The church at Thorpe Salvin ...

I mentioned that I would come back to Thorpe Salvin church as there were a number of features that I wanted to show you.

The church dates back as far as the 12th century...

The church porch is quite striking with its half-timbered frame ... 



Inside the porch is this staggering doorway which I have seen described as Saxon ...

 

Here's a closer look at the stonework ...


 

You may have noticed in the top photo a stone feature in front of the porch. There is a different face on each side ...



 

 

Is it a sundial ? On the photo below you can see that something has been affixed in time gone by ...



... and perhaps those marks in the stone were part of a sundial.

Finally a couple of gravestones ... this one in memory of 17 year old Charles Bradley ...



The wording beneath Charles Bradley's name reads :

BE WARNED BY MY SUDDEN CALL
AND STRAIGHT FOR DEATH PREPARE
YE KNOW NOT WHEN THE LORD MAY COME
IN MANNER, HOW, OR WHERE


Finally the stone marking the passing of Charles Battersby ...

 

The wording reads :~

IN LOVING MEMORY OF CHARLES,
THE BELOVED SON OF
GEORGE & KATHERINE BATTERSBY,
WHO DIED NOV 19TH, 1899
AGED 6 YEARS AND 3 MONTHS;

WE MISS THEE HERE, WE MISS
THEE THERE,
DEAR CHILD : WE MISS THEE
EVERYWHERE

Inside the church there's a 12th century font showing the four seasons. Unfortunately the churchdoor was locked when I visited. Click heritage inspired to see a photograph of the font and learn a little more about the church.

Our days on the Earth are as a shadow

I didn't see one other walker ... and by that I mean another walker with a rucksack. I walked seven miles on a beautiful, sunny day in pleasant surroundings and didn't see one. There were dog walkers. There were fishermen. There were people messin' around on boats ... but no 'real' walkers ...

I parked just over Townend Bridge on the northern side of Hayton in Nottinghamshire and walked east and then north on Hollinhill Lane ...

I was heading towards a trig point on a Hill Without A Name, at least according to the OS Map ...



The trig point was nowhere to be seen when I got there.

I passed through Ash Holt and for some reason my senses seemed heightened, perhaps because I was alone ...



I reached the lane and walked up Haughgate Hill and could see Cottam Power Station in the valley five or six miles away ...



From here I strolled down the Roman Road towards North Wheatley but before I got there I  turned north along Northfield Leys Road, following the Trent Valley Way, nearly missing the waymark which was just about overgrown in the hedgebottom ...



 A tiny toad, no bigger than my thumbnail, just managed to avoid being crushed underfoot.

There were clumps of teazles.



 I walked through the main street of Clayworth, an attractive village beside the Chesterfield Canal, with a 12th century church ~ St. Peter's ...



And the church has an interesting sundial, which was a bit slow ...



 The words on the sundial read "Our days on the Earth are as a shadow".

Then it was down the lane opposite to join the Chesterfield Canal which I followed all the way back to Hayton.



On the way I passed the moorings of the Retford and Worksop Boating Club ~ there must have been nearly half a mile of boats, most of them narrow ...



Look, no one to be seen.



Beside the canal, a milestone, 3.5 miles from ... where ?



A milestone erected by a husband in memory of his wife ...



Before long I was back in Hayton where I dropped in at the Boat Inn for a hot dinner and a pint of Highland Whisky Ale brewed by Davenports. The same Davenports who used to do 'beer at home' I wondered ...



Date of walk ~ 4th October 2009



Length of walk ~ 7 miles.


Total since 1st September 2009 ~ 38 1/2 miles