A Square Font

Early this morning I completed the paperwork, including lots of sums, in preparation for a visit to Garry Price, our financial adviser, at his home in Pagham, near Bognor Regis.

Jackie drove us over there where we lunched at The Lamb. Jackie enjoyed her Reuben sandwich, French fries and salad; I was equally pleased with my ham, egg, and chips. My Chauffeuse drank Diet Coke while I drank Doom Bar.

We took Garry’s advice on a mortgage switch then drove to the equally excellent Woodmancote in Woodmancote Lane, Woodmancote, where we met and dined with Becky and Ian before returning home. My meal was a tasty, well-filled, steak pie; new potatoes; green beans, orange carrots, and creamy white cauliflower. I drank an enjoyable tangy local bitter. I hereby invite the others, should they so desire, to report on their own meals in the comments below. (See Becky’s comment)

As we left Pagham we noticed a pair pf swans at home in someone’s front garden.

Taking a slight diversion on our way to Woodmancote, we came across the Church of St Giles, Merston.

Jackie photographed the laminated information sheet about this church dating from the time of King William the Conqueror. Accessing the gallery with a click on either image will facilitate necessary enlargement to read the fascinating history.

Climbing the pulpit for one shot, she also pictured me in the interior.

Her other pictures involved light from windows illuminating the altar area and that of the

square baptismal font dating from the late 12th or early 13th century.

I concentrated on the, mostly memorial, stained glass windows.

93 comments

  1. Of course I assumed something quite different when I read ‘square font.’ I laughed heartily at your little joke. During my time in Liberia, I visited England twice for fairly extended times, and one of my greatest pleasures was the churches: such variety, and so much history. I really enjoyed your photos.

  2. What a beautiful little church. I have never seen a square baptismal font. AND as I write this comment I am eating green beans with almonds and a tuna burger (no bun, and it’s yummy). And a glass of Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc… The timing worked out for me to take advantage of your invitation.

    1. All the windows are later – one from the 1990s, the rest Victorian. If you biggify the images the history can be clearly read on Jackie’s pics – and on mine you can read the memorial inscriptions. Thanks very much, Dolly

  3. I would love to try your steak pie dinner…we plan on pasta with marinara and chicken-tomato-basil sausage later, plus a fresh salad. I enjoyed the pictures of the church–interesting and lovely, to me. I would enjoy a stop there–to look about but also to get more quiet time/prayer in!

  4. The question from Dolly at koolkosherkitchen is potentially answered by Oliver Cromwell and his puritans. You are so more learned on these subjects, Derrick, I will leave that to your adjudication.
    However, the church and its grounds, cries out to me that it was perhaps once the home of an Anchoress, as explored in the book of the same name by Robyn Cadwallader. I think it is a read you would enjoy.Not fast paced, of course. After all, how much action can take place in silence in a room only a few square feet in size? https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/books/interview-robyn-cadwallader-author-of-the-anchoress-20150207-1342fx.html

  5. The swans are so beautiful! I wonder what Nugget would think of them!?!? 😉

    The church is so heavenly! Love how you and Jackie captured the light! The stained glass windows are beautiful, and a joy to behold! Did you give a little sermon while you were there?

    HA! Your title to this blogpost gave me a chuckle! 😀 I wonder when fonts became “hip”?!?! HA! 😀

    When I’m in buildings like that I like to sit in silence and think about all the people who sat there before me. And if the walls could talk, I’m sure they would tell so many life-stories of so people who were helped, comforted, and encouraged in that church.

    Your meal sound delicious! 🙂
    HUGS!!! 🙂
    PS…I miss Nugget.

    1. Thanks very much, Carolyn. The church was quiet and peaceful. It is rare today for churches not to be locked. We will have more time to investigate Nugget today. He seems to be OK and in a tree conversing with another nearby. X

  6. Love the church! 🙂 The shot of the sunlight filtering through the stained glass window onto the alcove wall is beautiful. There is something about the angles of the font though that seems out of kilter somehow, albeit the top is square to the floorplan? Stealing the church bell is exceptionally poor form, what?

    I am assuming, after your feasting, that the Head Chef got the (thoroughly deserved) night off? 😉

  7. I do love visiting old churches. By coincidence my village church is also called Saint Giles, although not dating from the 13th century like one you visited, mine built in the 17th is relatively modern in comparison!

    I got caught up in projects yesterday afternoon and didn’t eat until half seven, my evening meal was a cheese and pickled onion sandwich, a bag of crisps and a large tumbler of scotch and orange juice. I’ve been limiting my alcohol to weekends only, but last night I needed something else apart from a cup of tea, and whiskey was all that was lurking in the cupboard!

  8. The photo certainly showed up an interesting atmosphere. The square font that that you showed looks as if it could’ve been made of concrete . Those little round pillars look too perfect to of been carved from one block. And I do like a nicely filled pie

  9. Beautiful teamwork again! Such an interesting church. I like the light streaming through the stained glass.
    As we were at my mom’s all day, we just had various leftovers for dinner once we got home. But I did drink a glass of a red blend wine (mostly Chambourcin) from a local winery. I’ll make something more exciting tonight. 🙂

  10. I love that your blog has become a dual effort over the years. It’s wonderful to hear/see from you both. I fell like the church’s yellow walls added much to the photos, as well, of course, as the lighting and the framing. Lovely.

    I was scanning those documents for a square font. LOL

  11. Beautiful church photos! The place seems to have a wonderful balance of earthiness and light. I wonder if they still have services there and ever use the font.

  12. Wild mushroom tagliatelle with garlic bread and a side of onion rings. Ditto for Mumma-ji and Lasagna al forno for Mr Steele. I had diet coke and then a glass of rosé; they had some form of yucky brown stuff. Birra Moretti, I think.

  13. Churches have so much history in them. I winder how many children have been baptised in the square font and if it still happens today?

  14. So much history in your world Derrick, history that goes back many centuries, it would be a traveler/photographers dream no matter where you roam, our country being young only has history going back a couple of hundred years, however the heritage does go back to England and many other countries.

  15. “Woodmancote in Woodmancote Lane, Woodmancote” that cracked me up. I had never even heard the words baptismal font before. I had seen them, of course, in movies and whatnot, but didn’t know they had a name. I had to look it up and I got a little education this morning 🙂 Also, I was excited to read that the church dates from the time of William the Conqueror, as the earliest “Trulove” any of us can find is someone who fought under King William. Only back then, the name was spelled Trewlove. I can imagine that my distant distant ancestor Trewlove could have been in that church.

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