A Heritage Open Day

I'm on holiday but I haven't gone anywhere! So you are going to get a week of me having local days out.

I decided not to set the alarm this morning and promptly woke up at the usual 5:40. Just a BIT early to go anywhere but eventually I turned up at Amwell. Highlights were 2 snipe, Green and Common Sandpiper and very showy Water Rails.

Anyway today is a Heritage Open Day and 4 hard to get into churches are open so....

633 St Peter Ayot St Peter designed by the architect J P Seddon in the Arts and Crafts style.
















then on to the largest parish church in Hertfordshire St Mary's Hitchin 634.












The following are the faces of Edward III and his queen (her name escapes me at the mo).





So on to St Mary Great Warley 635. The church is of 1902 and very striking. The nave roof has bands of aluminium and the chancel is covered in it.
















and the final church the now redundant but consecrated All Saints East Horndon 636. It is very bare (due to roberies much of the fittings have had to be moved - the church is right next to the A127 but has a nice upstairs pew with brick fire place. The inscribed limestone slab (badly photographed) of Alice Tyrell (wife of a speaker of the house of commons) is rare.










Whilst I was there a woman turned up to lay flowers on her husbands grave to find the church she was married in open (her companion was christened there). Thank you the Churhces Conservation Trust.

So where now? I was quite close to Ingatestone Hall. I've been before but as it's a member of the HHA scheme its free for me to enter so i thought heh!

It has been the home of the Petre family (who built Ingatestone church see earlier blog) since the 1540's. It has priest holes and seems very homey. It lacks that corporate National Trust feel which makes for a nice change.













Sorry about so many photos!!