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| 2011 |
Today we are off to Fairstead church, just south of Terling, and I have spent the last half hour trying to find where the Roman villa is near to the church, no luck, though there is mention of it in the literature, but it is not on Pastscape. We have already been once in 2010, and the photos definitely show that the building had reused Roman tile, etc. Strengthening the corners or quoins is of course usually done with stone, but Essex is practically 'stoneless', though the conglomerated 'puddingstone' can be found.
This is one of the earliest churches in Essex, a Saxon foundation in the area, Fairstead means simply a fair place.
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| The quoins are of Roman and Coggeshall brick |
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| Puddlestone in the foundations, something you see at Broomfield church and others. Now is this a 'pagan signature' or a builder's design. Re-use of Roman tiles is very evident alongside the flint that has been used for the walls. |
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| See how this door is patched over the centuries |
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| A path through the rapeseed, and the site of the Roman villa that was |
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| Hens scratching in an old orchard |
They were cleaned again by Mr Rowse in 1966. The oldest paintings, which are above the chancel arch, (early 13th century) represent the Passion of Christ. Those on the south wall depict St Christopher and a scene believed by some to represent the Shepherds and the Angel and by others the miracle of Longinus. There is, at the west end, a curious grotesque head in a horn-like headdress.
http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/en-115361-parish-church-of-st-mary-the-virgin-fair
Earlier blog from 2011
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Crusader's tomb
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I love these old flint churches - and the one here has so many fantastic treasures - especially love the Crusader's Tomb.
ReplyDeleteFlint is a strange material but often beautifully coloured. Medieval church paintings have been found on many churches, often they need uncovering though and conservation.
DeleteFabulous wall paintings.
ReplyDeleteArilx
Glad you enjoyed them Aril.
DeleteWhat a lovely old church, and like you, I liked the reuse of other buildings (long lost) so things didn't go to waste.
ReplyDeleteI think because of the scarcity of building materials along this Eastern part of the coast line meant that the Flemish bricks which came over as ballast on the ships were the first bricks introduced into the country.
DeleteThe pictures of ancient masonry, puddlestone (or puddingstone as I found it online?) and quoins had me looking up words and and techniques, and trying to remember where it was in England that my daughter and I saw the most striking patched, recycled, reinforced and restored stonework. I browsed through her albums and located the structure: Porchester Castle.
ReplyDeleteThese sorts of walls and corners are hard to stop looking at! It's like a thousand stories in stone and tile - and aren't those shells I see in there, too? Maybe the overarching story is of resourcefulness and hard work. Thank you for the pictures -- makes me want to do a masonry tour!
Well thank you for taking an interest, I am always worried that how I blog is boring. The art of course is looking, around here in North Yorkshire, it is the stone Celtic knot of the Saxon era and wonderful Scandinavian graves. Two good books on the subject that I have is 'The Pattern of English Building' by Alex Clifton-Taylor, and 'The Making of the English Landscape' by Hoskins, though the revised version with Chris Taylor is much better. Apologies for going on.
ReplyDeleteI love that buildings, particularly older ones, reflect the geology of the local area. I do love flint buildings we don't have any around here. I also love looking around an old building and working out how it has been altered in the past, like the wonderful doorway in your photos. Thank you for sharing such an interesting place with us all, not boring at all.
ReplyDeleteIt is almost like patchwork that door. Glad you enjoyed the tour of this church, flint of course was used from Neolithic times when they made such beautiful hand tools and arrows.
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