St Paul, Parkend, revisited

On a recent sunny but cold day we stopped in at the church of St Paul at Parkend, Gloucestershire. I have photographed this building before in 2021, but on that occasion the building was locked and I only managed to get the exterior. That photograph hinted at the novelty of the shape of the church. This photograph gives an idea of what that novelty looks like inside.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Nikon Z 5

St Paul, Parkend, Gloucestershire

The church of St Paul at Parkend, Gloucestershire, was designed and built in 1821-2 by Rev. Henry Poole, its vicar, a man who had architectural training before he entered the ministry. What makes it a remarkable building is most evident inside but is hinted at on the exterior. Its plan is a Latin cross with extensions across the right-angles that make the centre of the interior octagonal. You can see one of these as a splay between the nave and transept in the photograph above. Poole used the same device in his rebuilding of the medieval St Anne (Old Church) at nearby Coleford. Unfortunately, there only the tower remains after the rest was pulled down in 1882. We have seen the interesting interior of St Paul but our recent visit fell on a day when the church wasn't open. We will return.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Nikon D5300

Dean Forest Railway, Parkend station

The Dean Forest Railway is a heritage line that runs 4.25 miles between Parkend and Lydney in Gloucestershire. It was formerly part of the Severn and Wye Railway that ran from Lydney to Cinderford. The railway is run by volunteers who manage the track, buldings and a variety of heritage steam and diesel powered locomotives, carriages and goods wagons. There are plans to extend the line a further 2.5 miles to near Beechenhurst. Currently the railway's activity is curtailed by the Covid19 pandemic but the outside of the station at Parkend is open to visitors. As I stood on the footbridge to take this photograph I was struck by how much the scene resembled a model railway layout and how it was the sort of shot that some would process with a "toy" or diorama camera effect.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Nikon D5300