The weather was nice today, so I rode my bicycle to a nearby village named Hildersham. I've been wanting to visit Hildersham for a while because the church, Holy Trinity, is interesting for two reasons.
The church was begun in the early 13th Century and, aside from some cosmetic restoration, the tower and nave have remained relatively untouched since then - the tower is devoid of ornament, while the interior of the nave has been left as bare flint rather than being painted or whitewashed like the vast majority of other English churches, thus giving an opportunity to see what a medieval church would have looked like during the medieval period.
The chancel, meanwhile, couldn't be more different. Having fallen into serious disrepair by the late 19th Century, an extensive restoration was begun just as the Victorian craze for the medieval style, or for what the Victorians felt the medieval style ought to be, took hold. Hence, Holy Trinity is a church of two halves: one half is authentically medieval, the other is fantasy medieval - and since the Victorians shaped our idea of what medieval style looked like, looks more medieval than the genuinely medieval half.
The site had been in use as a burial ground long before the 13th Century and, prior to the construction of a new porch in 2015, archaeologists unearthed 32 Anglo-Saxon graves including one of a small child - a cast taken from it is displayed in the church. The 32 skeletons were later re-buried in the churchyard, their new resting place marked by a modern gravestone.
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Feel free to reply to any comment by clicking the "Reply" button.This is an Awesome looking Church thank you for sharing the Pics
ScienceBill72
Level 7
Mar 28, 2019
1
Wonder if the Saxon graves where Christian or pagan? Lots of churches were set up on pagan sites of worship - but I'm guessing you know that already...
MrBeelzeebubbles
Level 7
Mar 28, 2019
1
Jnei:
They were dated to the 11th Century, by which time Christianity had been established in East Anglia for around four centuries. It's thought that it probably replaced the old pagan religion very rapidly in the region, so it's likely that the burials at Hildersham were Christian.
@Jnei Yeah, thought of they were much past 700 they'd be Christian. Orientation of burial is a pretty reliable indicator, too.
When I used to live in Cambridge, one of my favourite places was Ely Cathedral. The medieval oak octagon is a marvel.
MrBeelzeebubbles
Level 7
Mar 28, 2019
1
Jnei:
The Lantern - an amazing bit of engineering. I can see it from the top of the hill just up the road from my house.
@Jnei My ex and I lived in Trumpington for a while - the local church was very similar in period to the ones you posted. Thought it looked vaguely familiar! Are you on the fens?
@Jnei duh. Silly question. You mentioned a hill. Ain't no hills in the fens!
Jnei:
@MrBeelzeebubbles I'm only a short way away from the Fens, not far south of Cambridge where the landscape starts to roll a bit before the Stour Valley. 
@Jnei then you'd be fairly close to two of my other favourite Cambridgeshire places - Duxford (boyhood plane nerd) and Wandlebury (hill forts!).
The whole density of history in the UK is still immensely fascinating to me. I come from a land where a thin post-Georgian colonial veneer counts as history, plastered over an immense 50,000 year pre-history of human occupation.
Jnei:
@MrBeelzeebubbles Do you know the abandoned church in Duxford? [agnostic.com]
@Jnei no, never got out to that one. Nice! Most of the medieval churches I visited had long been whitewashed.
Jnei:
@MrBeelzeebubbles In a way, that's fortunate. Medieval paint wasn't very good, so although the whitewash damages the murals it does so far less than sunlight. Were it not for the trend to make churches plain, austere buildings after the Reformation there might not be any medieval wall paintings left in churches. It's always fun to hear of a new discovery, too!
@Jnei true. Pity about the iconoclasm, though. All those empty niches...
Jnei:
@MrBeelzeebubbles "Basher" Dowsing certainly has a lot to answer for. He was actually only doing his rounds for a couple of years, but he managed to visit a lot of churches and do a lot of damage in that time. He went to Trumpington in March 1643 and ordered that some steps and stained glass be removed but the church warden, a Mr Thompson, flatly refused - hence the continued grandeur of that church.
Are most from England practicing Christians?
gater
Level 7
Mar 28, 2019
0
Jnei:
Far from it - the majority of English people are agnostic. Only around 722,000 attend church regularly (from a population of 55.62 million; therefore about 0.1%), while 65% of people polled in 2012 described themselves as "not religious". People who talk about being Christian are considered a bit strange here!
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