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A KNIGHT'S CHURCH IN A SECRET VALLEY

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  In a valley in the Chilterns, frighteningly close to the M40 is the village of Radnage and its exquisite church, St Mary the Virgin.    And it was OPEN! Radnage is tucked away, and up from the village the church sits on a shallow slope. And on a bench by the south wall one can eat one’s sandwiches (which cousin Wendy had made the night before) and enjoy marvellous views over steep fields and woodlands. Enjoy marvellous views over steep fields and woodlands   Inside the church all is spick and span, loved, cared for and be enjoyed by passers by.   This church was built in the late C12 or early C13 by the Knights Templars. It has a central crossing tower, a late Norman and Early English confection. Throughout there are wall paintings to enjoy and some excellent modern stained glass that sits well in windows that have shed light on worshippers for a thousand years. Gentle and welcoming   The church has benefited in recent times from the darling of film and T...
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IF YOU CAN’T GET IN STAY OUT

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A cousin's guest post July 4th 2020 What are we? About week fourteen of Lockdown, and although Christians are a minority group, our churches have been denied us* for I think the first time in since Christianity was established in Britain with the mission of Augustine in 597 AD. St James Ruscombe Berkshire  Round the back of St Lawrence  Waltham St Lawrence   The  Church has always been open for business until around March 20 2020 AD. St Andrew Sonning - OPEN!  Inside St Andrews    However, most churches sit in a churchyard surrounded by gravestones that mark those interred beneath them as well as welcome us who visit and seek peace.   So make the most of the churches right now by mooching around the churchyard. Churchyards are also known as God’s acre.    God's Acre  is a churchyard, specifically the burial ground. The word comes from the German Gottesacker (Field of God), an ancient designation for a burial ground.  – Wik...
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30 Days Wild

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Swifts, bees, poppies and roses, wayside flowers and favourite trees For once, I’ll have time to do 30 Days Wild, I thought. Do it properly, fill in the wall chart, keep daily photos, tweet every day – it can’t be that hard. The month-long Random Acts of Wildness that is 30 Days Wild, The Wildlife Trusts’ campaign, encourages all of us to be closer to nature; pay attention to what’s going on in nature around us, and acknowledge the mental and physical benefits of being more connected to the wilder side of everyday life. Emerging from Lockdown I enjoyed seeing changes on everyday walks. I’ve always loved walking past the hollyhocks and wild flowers growing out of the walls and pavements in St Leonard’s Lane. This June I paid attention to them, stopping to photograph them and thank everyone who lives there for not ‘tidying up’. Outside my house the cornfield poppies, valiantly braving all the knocks from children and bikes that turn sharply at the corner, brought smiles t...
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