Owdo me owd butties, thank’ee most kindly for droppin’ in.I popped up to Holy Trinity church, Middleton-in-Chirbury this onder (afternoon) to buy a copy of “Carving By Candlelight”. I first read these details about a hero of mine, Reverend Waldegrave Brewster, in the much missed Shropshire Unfolded magazine but as they were written by another hero of mine, Betty Mulroy and as I have to have anything and everything Shropshire related that I can get me grubby little donnies (hands) on, the need to leave Yockletonia was upon me.
So my (t)rusty steed, an owd Ford Fiesta named Chewey, whisked me past Stoney Stretton, Westbury, Worthen, Brockton, Marton (with it’s recently closed shop) and the wonderful Rorrington Hall, managing not to kill any pesky furst-year pheasants, danker me they’re so cakey (silly), then up onto the western flank of Stapeley Hill until Middleton. I tethered Chewey to a layby near to the former Middleton school (sadly they’ve replaced the lovely stone framed windows with modern ones since I was last up here for a brevit) and fisked along the lane to the church.
Being as kimet (half-witted) as the furst-year pheasants i missed the door and ended up doin’ a widdershins (anti-clockwise) lap of the church. If you anna bin up here yet you really must. During his time at the church(1872-1901) owd Brewster carved the altar table, the stone cap and corbels, and also both ends of every pew with animals, fantasy creatures and even some of his congregation.
One of his sandstone carvings is a wonderful representation of the legend of Mitchell’s Fold which I’m sure I ‘ull chunder on more about another time.
Three years ago the church acquired a wonderful cabinet that owd Brewster carved in 1906 after he had moved on to the church at Fitz (where the pews were of too strong a wood to carve)
Danker me! that’s enough chunnerin’ frum me for one day, thank’ee muchly to anyone who is still reading this far down,the pop up to Middleton when you can…now run along and play nicely.