On English churches (part 5) - St James’ (sort of)
St James' Church in Tedstone Delemere Herefordshire
When researching churches, sites like National Churches Trust and Churches Conservation Trust and indeed the churches themselves, make it very clear they want people to visit, to sign the visitor book and perhaps drop a little donation into the provided wall safe. Its how they stay open and get money from the Diocese. These days, if they don't, then churches are likely to end up as 'unique period 4 bed-room property. Room for a pony'.
St James in the Herefordshire village of Tedstone Delaware is definitely heading straight to '4 bedroom, conversion possible with planning' territory. Its a beautiful church, one of only 7 in the county with Anglo Saxon origins, but the problems begin trying to get there. I'm on foot and my OS map tells me there are several permissive paths across the field to the church. There isn't. What there is, is a Clarkson-esque 'in keeping with the rural aesthetic' mcMansion. Once that’s been navigated on the road, you are heading in the wrong direction and then have to skirt an Oast house (room for a pony) and the more regular 'squire of the manor' type property. Now you've gone quite a way in the wrong direction you do find the paved path down to the still invisible church.
The first historical feature that’s worth seeing is the remains of the ancient cross in a case next to the lychgate. The National Churches Trust page asks;
"Can you see the virgin and child on one side, and a crucifix on the other?"
Spoiler, no you can't, because the glass appears to be basically reflective. I tried to peer in, no luck. Trying to take a picture resulted in a blurred image of my sweaty gut and Samsung phone.
Lychgate with the remains of the cross in terrible box on the bottom right.
The church sits within an older bronze aged enclosure and looks lovely. It also has nice views over the golden (when I visited) Herefordshire countryside. Here however the visit just gets worse. I say hello in my best English accent (which is pretty good) to a lady I'm going to refer to as Miss Marple. She ignores me and wonders off to talk to a gentleman I'm calling 'organ tuner' as notes had been echoing from inside. They then stand in the porch of the church talking about high notes on the organ and glare at me. I'm tempted to ask nicely if I can go inside for a look, but at this point the vibes are very much off and I decide discretion is the better part of valour and wonder back to the road and then the footpath.
Had I been permitted in, there is supposed to be a nice 12th century font, a 15th century screen and stained glass windows with the same designers as those in Worcester Cathedral. No pictures inside of course, but not to worry. I'm sure they will be on RightMove before all that much longer. Excellent conversion potential, room for a pony.
You can sort of make out the enclosure where the Norman church sits