WADENHOE. CHURCH : ST MICHAEL & ALL ANGELS
Unusual and beautiful this one. Perched on top of a hill, with lovely views out over the Northamptonshire countryside, the church of St Michael and All Angels is one of my favourite churches in the part of East Northants. On the approach to the church there is a Sundial, which I believe was put up to celebrate the turn of the Milennium. Very informative Sundial this, as it has markers on it which point across the field, alerting the viewer as to which other church spires can be seen from that high vantage point.
Wadenhoe has some very ancient gravestones, including one of my favourite stones seen on my travels. This is only a tiny stone, dating from the late 17th Century, with most of it having sunk in to the ground over the years. This stone has a row of three human skulls standing proud of the stone. Not to everyone's tase I know, but absolutely glorious in my opinion!
I made two visits to Wadenhoe, making a return trip due to poor lighting conditions on my original visit. On both occasions the church was open, with postcard and information booklet available. On my second trip there was some building work going on, improving the long path that leads up to the church.
Very nice stained glass windows to be found here, and some nice carved heads, with the interior ones at the base of the capitals being particular favourites.
For me though, the one thing that stood out in the interior of this church was a stone tablet in memory of Thomas and Caroline Welch Hunt...the inscription reads as follows... "Sacred to the memory of Thomas Welch Hunt Esq, late proprietor of the estate and manor of Wadenhoe, and of Caroline his wife, eldest daughter of the Revd Charles Eusby Isham, Rector of Polebrooke in this county, who were both cruelly shot by banditt, near Poestum in Italy. On 3rd December 1824. He died on the same day, having nearly completed his 28th year. She died on the morning of the following Sunday, in the 23rd year of her age. After a union of scarcely ten months, affording an impressive and mournful instance of the instability of human happiness. Their remains are interred in one grave at Naples. They were lovely and pleasant in their lives, and in their death they were not divided.
STOKE DOYLE. CHURCH : ST RUMBOLD
I have to be honest and say that the next point of call on my day in East Northants is not my most favourite of churches. Stoke Doyle is very plain looking, and has been locked on both occasions that I have visited.
The church itself may be nothing out of the ordinary, but the churchyard won the 2004 award for churchyard conservation, following other locals such as Nassington and Barnwell in winning the award.
This church was re-built in the 1720's, according to information that I found on the internet, but one or two of the tombs in the church grounds far outdate that. The church is dedicated after St Rumbold, who was born in Northamptonshire in about AD 650. He was said to have preached a Christian sermon and the age of three days, and passed away very shortly after. Nice setting for this church, as I said before I did not find this one too attractive, but the tower looks very impressive as you approach this delightful Northamptonshire village. Please note the one handed clock on the tower as well!
