Thursday, July 3, 2014

A very hot day in Essex


At last some cows and their young
The photos will do the work,  it was a very hot day in Essex.  The church a million miles away from what we hear on the news, slumbering quietly in a backwater.  We met a man on the path with a long pole with a brush on the end, what was he doing? sweeping the cobwebs from  inside the church - what else!


Large empty sheds, typical Essex farm, wheat, oil seed rape and beet are the main crops, with beans and corn on a lesser scale.

The lane down to the church

The church

The 'Saxon' type porch, the reused wood is very old

There is a beautiful clear simplicity of white walls tinged with the green of the glass, ends of the pews are linen fold

Strange relief work above altar

patched

Strong buttress of Roman tiles and brick

Another view

Ripening wheat, the view down the valley from the church.  Somewhere a Roman villa maybe..




Apparently there is also 'Coggeshall' brick in the fabric of the church, reading up about this, and bricks were first made in Coggeshall for the abbey probably in Matilda and Stephen's time in the 12th century....

5 comments:

  1. Fascinating post Thelma. I love the footpath through the wheatfield. When I saw those Roman bits, it made me think Roman Villa too! Some of that wheatfield looks parched in a very elongated H shape, so it makes you wonder . . . What a history that church must have. I loved the link to the Coggeshall post too - a long time since we were there and we never visited the church . . .

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  2. It has a special feeling this place Jennie, and I see I'm interlinking the sites with Roman evidence. Well if you ever visit Coggeshall Barn, take the unmade lane opposite the barn and you will see all the abbey buildings.

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  3. What a splendid post! Wonderful photos.
    I grew up in Essex - near Brentwood and this brought it so vividly to life.
    Sending you greetings from New York.
    Came to your blog via Weaver of Grass's sidebar!

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    1. Thank you, Essex is indeed beautiful in its backwaters, glad you enjoyed it all the way from New York.

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  4. Essex is not a county I know at all apart from the North part - we have friends in Thaxted. I do love the architecture.

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