The Henson Journals

[173]

Thursday, August 6th, 1925.

We left the Chaplaincy, Hornchurch, about 9.30 a.m. and motored to Walsham Abbey, which we visited. An intelligent female pointed out the features of the church. While we were looking at them, a heavy looking parson came in, who was presumably the incumbent. He evidently recognized me, & had the temerarious civility to say that he owed much to my teaching! We proceeded northwards by way of Ware, & lunched on sandwiches by the roadside. At Stamford we spent an hour in visiting 4 churches (S. Martin, S. John's, All Saints, and S. Mary's) and the Brown Hospital. The last has a fascinating aspect, for the little quadrangle formed by the houses of the Warden & brethren was bright with flowers, & kept with scrupulous care. In the Chapel and Committee room is some very beautiful medieval glass. In S. Martin's there is much & excellent medieval glass, and the tombs of the Exeter Cecils, including that of the famous Lord Burleigh & his wife. The verger explained that the boundaries of two dioceses met at Stamford, S. Martin's being in the diocese of Peterborough, & the other churches in the diocese of Lincoln. We had tea in 'The George' in Grantham, and afterwards visited the church with the famous spire. Then we went on to Carlton–on–Trent arriving about 5.30 p.m., having travelled 141 miles, which, when due allowance has been made for our stoppages, works out at an average of over 28 miles an hour, which is well enough.