Astbury

[poliphilo]

On our way back from Mow Cop we stopped at Astbury. The bellringers were at it like a poltergeist among the fire irons. 

The church is really odd- with a tall spire that seems to have come adrift from the main building. There's a collection of  wonderfully grotesque medieval gargoyles, a 1000 year old yew tree and- very unusual- a  set of high-status medieval tombs that have been erected outside, in the churchyard and are now more or less reduced to featureless lumps. 

Comments

[jackiejj.livejournal.com]

Fine pictures--the cars seem jarringly out of place!

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

The fat little blue one to the right of the gate is ours. Ailz is sitting in the driver's seat reading about Lord Byron. You can just make out the back of her head.

[lblanchard.livejournal.com]

Did you get a picture of the 1,000 year old yew?

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I did.

I'll post it

[pondhopper.livejournal.com]

Look at the grin on that gargoyle. I love it.
I should dig up the gargoyle pictures I´ve photographed around Spain and Europe.

It IS odd about the higher status tombs outside the church. Perhaps they ran out of space inside? That the carved figures are reduced to featureless lumps strikes me as fitting, though. We spend a good bit of time poking around church graveyards when we´re in England, especially in the villages. St. James (I *think* it´s St James) in Avebury has a good one although there are still many modern burials done there which makes for quite a contrast.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I think the gargoyle looks like a cross between Humpty Dumpty and the Cheshire cat. It left me wondering whether Lewis Carroll knew it. He was from round these parts so he might have done.

[solar-diablo.livejournal.com]

Fantastic. And I thought wandering through a Colonial-era graveyard in Boston last summer was impressive. Man, if those stones could talk...

I like the white celtic cross in front of the church, although I suspect that was a much later addition.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Yes, that celtic cross is the war memorial. A lot of British war memorials take that shape.

[jourdannex.livejournal.com]

That is just so beautiful!

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

A fascinating place.

I always love it when I come across somewhere like this by chance.

[oakmouse]

Beautiful church!

The gargoyle displays a very medieval sense of humor. I wondered why the extremely broad grin, just until I spotted the rain spout. Gardyloo!

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

There was probably originally a piece of lead pipe sticking out of the hole, making the little fellow even more graphically offensive.

Don't you just love the Middle Ages?

[oakmouse]

Actually, I do. They were so matter-of-fact about ordinary life, and they had no fear of laughing at themselves.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

That's right.

I feel at home around medieval things.