Welcome back. This week I’m taking you to a couple of old chapels. After my visit to a Norman church a few weeks ago and thinking that no one would be very interested in my hobby of visiting churches, you all surprised me with your enthusiasm. Thank you, it is a delight for me to share my visits to these places. Both of the tiny churches I visited in this post, I had the place to myself the whole time I was there. In between these two I paid a visit to Sherborne Abbey so the contrast was exciting. Next week, I shall bring you the big churches. First, lets enjoy some haiku ❤
Saint Cuthbert's, chancel is all that remains, church gone, table was stolen
29.4.24
Entrance through tiny door, hobbits surely, no folk were ever this size?
30.4.24
Branches creak, bird song, old leaves whisper on the floor. A distant tractor
1.5.24
Paint to tile, oh saints preserve us, and so they did, for hundred of years
2.5.24
Seeking stone shelter from sharp smattering rain drops. Still sanctuary
3.5.24
April winds, scattered showers, a ghost of bell toll across valley heard
4.5.24
Sitting in silence prayerful singing drifts like dust, a ghostly choir
5.5.24
Thank you so much for being here, I hope you enjoyed these tiny churches. I look forward to engaging with you in comments as always. For those interested in a little more….. a picture gallery and brief history of both churches.
St Cuthberts, Oborne (Haiku pictures 1 - 4 and Gallery 1 - 5)
An original church was built here over a thousand years ago in AD970, Oborne was given to Sherborne Abbey (which was a cathedral at the time) by the Saxon King Edgar. It remained a ‘chapel of ease’ until the dissolution of the Abbey in 1539 and was served by monks of the abbey. The sacrist (monk of the abbey who copied out all the religious texts) at the time, John Dunster built the chancel in 1533, which is now preserved. The rest of the church was later destroyed and a new church built nearby in 1862. The chancel was neglected until the 1930’s when it was restored.
Above the blocked window in the north wall is the inscription: Orate pre (pro) bono statu dompni Johis Dunster sacriste de Schirborn qui hoc opus fieri fecit ano. Domini… (Pray for the good standing of Master John Dunster Sacristan of Sherborne who built this place in the year of our Lord…).
The 17th-century communion table was stolen in 1988; and has been replaced by a pine table. The name Oborne comes from the Old English words w’oh and burna, and means crooked stream.
St. Edwold’s, Stockwood (Haiku pictures 5 - 7 and Gallery 6 - 9)
St Edwold’s is the smallest church in England, measuring 30 ft x 12 ft. It has a pre-Norman foundation (12th Century) but this building dates from the early 15th century. The east window is this age and the west doorway. In 1636 the western porch was added and the little bell-turret. The fabulous little turret shown in the photo was repaired in 1988, the bell was rehung at this time although it dates from 1877 when it was bought for the princely sum of £1 15s (£1.75)
You can visit the Norman church with me here
and for a Neolithic site with a Norman church ruin…. try this post without poetry
So much history ancient Beauty in here! I will never get tired of these entries April.
So beautiful! Thank you for all the loveliness you bring into our lives.