The Henson Journals

[188]

Thursday, August 30th, 1923.

A bright morning with a high wind and a low temperature. I wrote to D McCullogh and the Stationmaster at King's Cross about Carissima's journey and to Carissima herself. How thankful I shall be when that business has been, if ideed it shall be successfully accomplished.

We spend the interval between luncheon and dinner in visiting Bradford on Avon, and some beautiful old houses in the neighbourhood. The little Saxon Church of St Laurence ia picturesquely placed on a sloping hill, and is supported by heavy modern buttresses. It was formerly used as a free school, and was only restored to sacred uses (sight seers)? In 1857. Freeman is quoted in Murray's guide as saying that it is probably the most ancient unaltered church in England, showing the singular analogy between the earlier an later imitations of "Roman architecture" The guide proceeds:–

"There can be no reasonable doubt that it Is the actual church built by Ealdhelm at the beginning of the 5th century, dedicated to St Lawrence, described in the early part of the 12th century by William of Malmsbury, who say's of it "Est ad hunc diem in eo loco (apud Bradeford) ecclesiota quam ad nomen beatissimi Laurenti (Ealdhelmus) fecisse proedicatur".

It consists of a chancel, nave, and N. porch and has most of the fefatures of the class of building called Anglo –Saxon. Amongst the most remarkable character of this church are its great height as compared with its breadth, and the extreme narrowness of the arch between nave and chancel. There is an incised arcade along the outside walls and on either side of the west aspect of the chancel arch are two sculptured figures of angels, which are perhaps the earliest extant fragments of church carvings in England. The bridge over the Avon I the centre of the town has on t a medieval chpel, long used as a lock up house. The town itself is full of antique and beautiful houses, of which the chief is know as the Duke's or Kingston House. It is a noble specimen of the Jacobean style, with an excess of window, arabesque battlements, and classic details. We visited Holy Triity Church, near to the "Saxon" building, a fine but not specialy remarkable medieval fabric. After tea in the "Swan Inn" – which bears date 1500, and has an old court room in which Jude Jeffries is said to have dealt out what he called 'justice' – we visited Great Chaldfield and saw the fine 16th century manor house: and the parish church close to it. The bell turret with its spire crowning the W. gable is curious. Finally we wnt on to South wroxall, and saw another wonderful manor house. "Tradition has it that this is the first house in which tobacco was smoked in England being Sir Walter Ralleigh and Sir Walter Long, and the scene the great chamber. This house still remains the property f the Long Family. The present tenant politely showed us over the pace. We motored back o Brocham Sud. And arrived I time fo diner.

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