I’d nearly forgotten about Sunday Selections, and then fellow blogger Carolina from Brinkbeest in English reminded me when I went to take a look at her blog this afternoon. So you can thank Carolina for this post – and so do I. Thanks, Carolina!
I’ve been forgetting a lot this week. Not only am I at the time of life when forgetting comes more naturally than remembering, but I’ve had trouble with my neck, which has given me a weird form of migraine with bits missing both from my vision and my memory. It has Not been Fun. However, Kim the chiro has helped quite a lot, and I’m seeing her again on Monday, so wish me luck on that one.
Meanwhile, here is my selection for Sunday. I took these shots around my village last February – so almost exactly one year ago. The weather seems nicer, somehow!
This is our church, St Benedict’s. Not much to say about that, really. It’s a typical English perpendicular, I think.
Oh, yes, and it is the home of the famous ‘Mooning Gargoyle’. The story goes that the stonemason was not paid for his services, so he got his revenge in the only way he knew. Nice touch, Mr Stonemason!
This is another historical building, Granville House. There is an inscription, which gives the date, 1792, and the initials ‘EW’, possibly commemorating the marriage of one Elizabeth Webster.
The owners cut down a beautiful mature honey locust tree a few years back, which had given me pleasure every spring since we moved there, with its racemes of fragrant, creamy blossoms. I shan’t easily forgive them for that. I mean, how often do you see honey locust trees in England?
We have historic houses coming out of our ears here, by the way. This one is the Old Bakehouse. Prettily thatched, it’s a typical ‘English village’ cottage, isn’t it?
I’m pretty sure it did actually used to be the village bakehouse, too. Between this one and Granville House (a distance of a few hundred yards), we have the Old Dairy, and Pond House, both historic, Grade II listed buildings. In fact there are 32 Grade II listed buildings in our little village.
This one’s a bit of a mystery.
It’s in the High Street, and I see it each time I go to the Post Office or take the dogs on one of their longer walks. Each time I wonder what ‘Zlata Praha’ means and why it’s wrought into the iron of this gateway.  The best I’ve been able to discover is that it might be an old nickname for Prague, which makes it an even more odd thing to see here in the depths of rural England*.
Anyway. It is, of course, another Grade II listed building … and that wonderful hedge up at the top there runs along its front border next to this gateway.
Don’t forget to pop along to FrogPondsRock for more previously unpublished random photos from people’s archives!
* Well. Not ‘depths’ exactly. And ‘rural’ is becoming questionable, but we’re not part of the city yet.
Beautiful photos and the weather does look lovely.
I love your photos, but now I’m going to have to google what a Honey Locust Tree is. It sounds nice!
GORGEOUS photos, Jay!
LOVED the one of the church. OMG…it’s beautiful! That steeple is stunning!
” It has Not been Fun. However, Kim the chiro has helped quite a lot, and I’m seeing her again on Monday, so wish me luck on that one.”
The best to you, my friend. I know that neck trouble is not fun because it affects so much.
((((( You )))))
Have a great week, Jay!
X
Zlata means golden – having a Slovak for a sister-in-law means that I am fluent in Slovak. Just kidding – I googled it!
PS Not kidding about the Slovak sister-in-law – I really do have one of those!
Awesome pics! We don’t have anything equivalent to that in Southern California. I could send you shots of the beach, perhaps some interesting pics of downtown. But we have nothing with “history” and “heritage” like you have in your neck of the world.
Thanks for sharing!!
Dan Brown fans will have immediately spotted that it’s an anagram of ‘A Alpha Tsar’ which explains everything.
Yes, I wonder why it’s called Golden Prague and also The Laurels. You should ask the owners and satisfy your curiosity! Perhaps husband and wife couldn’t agree on the name so they put up both of them?
Great photos! And now I know to never short-change a stonemason.
What a beautiful village. Though, I feel as though I should warn you, it does look a lot like Midsummer, so you might want to watch your back, that’s a dangerous place.
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Lori – Thank you!
Veronica – Did you find it? It’s rather a lovely ornamental forest-type tree, which I think hails from North America.
Ron – That steeple is actually quite famous as a good example of a needle spire. As a church, it’s rather a nice one, with some great inscriptions and stone tombs and such.
Thank you so much for your good wishes!
DBM – Haha! You do make me laugh! Yes, I know you have a Slovak SIL, the lovely Mrs Moon!!
Herman Turnip – We might have history and culture and ancient buildings on every corner, but count your blessings! We’re precious short of sunshine and beaches!
Shooting Parrots – Of course it is! Why didn’t I see that at once? Possibly, I guess, because (though I’ve always meant to) I’ve never read a Dan Brown book?
Nick – Perhaps you’re right! Unless there’s a variety of Laurel called ‘Zlata Praha’? That would be a great explanation, wouldn’t it?
Rob Lenihan – Thanks! And yes, not a wise move, that! LOL!
H and Flo – Aaagh! Don’t say that! We’ve had the usual petty crimes here, and also an armed robbery at the Post Office, but thankfully no murders!!
these photos are absolutely amazingly incredible. THANK YOU for sharing them with us. Every time I come here it’s like getting a mini-tour-vacation!
sooooooooooooo gorgeous
Hey, Jay! Why didn’t I see the mooning gargoyle when I was there?!?!?!