Saturday 10th February 2024

The weekend.

After a one day working week.

Though with the travel and late nights, it seemed to be a lot longer.

We didn't need to go to Tesco first thing, I did that on Thursday, so we could lay in until we woke up.

Amazingly, it was pretty much full light by ten past seven, though cloudy with the threat of rain showers.

We were going to go back to Dover Castle, but the steep slopes and steps might not have been the best idea, but I had a back up plan that involved churches.

Smarden is a stunningly pretty village, mostly timber framed medieval houses of clapboard cottages, and two fine caching inns, and a grand church too.

And it had been a decade since we last visited, so we could combine that with two nearby ones as well.

So, after second coffee and breakfast, I grabbed my cameras and we drove to the A2, down Jubilee Way to get to Ashford before turning off onto the A20 to Lenham, then to Pluckley.

There was a solid queue of trucks from Dover all the way to the Roundhill Tunnels, all trying to get off this Brexit Plague island, and cars and coaches trying to get past them to get to the port.

Up the motorway to the second Ashford junction, then down the A20, which was quiet, then into the Kentish countryside, down through Pluckley, past the Black Horse and into Smarden, finding a place to park outside the Flying Horse.

Best entry to the the church and churchyard is through a courtyard and under a clapboard house, passing over mossy flagstones leading to the porch.

The main road passes by the pub and courtyard by two 90 degree bends, flanked with yet more clapboard houses and another pub. Villages like these were not designed for the 21st century and motor cars.

We reached the churchyard safe and sound, walked to the porch and found it unlocked, so went in.

Not much glass here, though there was a fine double window made up of medieval glass fragments, giving a hint of what was there, including a St Michael and a green dragon's head.

What I missed last time was a mythical beast stone carving, high on the south wall, and near to it an odd couple of short carved pillars. Otherwise a church that may have had a light touch in Victorian times for restoration, if at all.

I have always found St Michael open.

A short drave away, along lanes lines with ditches full to overflowing from recent rains, is Bethesden.

All roads seem to lead there, although there was no village sign to tell you when you'd arrived. But the tower of St Margaret could be seen to the left, so we turned up the hill and found a place to park opposite.

The guy clipping his hedge was talking to his teenage daughter, but as we couldn't see either, it seemed he was speaking to us. But not unhappy about parking outside his house, apparently.

Jools could hear music and talking from inside the church, so wouldn't go in. I could see through the glass panels at the top of the inner door, so could see a group of people watching a film on a screen.

I went in and gestured if it was OK for me to take shots.

It was, but this explains why there is no shots from the west of looking in that direction.

The film was paused, and then they got into a theological discussion, I tried to make as little noise as possible. But every scrape and knock was amplified in the inner space of the church.

I took shots of the windows, and a couple more of interesting carvings, then took my leave.

A four mile drive away, down yet more narrow and partially flooded lanes is High Halden. In fact the village is on the main road, the old Hig Road from Ashford to Tenterden,

St Mary is situated on Church Hill, of course, just off the main road, and set back so that you can't see it until you have nearly reached the church.

When I did my top 50 Kent churches, I forgot St Mary. And would have included it for the most memorable entrance and porch under the wester tower, all made of wood and looking every bit the 700 year old it is.

Lighting inside the porch is great, and I looked forward to seeing inside again, but upon entering, there was a family collecting items from the food bank. Not wanting to embarrass them, we walked straight into the Nave leaving them to sort what they needed.

The Nave and Chancel are small, and parts date back to the 12th century, though the original date of its founding is lost.

The porch is separated from the Nave by a glass screen, set with diamond panes, and s effective and most attractive. High on the Chancel arch, are four small windows, an unusual feature. I have seen them with a single light, but not four.

I record details of the window, but there's not much I have to snap that's new. And with a steady rain falling outside, we turn from home happy that all three churches were unlocked, and welcoming, and one in use this grey winter's day.

We drove back through the hellhole that is Ashford. Ashford is fine, but it's roads are just dreadful, so always a relief to get back onto the motorway and be heading home.

Couldn't work out why the port was so busy, then I realised that its half term, so people getting away from this winter grey.

We cut through the Alkham Valley to miss the worst of the port traffic, and along the bottom of the valey, the Drellingore had died up to just be a few muddy pools now.

But we did get back for half twelve, meaning time for the football, and a chance to keep an eye on Ipswich who were playing WBA at home. Ended 2-2, but Town played well and are a well coached team.

Then came the main bock of games, with Norwich away at QPR, which also ended 2-2, though Rangers are not the team that WBA, and so that is 17 points City have dropped from a winning position.

Sigh.

And for the evening, I watched the Bayer v Bayern derby, which was very good indeed, and also because Bayer won easily, 3-0. Hard luck, Harry.