poliphilo

This is the church I visited yesterday- St Andrew and St Mary the Virgin, Fletching: The dedication is unusual. Generally the Virgin Mary takes precedence over every other member of the heavenly host.

I caught it in a rare interval of sunshine. Sometimes one gets the breaks.

If the church has an international reputation it's because in contains the mortal remains of the historian Edward Gibbon. He's buried in another person's family vault. The owner of the vault was a great friend and Gibbon was a great man and when he died whilst on a visit they were delighted to extend his stay into eternity. Did the Abbey want him? Did St Paul's? Well, they can't have him!

This isn't Gibbon- wrong period- but a man called Leche- who was a person of fame and substance in his generation. The tomb isn't of the finest quality and his effigy is more than a a little stiff- but the way the shadows fall in this particular image make him look almost human. I love his collar, though I'd hate to have to wear it.