Watercress, a poet's grand-daughter and a novelist

I took the spaniel back to Ewelme for his walk today. Last time we came through here it was lashing with rain and I didn't dare to get my camera out. Today was fine and sunny so we walked up 'The Street' alongside the famous watercress beds. No longer cut for human consumption the Ewelme watercress beds are a unique local nature reserve. Today they were being visited by lots of wagtails. 

Of course I also made a detour to the astonishing late medieval church of St Mary the Virgin wherein lie the tombs of Thomas Chaucer (Geoffrey Chaucer's son) and his wife Matilda and of Alice Chaucer (Alice de la Pole), the poet's grand-daughter. Alice de la Pole's tomb is unique - cut from alabaster, topped with a life sized effigy of Alice lying under a canopy of angels. Underneath is another effigy of Alice, as  a corpse. Apparently its the only surviving one of its kind in England. The tomb is surrounded by carved figures holding painted heraldic shields. There is much more: the floor has many brasses including at least one of a knight killed at Agincourt in 1415, near pristine stone carvings on the walls (including Edward the Third), a 15th century ten foot high carved wooden font cover, walls decorated with the repeating pattern of the IHS Christogram in black and red gothic lettering, and a stunning Clayton & Bell stained glass Crucifixion window. And, if all that wasn't enough, the churchyard contains the simple gravestone of Jerome K Jerome, author of 'Three men in a boat'. However, the spaniel doesn't really appreciate these things and I will have to return without him to take some photographs inside.