A Break, and a Trip

I'm taking a little break from this blog (and life in general!)  Tomorrow I fly to Florida where my daughter will be starting a new chapter in her life as a student at Florida State University in Tallahassee.  And after that a little vacation.

Back with more churches, Deo volente, in September!

Cookhill Baptist Chapel, Worcestershire

After a splendid visit to Inkberrow St Peter (about which I shall write on a future date) and a failed visit to Cookhill St Paul, part of the same benefice where a funeral was underway, I noticed a street sign that made me turn right off the A441 Evesham Road into Chapel Lane. Not knowing what to find I was pleasantly surprised to pull into the car park of a red brick building carrying the sign Cookhill Baptist Church. So as an ecumenical gesture I feel it only meet and right to include a few notes about this brief visit.

I say “visit” for it was only an external viewing of the solid-looking early Victorian building that bore more than a resemblance to many a farmhouse built in Worcestershire during that period. Set at the end of a cul-de-sac and bordered by farmland (and a very friendly horse who leaned over a barbed wire fence to see if I had anything for him to eat) the only structural indications that this was a house of worship were a large, white, wooden cross on the end wall and the faux perpendicular style of windows.  Of, course, it was locked.  But I must be wary of criticizing the Baptists when so many Church of England buildings were also locked that day.

A little potted history was later gleaned from the church’s blog:  A Baptist fellowship began in Cookhill in the early 1830s, probably as a result of “missionaries” from the nearby town of Alcester.  They raised money and resources and built the church in (what is now) Chapel Lane by 1835.  There have been many refurbishments over the years and a small WW1 memorial was built into the north wall.  And judging by a photograph that I found in the Redditch Standard newspaper which I cannot post here for copyright reasons the baptistery (tank!) looks quite new.

So in a village and area steeped in ancient ecclesiastical history, with churches, priories and nunneries, a little vein of Baptist faith flows to this day!

Source:  Church Blog http://www.cookhill-baptist-church.blogspot.com/

OS Grid Reference for Cookhill   SO053588

Bishampton St James, Worcestershire

Or erstwhile St Peter.  You see for centuries the earlier church was dedicated to the fisherman from Galilee but the saintly dedication was changed to James, son of Zebedee and brother of John, in the 1870s.  More about that later.

Bishampton, with its prominent (and open) church is a delightful village of about six hundred souls.  It has all the facilities and activities that a 21^st century rural community needs:  A pub (The Dolphin,) a general store and Post Office, and a modern village hall that seemed to be fully booked with clubs and other social and educational groups.  The 1913 History describes it as being located “in the south-eastern part of the county of Worcester. It is bounded on the north by Whitsun Brook, which ultimately runs into the River Avon, and is divided on the east from Church Lench by some wooded hills 300 ft. above the ordnance datum. These hills form the highest part of the parish, the north and east being at about 100 ft. above the ordnance datum. The area of the parish is 1,910 acres; 1,032 are arable, 733 acres are permanent grass, and 32 are woods. The soil is chiefly marl clay and the subsoil partly Lower Lias and partly Keuper Marl. The chief crops are wheat, beans, barley, turnips and garden produce.” [1.]

Noakes, writing just prior to the rebuilding, is ever-so-slightly sneering about the place. “No railway or canal touches the parish, and there are no resident gentry. The church, which has Norman and Perpendicular work in it, seems to imply, by its size, and the venerable grove of trees leading to it, a greater importance than the village to which it belongs can now justly claim.” [2.]

I parked my car in the brand-new, freshly-surfaced, church car park and was immediately impressed by the well-maintained churchyard and paths.  The church itself is set on a mound and has a solid-looking air about it.  The parish history leaflet describes the tower as 14^th century (cf. Mee. 15^th century [3.]) but the rest of the church is a Victorian reconstruction, maintaining the Norman “footprint” and using the original stones, in 1870.  No matter – it was open and welcoming.

And it was tidy!  Nothing out of place and not a speck of dust to be seen.  Add to this that the many flower arrangements were still fresh from Sunday (I visited on Tuesday) and it all added up to being a lovely place to visit.

Being Victorian there was not much in the way of architectural detective work to be done here.  This was more a place to sit quietly and offer thanks for such a beautiful building and thriving parish community.  And work out what I would suggest were the three gems to be found here.

First the impressive font.  Clearly 12^th century (although the base is modern and tasteful) and carved with bands of roses, crosses and stars.

 

Second the Victorian stone pulpit.  This was commissioned for the reconstruction in 1870 with the intention of including a stone icon of St Peter (the patron saint) in its design.  The story goes that the pulpit arrived – only with a statue of St James incorporated.  And so the church was promptly re-dedicated!

And thirdly, within easy arms length of the pulpit, the metal hourglass used (in its day) for the timing of sermons!

[1.] A History of the County of Worcester.  1913.  Volume 3.

[2.] Noakes' Guide to Worcestershire. 1868.  Page 47.

[3.] The King’s England.  Worcestershire.  Arthur Mee.  1968 New Edition.

Ordnance Survey Grid Reference.  SO988513.

(Footnote:  I wonder if there are any prints, drawings or plans of the "old" church.  That would be St Peter's!  I'm on the case...)