Suffolk churches 110: Brantham, Holbrook and Chelmondiston (January 2019)

admin Blog 16/02/201916/02/2019Places, Suffolk churches, Winter

Though I didn’t know it until shortly beforehand, I was in for a special treat: my next church visit would be accompanied by the London Symphony Orchestra bassoon section.

I had already fixed the date for a church outing with Steve when my friend Joost got in touch to arrange a visit. After discussing a few possibilities, he suggested the Saturday I was meeting Steve, who then mentioned that Joost’s colleague, Dan, was due to pick up his bassoon: Steve had been performing surgery on it. Dan was persuaded to join us for one church in the morning, and I picked up Joost from Manningtree station on the way to Steve’s house, where we all met for coffee.

Suffolk churches 109: Flowton, Nettlestead and Barnham (January 2019)

admin Blog 08/02/2019Places, Suffolk churches, Winter

I set off from home on an absurdly mild Sunday morning in January, intending to visit Flowton church near Ipswich, which I knew to be kept open. I had planned to approach from the west, along the Hadleigh to Ipswich road, until I thought to consult Google maps. I found it was marginally quicker to approach from the north. Though requiring a slightly reluctant change in mindset – driving routes seem to be more of an influencing factor in my choice of destination than I realised – I decided this was actually quite convenient, taking me through an area with several churches I hadn’t yet visited. There was a reason for this, however, apart from the route: I had been led to believe that Offton, Somersham and various other churches nearby were kept locked. After a little online research, I was pleased to discover that this information was only partially correct, and that I ought to have a choice of open churches: Somersham, Nettlestead and Bramford, as well as Flowton.

Suffolk churches 108: Middleton, Benhall and Wherstead (December 2018)

admin Blog 01/02/201902/02/2019Animals, Autumn, Landscape, Places, Suffolk churches, Wildlife, Winter

Holy Trinity, Middleton
Outdoor temperature: 10.9˚C; indoor temperature: 8.9˚C, humidity: 78%
It was another glorious morning. Middleton was the neighbouring village to the south of Westleton, which I had left until now because there were fewer churches in the vicinity, and I had visited most of them already. Today, I only had time for two church visits on my way home. I was looking forward to it: I didn’t know Middleton at all.

So I thought, but when I arrived, it looked familiar: I must have driven through once or twice before. It is odd that I didn’t remember its name, because it is a distinctive and friendly-looking village, with pub, church, and many houses clustered around a village green of just the right size to give a sense of both space and community.

Make Valentine’s Day special at Crossways Farm…

admin News 31/01/201901/02/2019Crossways Farm

31/1/2019 Crossways Farm is offering a one or two-night romantic stay for couples this Valentine’s Day.

You will be treated to:
Cream tea (or cake if you prefer) served on arrival beside a log fire
A box of homemade truffles
A private half hour pre-dinner cello recital with nibbles and log fire*

… along with the Crossways Farm standard offerings of pillow chocolates, Egyptian cotton bed linen, luxurious breakfast, spacious bathroom with freestanding bath and essential oils, and exclusive use of the self-contained accommodation. You will be the only guests!

Prices (total cost based on two people sharing a double room).
£250 for one night
£390 for two nights

Offer valid from 14th – 19th February 2019. Please contact me for longer stays.

Suffolk churches 107: Bramfield, Walpole, Cookley and Huntingfield (December 2018)

admin Blog 27/01/201901/02/2019Autumn, Places, Suffolk churches

Two days ago I heard of the unexpected death of Mandy, a cellist friend with whom I visited Wenhaston church shortly before Christmas, and whom I last saw on the day of the church visits I have written about below.

I first met Mandy and Nick over five years ago, after an introduction from a friend of my father’s, when we played together in the Lavenham Sinfonia. But our friendship developed more recently, and has been a hugely important part of my last two wonderful years. This has been largely due to my church project. Their encouragement and enthusiasm, as well as joint church visits, have been truly wonderful aspects of my tour. Music, gardens, turtle doves, chickens, Suffolk churches, cello, baking, knitting, books and home grown fruit and veg are just some of the subjects we have chatted about. A borrowed book on my bedside table bears Mandy’s name inside the front cover. How little did I think, even three days ago when I picked it up to start reading it, how poignant a simple glance in its direction would soon become. Arriving at their beautiful cottage in Sibton Green has been the closest I have felt, since my parents died, to the embrace of a safe and affectionate home where I could forget about the outside world for a while, chatting and drinking tea by the fire with a cat stretched out on my lap.

