WARMINGTON. CHURCH : ST MARY THE VIRGIN
A beautiful warm Sunday afternoon in mid October. Got the cycle out and decided to re-visit three churches close to where I live. Started off with Haddon, before movng on to Morborne and then ending up over the border into Northamptonshire at the church of St Mary The Virgin at Warmington.
A picturesque village this, especially coming in to the village on the back roads from Morborne. There is one favourite spot of mine, on just about the highest ground in the area. From this vantage point you can see Warmington church, nestling in amongst the trees. I shot off a few photographs, one is included above. You will notice the mist starting to form. What a beautiful afternoon.
From the same vantage point you can also see the church at Fotheringhay, unmistakable even at log range. The top of the tower at Elton can also be seen, poking up above the trees. A lovely spot to just stay a while and look at the beauty that is on our doorstep.
The church of St Mary was open, as indeed it has been on each occasion that I have visited. Open and friendly I should say as there has generally been someone about working in the church when I have visited and they have always been extremly pleasant.!
The interior is probably most famous for its collection of nine Green Man bosses. These form part of the 13th Century roof and a a series of nine carvings. Each carving has the face of a Green Man, a pagan representation of the spirit of nature. Each face has vegitation sprouting from either eyes, ears, nose or mouth. The photograph at the foot of the page showing one a Green Man comes by kind permission of Chris Stafford.
According to the information leaflet that was available at the church one of the bells at St Mary The Virgin is inscribed "Now I James sing to you with a cheerful voice. God save his church 1604" Another of the bells was cast by Henry Penn, the famous Peterborough based bell founder.
The font is medieval, but it stands on a seventeenth century base. The base is dated 1662.
Outside, the church grounds are immaculate. Some good workmanship in some of the old carvings on the gravestones. I was particularly pleased, and a little surprised, to see a death head stone in the grounds. This is a gravestone with a human skull on it symbolising Man's Mortality. The skull is resting on what appears to be a coffin, with human bones behind the skull. A grieving widow weeps at the side of the skull. Quite common in some parts, deaths head stones are by no means plentiful in churches in the catchment area of this site.
Just one thing to finish on. I have long been a believer that medieval stonemasons had a sense of humour. In the picture immediately below right there is a corbel table of heads just above the arch on the South side of the tower. When I got home I blew this picture up and studied the heads (yes, I know, I should get out more!). One of the small heads had his tongue stuck out. One other had his mouth pulled wide open. Both of these typical medieval gestures and unable to be seen by the faithful of Warmington for hundreds of years!!!
