NORTH LUFFENHAM. CHURCH : ST JOHN THE BAPTIST

A beautiful Saturday in January 2008, just after the turn of the year, and I decided to start off the year with a churchcrawling trip to Rutland. Five churches were taken in, starting off with South Luffenham, then on to Morcott, Pilton, Lyndon and ending up at North Luffenham.

  I got to South Luffenham by bus and then walked to each of the other churches, picking the bus back to Peterborough from close to North Luffenham church. What a beautiful county Rutland is! Some glorious scenery, particularly the views out across the countryside during the mile and a half or so walk from Lyndon to North Luffenham.

  The church of St John The Baptist, at North Luffenham is perched on the edge of the village, and the view from the back of the church grounds is amazing, looking out over miles of unspoiled countryside. Sheep were grazing as the Sun started to set and an early January mist was starting to form. A bench was provided for people to sit and look over the countryside. A special place this, and wonderful to watch the Sun go down on a Summer evening.

  Despite this being a reasonably large village with a military base, it was totally quiet in the church grounds. Towards the bottom end of the grounds there was a small military cemetery with graves from several nationalities from World War Two and the Korean War. There was also a single grave from World War One.

  There were some small gargoyles on the South wall of the church, but these looked very modern and were of little interest to me. This church was open, and it was well worth a look round. Highlight was a huge chancel, with a very high arch. Whilst

elsewhere, some remnants of medieval painting survived under several of the arches running down the nave.

  There were a few very nicely carved interior grotesques on the columns on the South side of the church, three of which are pictured below right.. Two of these had tongues stuck out in a typical Medieval gesture, whilst another featured a woman in headdress with hands raised in prayer.

  Also of interest was a small stained glass window which commemorated those who served in the Royal Air Force, The Canadian Air Force and the Allied Air Force who served at RAF North Luffenham between the years 1940 and 1998. The legend on the window reads...."Dedicated to the glory of God, and in memory of those who served in the Royal Air Force, the Canadian Air Force and the Allied Air Forces, all from RAF North Luffenham 1940 - 1998. In recognition of the close links between them, the Village and the county of Rutland".