Thursday 31 July 2014

Sunday in Bradfield - Part I

On Sunday, the 8th of June, Aunt Jean and Uncle Brian picked us up at our hotel in Sheffield right after breakfast. About half an hour later, we parked the car in Low Bradfield and started down to the river and up the hill towards St. Nicholas Church in High Bradfield.

Farm next to the parking lot in Low Bradfield:

Our walk started right here:



 Yorkshire truly IS beautiful, isn't it:




 Coming up towards St. Nicholas:

The view from just outside the church:

When we arrived, service had just ended, but only a few people were leaving - everybody was still standing around, chatting, taking refreshments and generally creating a very welcoming atmosphere. One elegant gentleman greeted us and gave us a leaflet with some information about the building and the community. 
According to wikipedia, there are only five Grade One Listed buildings in Sheffield - this church is one of them. The original building dates back to the year 1109, but what you see today, is a mixture of 14th century masonry, 15th century interior and massive restauration in the 1840s. 
Because the church was full of people, I did not take any pictures from the inside, but you can find some on the internet, if you are interested.


This small house at the entrance of the church yard was built in 1745 to guard against grave robbers looking for fresh corpses for medical study, with friends and relatives of the deceased often guarding the recently buried loved ones with guns. It is the only surviving watch house in Yorkshire

The next part of our walk took us out in the open countryside, as you will see in one of my next posts.

12 comments:

  1. You asked - Yorkshire truly IS beautiful, isn't it? My answer is a resounding yes but I would also add that Yorkshiremen are as beautiful as the great county we inhabit I didn't know about that watch house though I have strolled past it many times. Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Glad to have been able to tell you something you didn't know about your area!

      Delete
  2. Yorkshire is amazing! I read the blog A Weaver of Grass, written by an 80 year old farmer's wife near Wensleydale (spelling?) and love her photos. The far views over rolling hills with all that sky and fluffy clouds are my favorites.....

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That blog sounds like the kind of blog I'd like to read, too! I'll try to find it through blogger's search bar, or is it on WordPress?

      Delete
  3. Between you and Lucy from Attic 24, I have fallen in love with Yorkshire! (Well, James Herriot was the first one to call my attention to it to be honest!)
    St. Nicholas Church is amazing, I would love to see it. I saw several photos from it, the Baptismal font from Norman times, the cross from the 12th century...this is from my memory, don't quote me on any of this, I might have it all mixed up! I remember it said that there were lots of graves from the Great Flood, I read about it, that was so sad.
    And I just read Kristi's comment above...Even I know WENSLEYDALE! Everyone should know that from Wallace & Gromit!! (One of the characters said she didn't like cheese and Wallace was horrified..."Not even Wensleydale?, he asks her...Please make sure you watch Wallace & Gromit, so funny and clever!)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We went to watch Wallace & Gromit at the cinema many years ago, my Dad loved it, and so did we! And of coruse every cheese lover should know Wensleydale.
      The Great Flood will be mentioned further on, in either Part II or Part III of my "Sunday in Bradfield" posts.

      Delete
  4. Yorkshire is beautiful! It really brings home to me why the books by "James Herriot" stress so much about how lovely the area really is.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I would have liked to stay much longer, and can't wait to return every year.

      Delete
  5. Meike , That must be where Shelly's idea for Frankenstein came from. What a fascinating history that watch house has. Its wonderful to see that lush countryside , how wonderful it must be to walk there!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Never thought about it, Julie, but you could be right. Although wikipedia states that she had the idea after a discussion with friends (Lord Byron, among others) about the principle of life and thought that perhaps a corpse could be re-animated by galvanism.
      You are right, is is wonderful to walk there in that beautiful countryside!

      Delete
  6. Yorkshire is beautiful. Of course it is. North Yorkshire with its Three Peaks caters more for my love of mountains (well almost mountains) and relative isolation from the urban hordes. I don't think I've ever been to Bradfield. It looks like a good place for walking that's for sure.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It was my first visit to Bradfield, too, but possibly not my last. You are so right about the relative isolation from the urban hordes!

      Delete