Baddesley Clinton

We went to the National Trust property,  Baddesley Clinton,  today to meet our friends John and Jennie.  We had coffee and lunch then took a walk to the local church.  The graveyard was awash with snowdrops,  there were also daffodil shoots to replace the white with yellow.   After looking round the grounds,  and taking photos,  we went into the church.  It's only a small  church but interesting.

The visitors' comments book was wide open by the door.

Thanks to AndrewNZ for hosting today's Wide Wednesday,  theme 'Wide Open'.

The history of the church on the NT site:

Records show a church on this site in 1305 and the nave dates to that time, but there may have been a church there two, or even three, centuries earlier. Originally dedicated to St James, the dedication was subsequently changed to St Michael, possibly following the 19th century restoration.

A murderer’s penance
Nicholas Brome (c.1450-1517) was Lord of the Manor of Baddesley Clinton and lived in the house.

One day in 1485, he came home and surprised a man in the parlour “chockinge” (stroking) Brome’s wife Elizabeth “under ye chinne”. Enraged, Brome drew his sword and killed him, only to discover he had murdered the Rector of St James. There is a bloodstain on the floor of the library which may, or may not, be where the murder occurred.

In penance for this act Brome built the towers of this church and of the church at nearby Packwood. They are sometimes known as the ‘Towers of Atonement’. He also stipulated in his will that he should be buried in the porch of the church:

‘Within the Church door as the people may tread upon mee as they cone [sic] into the church.’
- Nicholas Brome, 1517

https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/warwickshire/baddesley-clinton/visiting-st-michaels-church-at-baddesley-clinton