Last picture for today. Four of the pillars at the West end of the church have these large iron rings in them. There is a firm local belief that these rings were hammered into the collumns of the Church to tether the horses when Cromwell stabled them in the church in 1644; and the state of the brick floor around the base of these pillars rather bears out this belief.
3 comments:
Very considerate towards his horses was our Nolly, you can tell he came of good yeoman-farmer stock.
PS
Is there but one arch-pierced buttress, or is there a correspondent one on the far side? I had thought at first glance the whole collonade of buttresses would have been of like design!
I don't know the answer to your question, Crowbard. The pierced buttress in the photo has a small door behind it, which was, I suppose the reason for piercing this buttress, which had to be there to preserve the appearance of symetry. There is a corresponding door on the far side of the Church (the North side, I should say), the door that Nea enquires about with the burn marks on it, buthis is rather larger so probably not in a buttress. We didn't walk round the church this time, but this gives us a good reason to go back again and have another look. Will try and remember to let you know then.
Thanks Mike,
The North doors of churches were the chosen point of entry of those members of the congregation who adhered to the pre-christian religions of Britain but were compelled by law to attend church. It being the coldest, draftiest area of the church they hoped to be left to their own devices.
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