We had a really interesting camera club outing to the hamlet of Weston, near Otley. First stop was the little church of All Saints, a Grade 1 listed building dating back to the 11th century. It was enlarged in the 14th century and a porch added in 1686.
The oak door to the porch has a tiny mouse carved into it, which shows that it was made by Robert (Mouseman) Thompson (1876-1955), a famous Arts and Crafts furniture maker based in Kilburn, North Yorkshire. He made a lot of ecclesiastical items and it's fun to hunt around our Yorkshire churches for these little mice.
The two bells were stolen in 1990 from the bell cote on the roof and were replaced with modern ones. Subsequently the originals were retrieved and are now hanging in the church itself. They have been found to be among the oldest bells in Britain, dating back to c1200 and c1370.
Maybe I should join a camera club if they have such interesting outings as that.
ReplyDeleteA marvelous church.
ReplyDeleteThat is a sweet little mouse. There is a Weston neighbourhood here in Toronto that was originally a small town that was swallowed by the city as it grew.
ReplyDeleteI love the mouse...and the photos of the windows and lantern!
ReplyDeleteI too love the mouse. What a nice addition. They can be awful pests, but, well......somehow forgivable. Unlike rats.
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