Remembering the plague

In the corner of the churchyard of St Mary, Ross on Wye, is a fourteenth century cross. It comprises three octagonal steps, a base, shaft and renewed cross-head. The base is inscribed Plague, An Dom 1637, Burials 315, Libera nos Domine (Lord deliver us).

It is a memorial near the burial place of those in the town who died when the plague made a resurgence in England in that year. Presumably the town "re-purposed" the cross as a memorial to the victims of the disease. A modern plaque nearby also notes that the dead were buried at night without coffins.

photos © T. Boughen     Camera: Lumix FZ1000 2

Foggy churchyard thoughts

It seems to me that the charms of the churchyard are lost on many people. Where some see visual and historic interest, a haven for wildlife, and a place to pause a while, others are reminded of the only certainty in life - death. For that kind of mindset a churchyard often becomes a place to avoid. With a covering of mist or fog a churchyard acquires an air of Gothic mystery - also something to be embraced or shunned. I converted my photograph of St Mary's churchyard, Ross on Wye, to black and white to add a Dickensian or Victorian flavour to the image.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Lumix FZ1000 2

Ancient yew tree, Much Marcle

The ancient yew tree in the churchyard at Much Marcle is estimated to be several hundred years older than the thirteenth century church that it stands beside. Most estimates suggest that it is 1500 years old. That would mean that it started growing a century or so after the Romans left Britain. The tree is still growing though an iron frame supports key branches. In 1953 its girth measured 30 feet and 1 inch at a height of 4 feet 6 inches above the ground. A measurement made in April 2006 at the same height above the ground showed the girth to be 30 feet and 11 inches. That same year the tree was pruned and approximately 6 tons was removed. It is not known when the trunk became sufficiently hollow to fit seating. However, it has been in place as long as anyone can remember and can accommodate several people.

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

Young crows

Young birds are a common sight at the moment, be it clamouring brown starlings beseiging harassed parents, dead young blackbirds by the roadside or mallard ducklings being herded by their mother as they forage in every direction. Then there are the crows. On consecutive days we came upon these two. The first is a young jackdaw that hasn't yet shed all its downy feathers or lost its coloured gape. It let me approach dangerously close in Bosbury churchyard for my shot. So too did this young carrion crow, one of two unkempt looking youngsters calling for food from their parents. The latter wouldn't go to them when we were so close and eventually the youngsters realised this and went further away to be fed.

photo 1 © T. Boughen     Camera: Nikon D5300

photo 2 © T. Boughen     Camera: Lumix FZ1000 2

Churchyard compositions

Unusually, the medieval church at Weston under Penyard was closed and so, after a cup of coffee on a bench in the sun, I cast about for some churchyard compositions. The first I came up with reminded me of a shot I took many years ago in which I, broadly speaking, found a composition that clearly emphasised separate areas. In the example above the areas intersect more via the bold diagonals. So, top left is the tower, top right is the Scots pine, bottom left is the shaded chancel wall, and bottom right is the aisle tracery.

The second composition has a void at the centre of the composition and gives no particular emphasis to anything -  a cardinal sin in photography!. But, what it does do is give a feeling of what the churchyard is like and points out the attractive light that is falling on the scene. The shot was taken a couple of yards from the point where I took the first photograph.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Lumix FZ1000 2

Foggy churchyard

Churchyards in the UK are often havens of tranquility and wildlife. On a foggy day these qualities are accentuated as the number of visitors is usually fewer. We came upon this contemplative couple as we passed through St Mary's churchyard in Ross on Wye. Were they observing a squirrel or a green woodpecker? Perhaps they were reflecting on the information on a gravestone. Or maybe they were just having a quiet breather during their lockdown walk. Whatever the reason, they added a visual focus to the arch of trees and so a photograph as we passed by.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Lumix FZ1000 2

St Mary, Ross on Wye

The church of St Mary, Ross on Wye, stands at the highpoint of the town above cliffs that fall away to the River Wye below. Its significance in the landscape - it is visible from great distances - is ensured by its 205 feet high tower and spire.

We recently climbed the tower, to the parapet where the spire begins, and briefly enjoyed the view over the town, valley and nearby wooded hills. I say briefly because when we were up there a squally shower that had been approaching when I took the main photograph, lashed the church and drove us back under cover.

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

Churchyard tree

This fine specimen of a tree can be found in the churchyard of St Mary's, Ross on Wye. It is a notable tree for its short trunk and fan-like shape as well as the spectacle it presents in autumn. And for the fact that I can't identify the species. I've seen the tree in a few places around the country - they draw attention to themselves with their tightly packed branches that are sharply angled upwards - but I've never been able to put a name to it. I suspect it may be a Caucasian Elm (Zelcova carpinifolia), or perhaps a Keaki (Zelcova serrata), but the descriptions and illustrations of neither of these are entirely like the tree in the photograph.

Addendum: It's a hornbeam!

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Lumix FZ1000 2

St Michael and All Angels, Brampton Abbotts

The name Brampton Abbots reveals two things about the small settlement near Ross on Wye. Firstly, it was noted for the broom that grew in the area, and secondly the church was owned by the abbots of Gloucester. In fact it was gifted to them by William I shortly after the conquest. It's likely that the nave and chancel that we see today, with it Norman rounded arches, dates from those years. The church is a lovely, modest building that has recently been sensitively restored. The wood shingle tower is supported by a timber structure within the west of the nave. Both roofs have been repaired with, it looks like, many of the original stone tiles. The fourteenth century south porch retains many of its original timbers, a tribute to the durability of oak when it is carefully used. The fine Victorian gate  seen in the photograph opens on to a field with a footpath through it, indicating that many of the congregation came to the building across the fields rather than from the nearer dwellings whose inhabitants would have entered through the lych gate.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Lumix FZ1000 2

The Linton Yew

Yew trees are capable of living to a great age and are notoriously difficult to date with precision. However, several in the UK are recognised to be over 1,000 years old, and the oldest example in the churchyard at Linton, Herefordshire, is thought to be 1,500 years old. That makes it a contender for the UK's oldest tree. It is a female specimen and is accompanied by three more old yews in the churchyard.

Like many such yews the Linton tree is hollow and yet continues to thrive, though some branches require a little support. Hereford has a number of ancient trees and a tree of similar age to the Linton example can be seen in the churchyard of  nearby Much Marcle. This also has a hollow centre which for centuries has contained a bench capable of seating several people.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Lumix FZ1000 2

Algarkirk, a photogenic church

Structure and setting are, I think, the two main factors that determine the extent to which a church is photogenic, though light, of course, is capable of overriding all other considerations and can transform the mundane into the magical. St Peter and St Paul at Algarkirk has a fine structure courtesy of the original medieval builders and a sensitive restoration by the Victorians.The cruciform shape is complemented by mellow stonework, repeated and individualistic window tracery, battlements a-plenty and a short, culminating spirelet. Perhaps the tower could do with being wider, but apart from that it is a fine example of English church architecture. Its setting is typical of Fenland churches - a small village location, a surrounding churchyard, and plenty (but not too many) mature trees. Add a lovely May sky with soft, dishevelled clouds and you have all a photographer could ask for.

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