A Fallen Angel,
Big Sky,
A Yorkshire Church
and a
Bacon Butty
A cold, clear day with sparkling skies and sunshine, the frost now gone with birds feeding from berries in hedgerows and gardens. The soft slip of a metal latch whilst the smell of bacon still lingers on mohair and jeans…..the exit is quiet and nobody notices except the robin who flits in and out of twisted branches. Gloves of wool for warmth and a coat of bright red for keeping the spirits up help as I make my way along a quiet country lane and up a steep winding hill towards an ancient church, which is perched high above the village on which it serves. There are wooden stiles to be negotiated and sheep to dodge as I make my way up and up and up…….
The wind buffets the clouds in the sky and tugs at my hands as I steady the camera…..the cold steals my breath but it is invigorating and makes a pleasant change from the warm cocoon of the house. Still I climb towards the old church and the brow of the hill. Birds wheel about above me and I can see the red roofs of the tidy cottages in the valley below now, whilst toy people toil in their gardens and miniature animals graze in the fields. The bacon sandwich that I had for breakfast seems like a distant memory as I reach into my coat pocket for a mint……red winter coats always have mints or toffees in their pockets, it’s an unwritten rule.
The old gravestones tumble amongst rough tufts of grass…..molehills decorate the walk way towards the church and there is an air of peace and serenity as the centuries are recorded, chisel on stone and moss on wood….old fashioned names of families, wives, sons and daughters…..sadly not all remembered now. I say the names aloud, my voice thin and reedy in the wind…..Samuel, Hannah, Martha, Edward, Thomas, Josiah and Susan…..
The view of the Wolds Valley is magnificent and the sky is big, Big Sky, it reminds me of a Western film, but this is not Nevada or Nebraska, but Yorkshire, and the Church is a 12th Century church with roots going back to Saxon times, although there are no remains of the Saxon church now; it was Herbert of Winchester who built the church, in honour of the apostle Andrew…..
…..the church is of early Norman style with some overlaps to earlier Saxon times. I love its commanding and lofty position and its grey austerity, it is the beacon of the village and it’s such a shame that the congregation has dropped to a level where it may be closed soon; if we lose this historical and sacred place, we lose a little bit of us and our heritage, maybe never to be restored, lost forever, sold to property developers for a trendy chapel conversion.
My walk is nearly over now and as I leave, I pass a bin full of festive greenery that must have adorned the church for Christmas……holly, cypress and ivy along with bright red ribbons, all fighting to escape in the wind……the churchyard is an area of conservation for rare plants, one of the leaflets on the notice board informs me, whilst another lists the flowers and plants that are to be seen here…..there is a schedule of services, not daily now, not even weekly, what a sad demise for a community. My thoughts race ahead to a warm cottage kitchen with tea and cake, maybe a slice of Christmas cake, with its fallen Angel…..
…..or, maybe as it is still early I may indulge in another bacon butty, as I have walked over hill and dale! Winter is one of my favourite seasons, just trailing a little behind autumn in the popularity stakes, and winter walks are the best ~ no heat and humidity to contend with, and after all you can always add an extra scarf or jumper…..food is enjoyed with elemental pleasure and hot drinks take on a new medicinal pleasure if a wee dram of whisky is added to them. I hope you have enjoyed my “virtual” photographic walk today, with the big sky of Yorkshire and our wonderful church at Weaverthorpe, as well as my fallen Angel and that bacon butty! I will leave you with some more images and will see you later with more culinary treats and a recipe for a special day tomorrow.
Karen
Sheena says
Hi I live in rural Lancashire and could relate to the description of this beautiful walk. Wonderful blog….I sk enjoyed reading it ans the photographs are fab. I shall be following.
Marie says
Used to often take ourselves on walks like this when we lived in rural Kent. Now we are in an urban setting there are not a lot of them close by. I enjoyed taking this walk with you though. xxoo
Morgan says
Beautiful writing – thank you for sharing such eloquent words and gorgeous photos! A cheery start to my day xx
Liz says
Lovely post – great photos! But how weird – I've just posted about falling angels too!
Liz @ Shortbread & Ginger
Kate@whatkatebaked says
Winter is my favourite season too Karen- its funny, I often get very strange looks when I announce this, and people stare in horror, asking 'but summer? What about summer?!'. But, just as you've illustrated so well, there are so many great things about this time of year
Laura@howtocookgoodfood says
Lovely post Karen. I do love a brisk Winter's day walk myself and this has made me want to get on my warm weather gear and get out in that cold air! As a mad keen gardener though I have to say Spring is the season I am most looking forward too x
Inthesky says
Absolutely perfect for a Sunday Morning…what a bracing inspirational walk and I'm not even dressed yet. Could I have a bit of HP Sauce on my butty please?
Janice says
You write beautifully Karen, and your photographs are excellent. I love the one of the gate and the close up of the ironwork on the door. Enjoy your time in the Dales.
Corina says
It's lovely to see some nice pictures of the wolds. I used to go to Brownies in Weaverthorpe when I was little!
Wendy@The Omnivorous Bear says
Karen, that was lovely…..and it made me feel homesick for the Durham hills. I loved your descriptions of the wintry weather and the sharpness of the cold, while I wilt here in the Tropics. And, oh for a bacon sandwich!
Jacqueline says
Wonderful photos and a very poetic post Karen x
Dom at Belleau Kitchen says
wonderful walk… it looks so much like my neighborhood… how long are you around? Maybe you should pop over to Belleau for a cuppa?… and that bacon buttie is genius… soft white bread… just bacon… nice!
MissCakeBaker says
What a lovely post. You've made me homesick for Yorkshire, where I was born. The bacon butty pic has just made me v hungry!
Lauren says
LOVE love love these gorgeous photos. Paul and I are saving up money for a trip to England next year–I can't wait!
Annie says
Gorgeous post Karen, I felt as if I were walking with you, and I can just smell that bacon butty … mmm!
Karen S Booth says
Thanks for all your lovely comments today, my wee walk in the Yorkshire Wolds seems to have been enjoyed by all of you!
It was also a treat to see the Wolds and David Hockney on BBC Countryfile tonight…..sheer coincidence.
cakeboule says
I did enjoy your walk I coudl almost have been there with a face made red by the wind. I really enjoyed it – a breath of fresh air that I did not get chance to take today.
Kentish Keg-Meg says
Lovely words for a lovely walk.Felt I was really there . I love to read names on tombstones. Some names are still in use but some have disappeared.
Working london mummy says
What a lovely walk! And a great post as always Karen x
Jenny Eatwell says
It was lovely to ride along in your coat pocket – together with the mints – today. As you know, walking is out of the question for me these days, but I used to walk – indeed, more often I'd ride my horse – in the countryside every spare moment I got. I feel quite as though the wind has been blowing through my hair and my cheeks are pink where it has pinched on the way past. 🙂
peasepudding says
I love to see the pics of Northern England, makes me a little homesick. I think I would go for a bacon butty then the cake, after all you had dome a lot of walking ;o)
Heather says
Oh, what a lovely rambling walk to take with you. I cant believe its still so green there where you are!~ That church and its grave yard are beautiful. It makes my heart ache that its falling to disuse. I do hope it isnt lost, after all its seen as its stood on those beautiful moors. What a beautiful, beautiful place. Thank you so much for sharing 🙂