St Brendan's, Brendon

[puddleshark]

Brendon Church, dating from 1738. Dedicated to St Brendan, patron saint of navigators, which seems appropriate, as it is not an easy church to find.



Brendon Church is not actually in Brendon village. So where is it?


There it is, up a very big hill, in the middle of nowhere. My first thought was that the rector who built it must have really hated his parishioners. But it turns out that the church was built with materials from a demolished 12th century church at Cheriton, and the new church is exactly halfway between Brendon and Cheriton, so its location would be a matter of Logistics.


The churchyard is peaceful, beautiful and a little wild, with lovely views down the valley.






















Door catch, to keep the swallows out of the porch.


Inside, looking east. Very dark. Very plain. A little dusty. Being so far outside any village, it doesn't have the welcoming air of a much-loved village church. On the right of the picture, a plain 12th century font. On the left, an ornately carved piscina in Early Norman style.


Edwardian stained glass, well made but the figures a little heavy.


Nameless saint keeping company with some very big spiders. (Don't zoom in.)

Comments

[heleninwales]

There's a balance to be struck between pristine and soulless and an impenetrable jungle. Whoever maintains that churchyard seems to have found it.

[puddleshark]

Yes, there's a fine art to leaving long grass and wild flowers without letting the brambles take over.