Friday, July 28, 2017

The Parish Church of St James, Bonsall, Derbyshire

As promised in my last but one post I'm returning to the lovely, historic village of Bonsall to take you inside the parish church.  I've saved this post until now especially for Church Tourism Week.  This is organised by The Churches Conservation Trust, although this isn't one of the churches in its care, I thought it was an apt time to record my visit.

After our lunch at The Fountain Tea shop (see my post on Bonsall Village)  we walked up to the church.  I hadn't expected it to be open but it was.  Unfortunately I'd left my bridge camera in the back of the car but I had my little Cannon Power Shot camera in my bag so I was able to take a few photos.

There wasn't a guide book or leaflet inside the church so I took photos of the things I'd noticed realising that I'd probably miss something important along the way.  I've since been 'googling' to find out more about the church and the various things I'd recorded.

The most obvious and fascinating aspect of the church was the difference of the floor height  between  the nave and chancel.  A few steps up from Nave to Chancel are expected but in this church there are seven.  The bottom and top ones are thinner than the others.

From reading various blogs and reports it seems that the level of the  nave floor was dropped in the 14th century and this may explain the extra steps up into the Chancel and the rather large column bases in the nave.  This has given the church the honour of being known to have what is possibly the highest Chancel in the country.
 
On the base of one of the columns is a strange carving which some sources say might have been underground until the floor level was dropped.  It is known locally as the Bonsall Imp or the Little Devil although it has also been described as a cross between a frog and a unicorn.  .

I can see from the one horn on the head and the webbed looking feet where this idea of the image came from.

 At the top of the North aisle a modern glass mobile hangs in front of the window reflecting the colours of the stained glass.

There were some interesting wall monuments to the great and good of the village.  The large one oval one on the wall is a memorial to a man called Henry Ferne who died in 1723 having served as Receiver General of the Customs during the reigns King William III, Queen Anne and King George I.

The font is probably from the late 12th or early 13th century.

The unusual stone above is in the South aisle and is a bull baiting stone.  It was brought into the church by a former Rector who was so upset by the idea of bull baiting that he had the stone removed from the market place into the church.  Animal baiting was finally made unlawful twenty years later in 1835.

Above is one of the two Medieval stone grave  slabs that stand either side of the alter in the South aisle, not far from the bull baiting stone.  The other was behind a banner and couldn't be photographed easily although it was thicker and slightly more elaborate than this one.  They were moved out of the church during the restoration of 1863 and ended up in a churchwarden's garden.


The churchyard was full of both wild and garden flowers which look lovely against the grey weather worn stones.

I'm experiencing great difficulty with internet speed at the moment and we are not sure what the problem is.  I can count to twenty or sometimes even thirty before getting on line then the time to move between sites is about the same, reading and commenting on blogs takes ages as pages keep jumping about and scrolling up and down takes ages as the screen seems to freeze.  It has taken me two or three days to complete this post so I may have to take a break for a while until the problem is solved.

21 comments:

  1. What a really super post Rosie with gorgeous photos - the churchyard does indeed look so pretty and delightful with mix of wild and garden flowers among the grave stones.

    So much of interest too to see inside - fascinating to see the Bonsall imp - what a superb carving and the medieval stone grave slabs. It looks a great church to visit and well done to that Rector for moving that bull baiting stone!

    Just read your reply to my comment on the last post - so very very sorry to read more of the damage to your garden - you must be totally and utterly devastated. I would have emailed you rather than mentioning it in my comment but couldn't seem to find an email address on your blog unless I was looking in the wrong place. You really do have my sympathies and I do hope the people responsible can help in some way to restoring your beautiful garden. I just wouldn't have known where to start.

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    1. Do hope you get your internet problems sorted soon - you will be missed.

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    2. Glad you enjoyed the post about St James, it is a fascinating church. I wish I'd got my bigger camera with me but had left it in the car boot so I wasn't juggling it when we had lunch and then we just walked up to the church without thinking really, good job I'd got my trusty old cannon. I've added my e-mail to your comment on my last post. Re the garden we've finished sorting the pebbles and the plants seem to be okay but the flowers on the Japanese Anemones seem a bit stunted and small, we seem to have cracked the internet problem for now - fingers crossed:)

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  2. That's a pain re the internet - hope it is soon resolved. What an interesting church! I've been in the churchyard here but never inside.

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    1. Apparently the church is open every day so if you go back there you can just pop in. Thanks re internet, we seem to have solved it for now:)

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  3. Good luck solving the internet problems, what a nuisance. How unusual to have seven steps there, it looks so high but at least it gives a good view. There are some interesting details in this church, aren't there. 😊

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    1. It is an interesting church, internet sorted for now, we put it down to school holidays and children playing games and watching TV but there was also a problem with my computer having picked up a virus of some kind:)

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  4. Fascinating post about a lovely old church. But...somewhere in the back of my mind there was another church with lots of steps up to the chancel. And I've finally dredged it up to the surface. Alwinton Church in Northumberland has ten big steps leading up to the chancel and a further four going up to the altar - you could really do with climbing boots under the wedding dress if you're getting married there!

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    1. Well remembered John. Thank you for pointing this out I guess the writers of the articles I have read about St James, Bonsall probably didn't know about the church at Alwinton. Interesting stuff apparently their chancel was lifted to accommodate a family crypt:)

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  5. What a lovely church, the mix of flowers is beautiful against the grave stones. As my interest in churches grows I have been surprised at the stunning and large covers they have over the fonts, nice to see the carvings on the walls.

    Do hope you have managed to sort your garden out a little and the internet is not playing up... Take care..
    Amanda xx

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    1. Thanks, Amanda. You and RR know so much more about churches and gravestones etc than I do - some churches have wonderfully elaborate fonts don't they? Garden on the mend - almost and internet seem okay now, I hope:)

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  6. Interesting little church, pretty sure I've never heard of a bull baiting stone before.

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    1. I'd heard of bear baiting and cock fighting but wasn't really aware of bull baiting is sounds horrible doesn't it?:)

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  7. Fascinating church Rosie - but my first thought about the chancel steps is that it must be near impossible for disabled people to get up there for communion. How times have changed! Did you know (and I expect you did)that the hymn sung before the Gospel reading is called the "gradual hymn" because after is was sung, the Gospel was read from the chancel step (gradus, I think, as in gradient and graduation)? x

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    1. How fascinating Mrs T, no I didn't know about the reason the hymn was called the gradual hymn so thank you for that information. Yes it must be hard for anyone with mobility problems to get up those steps for communion, I wonder if the church have a plan B for those occasions?:)

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  8. I am quite fond of the image of the Bonsall Imp! Rosie just to let you know that I tried to email you today (want to make sure I have your correct address to send you a little paper crafted 'something' next week but it comes up 'undelivered' and that your email address is not found! I am also having problems with a slow internet and can't get any YouTube videos to play! x

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    1. Thank you so much, Simone. I've e-mailed you so that you have my other e-mail address and added my home address:)

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  9. What a wonderful church! The little carving is amazing isn't it.

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    1. Thanks, Amy. Yes, it is an unusual carving and a great little church to visit:)

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  10. What an interesting place, Rosie, and so full of charm.
    Amalia
    xo

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    1. Thank you Amalia, it is a fascinating place:)

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