Gawain Towler Profile picture
"A renowned Westminster comms pro", "Expertly tailored and magnificently eccentric" "simultaneously energetic and somewhat freewheeling" - Guardian

Dec 10, 2022, 16 tweets

St Mary's Upavon, C12th-C13th. As blue as my chilled skin.

St Mary's has a splendid late romanesque #FontsOnFriday with a beautiful annunciation, Gabriel, Mary and her lilly.

The nave was restored by Seddon, the chabcel by Wyatt, and tge East window is by Henry Holliday, for the William Morris Company anout 1890.

The Christmas, priestly wickerman.

Victorian tidied romanesque chancel.

While all eye are on the Trucial zone. Im contemplating St Peter's, Maningford Bruce. Not to be confused with Manningford Abbots or Manningford Bohune.

Its sits down a dead end lane, with a manor house and a farm for company J M.Falkner of Moonfleet was born there.

The Domesday book states it was owned by one Grimbald the Goldsmith. The church was extant by then, it is a perfect little single cell, apse ended 4ft walled, Saxon founded (note the herringbone flint) Norman church.

It's got mass dials and, with that narrowness, what feels a flinted up Saxon door.

The door is C11th, the arch somewhat older. The great single block lock is still used.

The simplicity reveals itself within.
Jl Pearson restored it in 1882. I like what he did, new roof, removed the exterior render and designed the reredos.

Oh that reredos, designed by Pearson, but created by Clayton and Bell. It's a dream.

Out of synch, driving home, I stopped in a pub for a coffee and to charge the phone.
Ok, just for a coffee.

Two windows, one deep set Romanesque, Pearson flavoured, the other C14th with a glass also i think designed by Pearson in 1882.

More JL Pearson stuff, lectern and pulpit.

Monument to Jane Lane, who hid Charles II after the Battle of Worcester, she recieved the singular honour of having the three lions as a canton in her escutcheon.

Its been aong day.

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