There are good things that can come from watching television you know. Truly.
Recently there has been a series on BBC 4 called 'Churches: How To Read Them'. I bought the book by Richard Taylor for Anth a few years ago and I couldn't put it down and absolutely loved the series. (Gosh, I watch grown up things now!)
There was one church in particular that had the most beautiful Norman carved font and I noticed it was in Herefordshire which we drive through when we go to Ludlow.
I forgot all about it until we were driving that way at the end of October. I also forgot the name of the church and where it was, but thanks to my trusty iphone's, found the info and realised that we were actually only a couple of miles away from Castle Frome.
So down little lanes we trundled convinced we were on a wild goose chase and then I saw the little steeple.
We had found it.
I was also convinced that the church would be locked on a cold October Sunday afternoon at 2.30pm. I couldn't wait for Anth to lock the car (I felt we were miles from anywhere - locking anything seemed pointless! "Just hurry!") I scuttled up the path..was it open...please let it be open...it was open!
The heavy door opened to reveal this
beautiful Romanesque font dating back from around 1170 (a little history here) - just what I had been looking for and it didn't disappoint in the flesh. The sun was pouring into the tiny church and we fell silent for a while.
Oh but my camera didn't stay silent for very long. That font was photographed more than Gwyneth on a bad day.
The figures under the font are said to be signifying sin and the font is crushing them.
Such a wonderful treasure tucked away in a little country church in the middle of nowhere. We would have just driven on by if we hadn't had seen that television programme.
Good old BBC.
