I had to get some stamps today and post an airmail. Now there are plenty of post offices near home but I headed off to the post office at Great Bardfield. What you say? that's 27 miles? Well it has a nice cafe that does a decent Sausage sandwich. I started using the post office during Covid times as it was much quieter and now a days it is a good excuse for a ride out!
After brunch I ventured out to take some photos. There aren't many stone rood screens in England but two of them are within a few miles of each other in the Essex countryside.
Great Bardfield is a large village and has a mix of shops including a bookshop it seems to have a community vibe.
St Mary the Virgin dates from the late 12th century (the chancel) with the rest dating to the 14th century. The most notable feature is the stone screen also of the late 14th century. The rood figures date are reconstructions by GF Bodley and date to 1896/97.
Stebbing is a much smaller village.
The church is also called St Mary the Virgin. It dates to about 1360. Its Stone screen is slightly earlier than that at Bardfield according to Pevsner, the tracery here is of the "decorated" type whereas that at Bardfield is Perpendicular. The screen's tracery is a victorian restoration by Henry Woodyer in 1884 . Why two small neighbouring Essex churches have stones screens is unknown but there must be a reason ? Mustn't there?
1 comment:
You do have some super churches not that far from you Pete. Wonderful rood screens. I've never taken that much notice of them until I read a book on them this year and now I find them fascinating.
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