CHALDON CHURCH

The present church was started in the late 10th, before the Normans came. It consisted originally of a rectangular nave, 27 feet long and 17 feet wide. The west wall is of traditional flint construction and is almost certainly original. On the wall is a renaissance tablet, with ornate pilasters and pediment, dated 1562, with a face resembling a flaming sun. The picture on the west wall is famous as the earliest known English wall painting - it dates from about 1200 and is without equal in any other part of Europe. The fresco, in dark red ochre and yellow ochre, measures 17ft3in x 11ft2in. At some stage, probably in the seventeenth century, during the 'Commonwealth', the painting was white-washed over. In 1869 when the Rector, Reverend Henry Shepherd, had decorators in to prepare the walls for re-limewashing, he noticed signs of colour and stopped the work.

After breakfast we walked through the woods and across the fields to church and enjoyed a lovely All age service. It was done so well.
After walking back we watch another episode of House of Cards (getting hook now) and then further cleaning and packing up!! After putting the caravan back in storage we drove back to the church to enjoy afternoon tea...we were made to feel so welcome.

Got back home in time to pop over the allotment to prepare the new strawberry bed.

94/366....a chance to reflect on a lovely weekend of pottering and enjoying the outdoors.