Off to North Curry with the parents again today, to meet up with my father's sister. After lunch we headed for Stoke St Gregory and its eponymous church, which, although I've walked from the village before, I'd never visited.
The information sheet about the Church has this to say: 'The general impression on entering the church is of light and space'. In fact, the church seems devoid of much of its history. We learn from the same sheet that there was a 'restoration' in 1888, so maybe the Victorians finished the process that started with Henry VIII and Edward VI and was continued by Cromwell's men.
There's a fine Jacobean pulpit, however, with carvings of Faith, Hope, Charity, Time and either the Virgin and Child or the Archangel with the soul of Adam.
I like Time best.
There were also several carvings on an adjacent screen of a women watering flowers with a watering can, topped by a quartet of rather prim looking angels, but no information about it on the guide sheet.
I've since found mention of it online, where it says that until the 1960s, the carvings were part of a cupboard and of secular origin.
Still in place were a couple of impressive 17th century memorials to members of the Court family ...
... a mid-14th century font, and Elizabethan bench ends.
But that's about it, really.
Oh, but what's this outside?
Why, it's the stocks under the yew tree opposite the porch. They date from the 17th century, and were 'used by the churchwardens as punishment for offenders at church services.' There's space for three sets of buttocks.
These miscreants decided it was a pillory. Either way it was the best place for them.
Spring has come on apace these last few days, and as it was such a lovely day, we headed off to another urban wood, this one in the Trym Valley.
Badock's Wood is one of my very favourite places in Bristol. It's almost a secret wood, tucked in its own miniature gorge and not as well known or frequented as the larger Snuff Mills. I come here a lot, and am on first name terms with many of its trees. It's good to catch up with how they're doing every now and then.
First we had a wander around the top fields, including Mill Tut with its bronze age burial mound, here seen through a shiver of birches.
My favourite cherry is in blossom.
And my first bluebells of the season in the shelter of the gorge - though Badock's Wood has few, being primarily a wild garlic wood. In a month's time there will be drifts and drifts of stars.
The bluebell that tickles Boggis the beech root's bum every year is yet to flower.
The Yorkshireman offered to take some photos of me, potentially for publicity purposes. I like the notion of an interesting tree with a wonderful carving by Andy O'Neill and fabulous bark on the cover of a book called Breadcrumbs. And Ted - well, he was included to corner the border collie-owning market. And they didn't come out too badly either, given the subject matter. The light was soft and subtle, and for once I didn't look like Quasimodo.
It was hours later that I realised Ted had his lipstick out in every single one. EVERY SINGLE ONE.
Off to North Curry with the parents again today, to meet up with my father's sister. After lunch we headed for Stoke St Gregory and its eponymous church, which, although I've walked from the village before, I'd never visited. 
I've since found mention of it online, where it says that until the 1960s, the carvings were part of a cupboard and of secular origin. 
Still in place were a couple of impressive 17th century memorials to members of the Court family ... 
... a mid-14th century font, and Elizabethan bench ends. 
Oh, but what's this outside?
Why, it's the stocks under the yew tree opposite the porch. They date from the 17th century, and were 'used by the churchwardens as punishment for offenders at church services.' There's space for three sets of buttocks. 
These miscreants decided it was a pillory. Either way it was the best place for them. 
