A Favourite From the Ground and From the Air

It may be a dark and gloomy January day, but I am not letting that stop me enjoying the great outdoors!  

Actually, it started off sunny but I just couldn't manage an early sunrise walk this morning.  I probably missed something stunning!  It was a beautiful drive to church a little later, but by the time the service finished it was becoming dark and grey again.  I decided to still go for a walk on the way home, through some fields I've walked through before, but approaching it from a different way.  I like exploring and finding new walks.  I didn't have Dolly with me, though I will take her here another time when it's not so cold.  I think our walk yesterday was a bit too long for her in the cold and wind.  

Peeking through the trees is St John's, the Parish Church in Shottesbrook, a village west of Windsor and Maidenhead in Berkshire, and a few miles east of where I live.  The population here is about 140.  The medieval church was originally built as an ecclesiastical college in 1337 and it is set in the midst of Shottesbrook Park, a privately owned Tudor mansion built in the 16th century.  It is said that the spire is meant to emulate the spire of Salisbury Cathedral. 

I like this church for several reasons.  Services are held here every week and it is also known for its evensong services, one of which I attended a couple of years ago.  The church has no electricity and limited heating, so evensong by candlelight was particularly memorable. 

I also love how the church is situated in the middle of a large farm, harking back to the days when churches were often attached to large residences and most of those who attended would have been residents or employees of the Manor.  

I also like walking around these fields and seeing the church from the ground, as it is a landmark I can easily spot from my flights.  I can easily spot the tall spire from the plane on the days when we land from the west.  On those days, if I look carefully, I will see my own neighbourhood, then Shottesbrook church, then Windsor Castle.  On takeoff we almost always take off to the west passing over these fields.  In fact, just about when we reach Shottesbrook, the pilots bank right and continue in a northward direction, which means I almost never see my own neighbourhood on takeoff.