit of both! Cheers Eddy 🙂
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wow!!!!! awesome shots Fraggy, love the light!! nothing better than going to an old “graveyard” especially with another photog 🙂
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Yes I agree!
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