Sunday, November 19, 2006

all four foot eight of mavis ferguson-butler blocking out my light at clodock church

The guidebook to the church tells an interesting story as to how Clydawg became a martyr.

'Our crowned Prince Clydawg, now King or Ruler of Ewias, was out hunting one day (according to the Book of Llandaff) and amongst those hunting with him was one who was jealous of his relationship with a lady friend.

In his jealousy he killed Clydawg.

On the day of his burial the two oxen carrying him refused to cross a ford and the yoke between them broke.

He was buried, therefore, near the bank of the river.

Such an act of murder made Clydawg, because of his godly life, a martyr'.

A Celtic 'Llan' or church was set up around his tomb and later a wooden church would have been built on the site, to be replaced with a stone church sometime in the 11th century.

Posted by Picasa

stormy weather over southwark bridge

 Posted by Picasa

mister butler's lamp

 Posted by Picasa

a red bull in herefordshire ...

 Posted by Picasa

... master of all he surveys

 Posted by Picasa

clodock churchyard lettering (one)

 Posted by Picasa

clodock churchyard lettering (2)

 Posted by Picasa

clodock churchyard lettering (3)

The script reads :

How short is life how sure is death Our days alas are few
This mortal life is but a breath; Tis like the morning dew

Posted by Picasa

interior of the church at clodock

 Posted by Picasa

the vicar of clodock demands cash instead of kind

tucked away in a dark corner of clodock church ... set in stone ... the vicar repudiates the old tithes and the courts award him cash ... he must have been rarther unpopular ... and he can't have been short of cash if he could afford this carving extravaganza

to read the text for yourself, click once on the picture for an enlargement, then again on the enlargement icon when it appears at the bottom right corner


Posted by Picasa

this article has been published subsequently ...



... and furthermore ...

 Posted by Picasa

... and was this symbol of peace meant to fit on the top ?

 Posted by Picasa

mavis ferguson-butler, aged ninety-something, but livelier than ever when she sniffs a bookshop

Posted by Picasa

richard booth at hay-on-wye ... books bought anywhere in the world

 Posted by Picasa

the view toward the brecon beacons from hay common

 Posted by Picasa

the vale of ewyas

 Posted by Picasa

the tiny church of saint mary magdalene at capel-y-ffin

 Posted by Picasa

... in a deep valley ...

 Posted by Picasa

Friday, November 17, 2006

madehurst church

madehurst church has unbelievably old bells

when the bell tower was restored it was discovered that the original wooden church tower is encased within the ancient stone tower

 Posted by Picasa

this is the pub that is right next door to the brewery ... the spreadeagle is across the road

 Posted by Picasa