PEAR TREE LOG
pear tree log: I started this blog to keep my younger son, Jonny, in touch with life in Lincolnshire, while he spent a year working in China. That year turned into five! Now he is home and training to become a physics teacher. This is simply a patchwork quilt of some of the things I enjoy - life in rural Lincolnshire, our animals, friends, architecture, books, the gardens, and things of passing interest.
A Church, A Wattle & Daub Building, and Arnold
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| The tiny church at Haugh |
We had to do some jobs in our little market town, Alford, so we took the 'top' road.
This tiny, attractive church is greenstone and chalk, it dates from Tudor times. Within the church are much earlier arches dating from 11th and 12th centuries. To the lower right hand side of the church you can see a blocked doorway which also dates to 12th century.
When the weather is better I'll take a walk along this track because hidden down here is a small wood of oak trees, where a very talented man constructs wattle and daub buildings in his workshop (the wood); he also lectures on traditional construction techniques, in several universities.
When we last saw him he was constructing a building which was going to be dismantled and then shipped to London, to be re-built as an exhibition centre. I would love to get some photographs of his work.
We paid a visit to Arnold - he was in a very playful mood. Nibbling the fringe to my scarf and trying to rifle through my pockets as well as very gently pulling at George's spectacles. His sheep friends were tucked away down the field, they had found a cosy spot and were not leaving it. He was looking really well and was obviously happy, despite the snow and the cold!
Snow has been falling again for the last three hours. Road conditions tomorrow should be interesting!
We still haven't seen a flake of snow- it seems really strange to look at other areas of the country that are covered in it. Road and pavement conditions have been bad in Lancashire today with black ice though. J said A & E was very busy when he passed through at work, and there have been lots of accidents reported on the local radio.
ReplyDeleteScarlet, So far this afternoon we have had a good two inches of snow - on top of what was left behind from earlier this week. I'm sure that A&E's will be really busy with accidents tonight. Very scary!
DeleteI'd love to see a wattle and daub building being constructed.
ReplyDeleteArnold is as handsome as ever!
Jane x
Jane, I promise that as soon as the weather improves and Rob is available, then we will be down there like a shot! Hopefully you will see a wattle and daub building being constructed!
DeleteOh, Elaine, looking at your photos makes me wish I could be there, walking in my snow boots. In Texas, we talk about 200 year old buildings.....you talk about centuries. When you click on the church photo, you can see all the details. It gives me goosebumps to think of all the stories of the church since the 11th and 12th century...
ReplyDeleteMeggie, One of the wonderful things about Lincolnshire is that it has lots of ancient churches. I think you would really love the city of Lincoln, with its very strong Roman history and beautiful cathedral.
DeleteOnce we have our days back to ourselves I will be delighted to go and photograph some of the older churches around here. I love them and I would really enjoy sharing them with you. I love going into an old building and just being still, feeling the atmosphere.
Your photos and history tid bits are fascinating. That blocked up door--I wonder if it has a story. Did you learn what sheep think you should bring them as treats?
ReplyDeleteJoanne, Apologies for short-changing you with that post. We didn't have time to photograph the church, but I will do so before long. Haugh is a really tiny hamlet, with a manor house right next to the church - in effect the little church is a mausoleum for the manor. It's tiny, but interesting, so I will try to do it justice one of these days.
DeletePS Apple, with the pips removed, so I am told.
DeleteI'm surprised that chalk was used for building. It doesn't seem like it would be very sturdy. I picked up a piece of chalk in the parking lot by Stonehenge and it rubs off on my fingers. If you get a chance to observe the wattle and daub process, I would love to see some photos. In the meantime, I really appreciate the shots of your neighborhood and its denizens.
ReplyDeleteMs Sparrow, It is a couple of years since we last saw the wattle and daub man; once the weather warms up a little we will take a walk over there and I'll try to get you some photographs and information on the process.
DeleteI'm with Meggie. Being in a building that has held the presence of people for 900-800 centuries would be incredible. It was an awesome experience to attend the Sunday mariachi service at the Mission San Jose. It's only 300 years old, but I "felt" the history of the place.
ReplyDeleteJanet, A large part of the fun of exploring old buildings is feeling the history and the impression it leaves on a place. In my book 300 years is more than enough for a place to have a lot of history!
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