Known as the 'Chapelle in the Withernesse' (chapel in the wilderness), St Lawrence Church & Graveyard in Rushton Spencer certainly does seem abandoned.
There is not a house or habitation within half a mile of the church, and, if you want to get there from the main road (and don't fancy following the winding lanes to get to it from the back), you have to cross the fields and climb up the side of the ridge to it ... as you can see in this photo.
In fact the grey streak you can see in the photo on the side of the hill is actually a long railing - erected there to help the weary parishioner make it to the top!
It seems that what happened is not so much that the church was built to be so solitary, on top of the hill, but that the original village around it moved away... down towards the main road, leaving its ancient church behind.
St Lawrence was founded in the 1200s, but, despite its age and isolated position, services are still held there weekly.
This post was featured on the City Daily Photo Theme Day on the theme of 'heights'
Great place, I would like to visit that one and write a bog about it.
ReplyDeleteToday's theme day is bring such great shots from England. Love this.
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