A Church of Wonder in the Forest

On Tuesday Mum and I made a trip to Sainsbury's to get my hoard of goodies to take home, and to have breakfast. I had mine fully loaded, and it was divine.

I relished each and every mouthful, a breakfast this fine should be consumed slowly and with much appreciation. It should, but sadly I have to say it wasn't. I came close to bolting it down but Mum's presence opposite me held me back a little.

 My haul of English goodies after I arrived home. They had completely filled one case, but it was totally worth it. I even brought back slabs of extra mature cheddar, not shown here.
I took another trip to the chiropractor in the morning after shopping but once again it was only a temporary relief. I would be glad to get back to the U.S. and see my own doctor. But I wanted to go out exploring again, there was a church nearby in Lyndhurst that I had read about and wanted to see.

The small town is known as the capital of the New Forest since 1079 when William the Conqueror established it as a royal hunting ground. The town is also known for its dragon slaying, a brave knight killing it with his two dogs being lost in the battle. The knight never recovered from the lengthy fight and after dying, his body supposedly turned into a yew tree which is still there today. I didn't see the yew tree but I did spot this horrendous kid atop an ice cream cone outside a shop, which I thought did little to entice folks in to buy a treat.

The impressive Gothic church of St Michael and All Angels, built between 1858-1869. but the inside was what I wanted to see. Pre-Raphaelite windows, some designed by William Morris and Edward Burne-Jones, as well as a mural by Lord Frederick Leighton with local residents as models. It is a church of immense beauty, designed by artists whose work I adore.

There was to be no stint on the ornamentation of work and that is evident. Everywhere I looked were stunning carvings in stone and wood. Even the brickwork was an art piece. Wherever my eyes traveled I saw intricate detailing, on every surface within the church. It was quite breathtaking. The stonemasons were chosen by competition, each carving a pillar and then covering before the winner was selected. William Seale from Thomas Earp's in London was chosen, he and his team worked 10 hours a day for 7 shillings daily.

These glass windows took my breath away, the details were so lifelike and intense, like paintings from a story book, and instantly recognizable as the Pre-Raphaelite style. The bottom 2 were designed mostly by Edward Burne-Jones, but with input from William Morris and Philip Webb, (Standen House designers), while the top photo is traditional Victorian, designed by J. R. Clayton and A. Bell, showing more static figures in blue, red and green.

The fresco by Leighton showing the parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins. Jesus warns listeners to be spiritually prepared. Then shall the Kingdom of Heaven be likened unto ten virgins, who took their lamps and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five were to be wise and five were to be foolish. Local folklore says the 'wise' were painted from wealthy parishioners while the 'foolish' were portraits of the poor. Leighton was the first painter to receive a peerage, just a day before he died.

I could have stood and looked at these incredible windows all day long. Pre-Raphaelite artists often painted each other, or family, or friends in their art and I'm sure all these beautiful faces were from someone who actually existed.

The Flaxman Memorial, "an exquisite thing, in time and taste infinitely superior to other memorials."
Described by Brian Vesey Fitzgerald on this sculpture, dedicated to Sir Charles Philip Jennings. Sculpted by John Flaxman who worked at the Wedgewood Pottery and was later a sculpture professor at the Royal Academy. Being a Pre-Raphaelite fan it immediately reminded me of the painting, Isabella and the Pot of Basil by William Holman Hunt.

This poignant marble sculpture was designed by Samuel Pepys Cockerell, an English architect, of his 23 year old wife, Anne, who died in childbirth in 1880. The butterfly from a chrysalis represents the resurrected human soul.

Alice Liddell, who was the inspiration behind Lewis Carroll's book, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the looking-Glass, is buried here. she was actually known by her married name of Mrs Reginald Hargreaves.
It was hard to leave the church. It was easily the most meticulously resplendent church I've ever been in, simply stunning. And to have featured my favorite art style was the icing on the cake. Even the church clock, made by Thomas Cooke, who is renowned as one of the finest clock makers, is regarded as a national horological treasure. As we walked back to the car I looked up for one final look at the magnificent 141ft spire, added in 1869, and visible from the Isle of Wight.

Mum wanted me to see Lepe Beach, part of the New Forest, so we slowly drove across moors and through woodlands towards the coast. As well as the New Forest ponies roaming about, the locals are allowed to let their own horses, cattle and even donkeys have the freedom of the forest. Traffic has to give way to any of the animals, who seem to be fully aware of their privileges and will take their time crossing a road. The homes all have cattle grids or cattle guards in their driveways to protect their gardens but the animals roam freely into the villages and will lay down in front of village stores or pubs. It's strictly forbidden to feed them.

It was chilly and very blustery by the time we reached the beach. Only one other lady was walking alongside the sea, doing the exact same as me, picking up shells. Remains of wartime defenses can be seen here but my head was kept firmly down. The wind was fierce and Mum had once again opted to stop in the car, but for once I wasn't complaining. The shells I picked up the most was the painted top shell, a beautiful whorled shell, its glimmering mother-of-pearl colors which continuously cought my attention. I filled my pockets with shells and pebbles, scurrying back to the car once my eyes began watering and impairing my vision. Time to go home for a hot mug of tea!