Thursday 6th October 2022

Day four of the day off, and as the weather was going to be peachy, I was going to spend it churchcrawling. I had toyed with the idea of going to Stodmarsh to look for birds, dragons and butterflies, but with the later rising sun, it was either nature or churches.

And churches won out.

This did mean I had to drop Jools off at work, as I needed the car, so after first coffee, into the car for the half hour drive to Hythe.

It was getting light, but the sun not yet up, but very nice to be out as the world wakes up. Over the top of the down and into Hythe, dropping Jools off near the canal so she could get some walking in, I turned round but instead of going home, I went to Preston to the butchers to get that chore out of the way, as the one thing you can rely on is butchers being open at sill o'clock.

So, it was a long droive from Hythe, along the motorway to Hawkinge, then up through Denton, over the A2 and along to Wingham, before turning off to head over the marshes to Preston.

I arrived at ten past seven, so early they boys were only putting on their aprons and their wares had not yet been put on display.

I bought some things, for dinner that night and for meals over the next month, even remembering a bone to make some stock with. That done, back in the car to drive home to have breakfast and ponder where to go on my trip out.

I have been posting shots of churches on Twitter and FB for about 18 months now, so now have an overview of which pictures, and which sets of shots were not up to scratch. So, through the year I have been revisiting churches done sometimes a decade ago, to see what details I missed. And in the end, choices for the day were Upper Hardres, (pronounced Hards) and Stelling.

There were others, but as it turned out, I didn't fancy a drive to the other side of Ashford, so Smarden, you'll have to wait another day.

It was a pleasant drive to Hardres, I took the scenic route through Patrixbourne and Bridge before striking out to Stone Street. Lower Hardres is easy to find, just off Stone Street, and the Victorian church up a lane behind the pub. But Upper, although signposted at first, soon vanished from the fingerposts.

I looked at the map in the sat nav, and recognised the dogleg in the road where the church was, so headed almost into Bossingham, and in a small village, just a half dozen houses and three farms was the church.

Locked.

Key can be found at (name) farm. Only no directions as to where the farm might be.

So after checking nearby, I went to the car to cruise the mean streets of Upper Hardres, until I found the farm in question.

I had tried calling, but poor reception meant calls could not connect.

Anyway, I went to the farm door, rang the bell, and a very nice lady said she was going to the church anyway, to clean the brasses.

Win!

So, I met her outside the porch, and once inside I left her polishing the lectern, while I went round to get my shots.

Very nice glass, although mostly fragments, and in the east window 14th century glass from Stelling when they went all nonconformist.

Several fine memorials and some very old brasses too, but the oldest is hidden, but a rubbing can be seen.

Happy with that, next onto Stelling, which I knew would be locked, but also knew where the key (should) be kept.

From Upper Hardres, it should be a five minute drive through Bossingham to St Mary.

There is even a road marked, though once past the church it seems to become a track, and from the road south of Bossingham, seems to lead through a farmyard.

So, I had to drive to Stelling village, past the pub and shop, out onto Stone Street, from which you can see the tower of St Mary, and then turn right and right again down narrower lanes until you are on the paved part of the road that leads just south of Bossingham.

But the journey is worth it, as Stelling is somewhat remarkable. A remarkable survivor.

In the 18th century, it was reordered to become nonconformist, with the triple decked pulpit on the north wall and the box pews facing north rather than east. The glass was removed and taken to Upper Hardres.

This did happen elsewhere, but what is unusual is that it was not changed in the 19th century, so what we have now is an 18th century nonconformist church, untouched. Plain, unadorned.

Sad for the church, but something of great interest and rarity.

I was last here in 2016 when I came to road test my new Canon wide angle lens, so this was to rephotograph details and see if I could find the organ, as someone had asked me about it.

The organ, I can confirm, is no longer there.

But a fine church from the outside, and inside all light and pure simplicity.

And that was that. It was just before two and I was hungry, so on the way home, I thought, I could stop at the stores in Bridge and get something to eat there.

Which I did.

THere's a burger puff I have just put the proce down on the clear, as its the last item and I need to turn the heater off. I was told.

Sold. I said.

I bought some crisps and a bottle of pop, and was on my way, passing people waiting at the buss stop for a bus that was never coming, judging by the looks on their faces.

Should I try Barfrestone, I thought?

Nah. Another day.

So, drove home to make a brew and check my shots.

And at four it was time to go back to Hythe to collect Jools. I left 45 minutes for the drive, just as well as I had to get past two sets of roadworks, and so only just made it.

Jools coughed all the way home, was really quite bad. So, as soon as we were indoors she had some honey and lemon, which helped.

Dinner was a pie bought at the butcher's: chicken, brie and cranberry. I made mash and gravy from the stock I made in the afternoon. Finished off with frozen peas and sweetcorn.

Was a fine meal.

No football to watch in the evening, but some to follow on the BBC website, but I lose interest, so once Marc is done on the wireless at nine, we head to bed.