A few years ago, when dealing with a family estate, I became aware that a relative, by marriage, had been born in Brailes, Warwickshire in 1865. Not long after his birth the family settled in West Bromwich, Staffordshire, where he was to have a successful career and meet and marry my great aunt.
Upon gaining this knowledge I resolved to visit Brailes Parish Church, if such existed, to find out if there was any mention, on grave stones etc., of the Simms family.
Tuesday 24th May presented itself as the day my wife and I would make that pilgrimage. Before me finding out the knowledge referred to above I had never heard of Brailes, either Upper or Lower, even though I have lived in the Birmingham/Coventry area for most of my life.
Before setting off I did a little internet research and discovered that Brailes did indeed have a Parish Church, by the name of St. George. That became the focus of our visit to the area.
We first arrived in Upper Brailes and began looking for a typical Parish Church, there was certainly nothing on the horizon initially but then I spotted a footpath sign pointing to St George's Church and the 99 Steps. I carried on along the B4035 and came to Castle Hill Lane on the left. Using the logic that this was the direction that the footpath sign was pointing in I turned down this lane expecting to eventually come across the Church. No such luck, there was no tower or steeple to be seen.
I got back onto the main road, pulled up just past the footpath signpost and parked the car. Foolishly, in hindsight, It appeared to me that there was no alternative but to take the signpost at its word if we were to find the elusive St. George's church. **
So off we trudged along what appeared to be a little used, mostly grassed over, footpath through pasture which was populated by cattle and sheep with their attendant droppings. "Mind what your stepping in" was the plaintive cry from both of us.
We eventually came to Castle Hill Lane with still no sign of a church. I crossed the road and peered into the hazy distance and then it appeared, just like the fabled 'City on the Hill' (Matthew 5:14) except from where we were standing it was in a valley.
But at least we had something to aim at now even if it was further away than we would have liked.
Was it worth the trek? Not in terms of finding any reference to the Simms family, a document search, on another day, might be required in order to satisfy that quest: but in terms of discovering the exceptional treasure of a Medieval English Church, it most certainly was. I will let you decide for yourself but even these photos do not do it justice, you must go and see it for yourself.
No comments:
Post a Comment