The Henson Journals

[100]

Friday, August 5th, 1910.

A bright day but with clouds across the blue: the air warm & pleasant, & the country beautiful.

Before breakfast I photographed the 'Tommie' who was working in the garden, & afterwards I took a shot of the little parish church. This having exhausted the spool; I fitted in another of 12 films, & in the course of the morning used two of them viz

1. A group of Mrs Oldfield, Ella, Frank, & Bettie.
2. The Southern door of Durrington Church.

Our hostess took us across the fields to Durrington where, under the guidance of the Rector's wife, we inspected the unusually interesting parish church.

The church was rebuilt with the exception of the tower (which is perpendicular) in 1851 by the pious efforts of Mr Webb, the perpetual curate. It contains some features of the ancient structure e.g. the Southern door, transferred from the northern wall, the Norman arcade parting the nave from the southern aisle, the wooden pulpit & benches of the 16th century. These are unusually fine. The original dedication having been lost, the rebuilded church was dedicated on Nov 1st 1851 to 'All Saints'. The present incumbent is an aged & infirm man quite past work, & the parishioners are said to have mostly become dissenters.

[101]

Hard by the church is a substantial and red–brick house, now occupied by Col: Geddes, whose wife is an enthusiastic gardener, & shows her enthusiasm by a notable border of flowering plants.

In the open street stand the substantial remains of an ancient preaching cross.

We walked back to Milston across the fields, at every step enraptured by the beauty of the country.

The deaf Rector & his wife called during the afternoon. I could nowise make myself audible to him. How can he possibly fulfil a pastor's duty to the sick, or indeed to anybody? These two incumbents, variously unfit for duty, do not give one a high notion of spiritual efficiency.

After tea we drove about 5 miles through a glorious country to Stonehenge, where I took several photographs. We walked back across the plain, passing close by the aeroplane sheds. We hoped that we might have seen some flying, but for some reason unknown the air–men would not try their fortune. Rain started to fall when we were yet some distance from home, where we arrived about 8 p.m.

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