Standing alone in a farmer's field the old church of All Saints is accessed by a narrow path from a road that buzzes with lorries going back and forth to a nearby quarry.
We parked in a small layby and walked just a few yards up the road to the entry. Ballidon is a small village in Derbyshire amongst the group of villages of Parwich, Brassington and Bradborne. The church is now cared for by the charitable group known as 'Friends of Friendless Churches.' They care for more churches in Wales than England at the moment and this is one of only two churches in their care in Derbyshire. The other church, at Matlock Bath I blogged about - here.
The building, constructed of local limestone and gritstone, dates from around c.1100, although, according to the information leaflet, the village of Ballidon was mentioned in the Domesday Book but there was no mention of a church building. From archaeological evidence of the land surrounding the church, house platforms show there may have been a sizeable mediaeval settlement there. I couldn't stand any further back to take a photo of the whole church from the east side as it was surrounded by a brick wall to keep out the cows on the other side.
In the early 13th century (c.1205) the church at nearby Bradborne and its chapel at Ballidon were given to Dunstable Priory in Bedfordshire. The church building was altered in 1822 and 1882. The font is the most interesting and important object in the church and dates from the 14th century. Lots of the carvings around the top half of the font are upside down and although of the same age is not the same as the plinth it sits on.
On the West wall above the font is a fireplace which shows that at some point there was a gallery across this side of the church offering, according to local legend, accommodation for visiting clergy.
The information leaflet recommended that visitors open the cupboard door above the altar to find the aumbry cupboard to see the garish paintwork inside. So we did.
The stained glass window, which was installed in 1894, is by Charles Eamer Kempe.
According to my ancient copy of Arthur Mee's The King's England for Derbyshire the village of Ballidon.....
'has a few cottages and farms under White Edge and a lonely chapel away in the fields'
No mention here of either the quarry or of the nearby remains of Neolithic and Bronze Age barrows or the mediaeval village.
It was time to brave the cows and the hurtling cement trucks again and head towards nearby Carsington Water.
I love old churches that are long neglected. Your visit sounds very atmospheric with the dust motes. Have a good weekend. B x
ReplyDeleteThank you Barbara, this one although slightly neglected, had a warm feel about it, at least it has been saved and not become a shelter for livestock or machinery. You too ahve a good weekend:)
DeleteWhat a lovely old church - good to see it has been taken over by Friends of Friendless Churches. The font is just superb and there seems much of interest to see inside.
ReplyDeleteI have the Arthur Mee book for Herefordshire - it makes charming reading at times. Although as you say information can be somewhat limited!
Have a good weekend and take care.
Thank you RR, yes it is good these old churches are saved and cared for. I follow the charity on facebook and they have recently had two churches down south vandalised which is a shame. It was interesting inside especially the font. Arthur Mee seems from another world now but it is always fun to see what he says about a place or building. You too take care:)
DeleteYes I saw on twitter about the two churches being vandalised and it is so sad because they do such wonderful work. I agree about Arthur Mee - I spotted the book in a second hand bookshop and as you say it takes you back to a different world but it is fascinating to see what he says :)
DeleteI have the Mee books for Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire and Staffordshire, all from second hand book shops. I have a couple of books writtten by H V Morton too and they are written in that 1920s/30s style:)
DeleteIt feels very old indeed.
ReplyDeleteThank you William, it was very old and atmospheric:)
DeleteThat charity does an amazing job keeping old churches intact and open to visitors, we have several around here. The dust and cobwebs add to the atmosphere of the place. Arthur Mee is notoriously erratic in what he includes and leaves out of his writing.
ReplyDeleteThank you John, they must have enthusiastic volunteers to lock and unlock each day and to pop inside to check things over. Yes, the layer of dust and cobwebbed lamps in the windows did add to the feel of the place, I'm glad we visited in summer and not the midst of winter. Arthur Mee's books - I have them for Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire as well as Derbyshire are fascinating but never the full picture of a place:)
DeleteFor such a small church in a farmer's field, it has a lot of interesting and beautiful features. It's a pity we can't wind back time and see it through the ages. 😊
ReplyDeleteThank you Karen, it was surrounded by mud and mooing cows, they luckily moved across the field when we arrived! I just imagine people walking from miles around in all weathers to attend services, although if there is a closer deserted village, they probably didn't have to walk so far:)
DeleteSuch a lovely church! I too would like to have seen it through the ages and the people that turned up to worship there. It looks quite humble. Thanks for sharing the photos Rosie! :)
ReplyDeleteThank you Simone, it was very atmospheric, I expect the congregation were tenant farmers and their employees, possibly workers in the quarry later on, I don't expect rich landed families would have attended this church or had their own pews here, they would have gone to the larger churches of Bradborne and Brassington:)
DeleteLooks like scenes from King Arthur or the knights templer. Very magnificent structures with all the lovely carvings. I wonder how did people at that time make such lovely buildings without our modern technology. Must be cold inside with all the stone walls and structures.
ReplyDeleteThank you kestrel it is a very historic place, the carvngs on the ancient font were very interesting:)
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