My mind continues to circle round the fact of her death, half baffled, half disbelieving, unwilling to touch it and yet unable to leave it alone. And my thoughts travel constantly to her family, whose pain will be great.

Suffolk churches 106: Blyford and Thorington (December 2018)

admin Blog 25/01/201925/01/2019Autumn, Music, Places, Suffolk churches

All Saints’, Blyford
Indoor temperature: 8.7˚C; humidity: 78%
From Holton I continued along the road to Blyford: all of the churches were very close together in this area, and it felt good not to have to drive more than than 15 minutes from Westleton all day. I found the church opposite a pub – as it should be, I always think – on a little green at a junction with the main road. It must have been a main road (by rural standards at least) as it was signposted in one direction to Halesworth, and in the other, to Blythburgh. But I was very aware that my unfamiliarity with this area of Suffolk made it feel remote, no matter how much traffic might be passing, or how many people might be visiting the pub. On a Wednesday mid afternoon in December, however, neither the road nor the pub were frantically busy, and mine was the only car parked on the green.

Suffolk churches 105: Wenhaston and Holton (December 2018)

admin Blog 22/01/2019Autumn, Places, Suffolk churches

St Peter’s, Wenhaston
Indoor temperature: 11.9˚C, humidity: 72%
I arranged to meet my friend Mandy at Wenhaston church the following morning after a walk on Westleton Common. I had heard a lot about the church and its famous doom painting, though it took me a while to match up the name I was hearing with a name on my church map, due to its pronunciation: Wena-ston, rather than Wen-haston.

Suffolk churches 104: Rendham (December 2018)

admin Blog 17/01/2019Autumn, Flowers, Places, Seasons, Suffolk churches

With bed and breakfast guests from 27^th December, I decided to book a short break to visit churches in the week before Christmas. It felt a little risky to book 3 nights away several weeks in advance, not knowing what the weather would be like. But, bar any blizzards, I knew that if I committed myself by paying for accommodation, I would go, and enjoy it even if the churches were freezing. And if they were really too cold, I could spend more time walking and writing instead.

So I found and booked the loft of someone’s outbuilding in Westleton, near the coast and a good area for both walking and churches. I was lucky with the weather: it was mild, with more than a fair smattering of sunshine. For the second time this autumn, however, my trip was preceded by an animal disaster which meant that I left home both with a heavy heart, angry with myself and doubting my competence, and feeling that distraction and having a break away from home would do me good.

Suffolk churches 103: Stutton, Alpheton and Newton (December 2018)

admin Blog 12/01/201912/01/2019Autumn, Places, Reflections, Suffolk churches

St Peter’s, Stutton
Indoor temperature: 10.2˚C, humidity: 78%
I had made a Saturday morning appointment with Steve, a bassoonist with whom I had played recently in two orchestral concerts, to visit his village church. I had first met him a year or two previously in his official capacity as a woodwind instrument repairer: I went to his house to meet a friend of mine, Joost, who had just come up on the train from London to drop off his bassoon at Steve’s house. Joost had raved about both Steve and his vegetable garden, and had asked if I could have a tour. I was kindly invited to coffee and cake as well. His vegetables were indeed impressive, as was his baking, and he was quite as friendly and lively as Joost had led me to believe.

So, when we met again, we quickly got chatting about all sorts of things, including, of course, churches. I was delighted when he offered to join me at Stutton church, and I was impressed that he was up for the challenge of church playing at this time of year: any rural musician will be partially used to playing in cold churches in the run up to Christmas, but I think not many would choose to do so just for the fun of it.

Suffolk churches 102: Theberton, Friston and Chilton (November 2018)

admin Blog 07/01/201907/01/2019Autumn, Places, Suffolk churches

St Peter’s, Theberton
Outdoor temperature: 9.7˚C; indoor temperature: 9.9˚C, humidity: 71%

I was back on the east coast the following weekend for a concert at Snape Maltings. My friends in Sibton Green kindly offered me a bed again to spare me a late drive home after the Friday night rehearsal, so I had the luxury of a whole morning on Saturday to explore.

Heading towards Aldeburgh to visit a friend for late morning coffee, Theberton lay along my route. I had a treat in store. Its round tower and thatch were only the beginning: inside, I found an impressive hanging quilt made by the ‘Theberton and Eastbridge village stitchers’, showing scenes of village life. I turned right to walk towards the chancel and saw that the south aisle and its columns were painted. I read afterwards that this painting dates from the 1846 rebuilding of the south aisle¹. While I admired it, however, I didn’t really question its age or design, I simply thought how cheerful and bright it made the already lovely church.

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