St Catherine, Hoarwithy

The church of St Catherine at Hoarwithy, Herefordshire, differs substantially from the usual Victorian Church of England building. Why? Well, it derives its appearance from Italian Romanesque churches. The bell tower, the rounded east end of the chancel, the loggia, the Roman tile roofs and the richly decorated, short apsidal chancel all speak of Italy rather than rural Herefordshire. It is a Grade 1 Listed building and on the day of our visit the steep path to the main entrance was covered in matting to make the ascent easier. A notice said that this had been permitted for one year during which time a more fitting finish was to be laid down.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: iPhone

Hop syringing machine

We came upon this ancient piece of garden/agricultural machinery in the buildings of the kitchen garden at Berrington Hall, near Leominster, Herefordshire. Had there been no recently written sign to explain what it was we would have been completely clueless. It is a Victorian-era hop syringing machine made by the Chelmsford company of Coleman & Morton. The sign helpfully explained that it had been used up to the 1980s to spray fruit. From that information I assume it was used to apply either herbicides or insecticides or it was a means of achieving good fertilisation of the hops or fruit. Apparently the machine was a £10 prizewinner at the 1871 Royal Show.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Nikon Z 5

Sylvan Great Malvern

The Worcestershire spa town of Great Malvern expanded greatly in the nineteenth century to accommodate both visitors who came to "take the waters" and well-to-do people who wanted to live a genteel life on the tree clad slopes of the Malvern Hills. Today there are Victorian houses and hotels in abundance in the town, often with large, tree and shrub filled gardens that give the town a sylvan character. I spotted the tops of these buildings among the trees as we looked up the hillside. The mixture of evergreens and deciduous trees is quite typical of the area and means that greenery in profusion is still on show in the winter months.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Olympus OMD E-M10

Italianate loggia, Hoarwithy

A couple of weeks ago we visited a number of "H.Art" arts and crafts exhibitions. This is an annual week in Herefordshire where artists and crafts-people get together, exhibit, and hopefully sell, their work. J.P. Seddon's Victorian Italianate church at Hoarwithy was one such site. The nave was full of a variety of exhibits and the narthex, loggia and back of the church had been turned into a large cafe serving refreshments to visitors. But not so full that I coudn't squeeze out a photograph of the columns and capitals of the loggia.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Lumix FZ1000 2

Hill Paul building, Stroud

The Hill Paul building in Stroud, Gloucestershire, is a late Victorian (1890s) structure erected to house the business of Hill Paul Clothiers Ltd, who made men's clothing. It was built by the architect Henry A. Cheers and is a prominent building in the town, near the railway station. After the closure of the Hill Paul business in 1979 a number of uses were mooted for the site including a museum and a cinema. When these fell through demolition was proposed.

Fortunately local action prevented that and a deal was made with a developer who added a reasonably sympathetic penthouse level and turned the whole property into apartments - an outcome that kept the landmark building. My photographs show a detail of the windows and a view of the main elevation.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Lumix FZ1000 2

Victorian putti

In ancient classical civilizations putti - naked or winged cherubs - were associated with Eros and Cupid. When they re-appeared in the Renaissance their form was similar to the earlier manifestation but they were ascribed a very different character, becoming more akin to angels. In English church architecture they appear particularly in wood carving, stained glass, on funerary monuments and gravestones. The four depicted above are in the quatrefoil at the top of a Victorian stained glass window in the church of St Lawrence, Weston under Penyard, in Herefordshire.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Lumix FZ1000 2

Victorian letter box

Tall, cylindrical, red and black letter boxes (also called post boxes and pillar boxes) displaying the monogram of Queen Elizabeth II and the words Royal Mail, are common throught Britain. Visitors to these shores see them as symbolic of our nation. However, it took some time from their introduction in 1852 for a settled design to be used widely across the country. Quite a few of the different Victorian precursors can still be seen, still in use. One such is the so-called "Penfold" named after its designer, that was installed between 1866 and 1879. Its ornate character and octagonal shape made it popular with the public. But, its relatively small capacity and its tendency to jam, necessitating design changes inside, led to its abandonment. The Penfold in the photograph can be seen outside the Shire Hall, Monmouth, where its colourful contribution enhances the historic setting. The painting of the royal coat of arms may be by a local civic group.

Lower down the column (out of shot) is the simple VR (Victoria Regina) monogram.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Lumix FZ1000 2

Llanthony Secunda Priory, Gloucester

Llanthony Secunda Priory was established in Gloucester in 1136 as a safer offshoot of Llanthony Priory in the Black Mountains of Monmouthshire, a location that was subject to attack during border wars and skirmishes. Nothing remains of Gloucester's priory church or cloisters. Parts of the walls, barns, gatehouse and other domestic buildings can be seen and have recently been subject to restoration and interpretation. The photograph shows a long medieval range of stone and timber-framed construction. Adjoining it is a farmhouse, rebuilt in c.1855-60 by P.C. Hardwick, that gives scant acknowledgement to its venerable neighbour.The whole setting is now an open parkland area near Gloucester Quays and Docks, in which the size of the buildings is somewhat lost. My wife obliged by adding some scale to the scene.

Victorian brickwork

A sunlit subject under a dark threatening sky always appeals to me. Even the most familiar subject such as a dying tree, a rooftop, or the St Pancras hotel can be elevated by such a juxtaposition. This terrace of houses on Mill Street, Hereford, dating from 1881, has benefited with attention being drawn to the decorative Victorian brickwork that enlivens the main facades.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Sony DSC-RX100