Discovering features within St Laurence church

I met Camilla in St Laurence church at noon as we’d arranged for me to take her portrait for our Preservation Trust website. We need to update the thumbnail portraits of the seven trustees and to include a picture of Val, who has just been elected as a new trustee.

When I arrived it was pouring with rain which inhibited the outdoor portrait I’d planned. I brought my camera but thought I’d try out the portrait mode on my iPhone. When we eventually did get outside the portrait mode didn’t work as I’d expected, so I need to check out how best to use its options.

Camilla is very involved in the project to raise money for repairs and renovations to the church, which is the oldest building in the town, dating in part from the middle of the 12th century. The building is now becoming an interfaith venue allowing access to many people with differing objectives, some of which are related to their faith. 

The building needs a large amount of money spent on it. The original tower and spire are all that is left of the original church, which was extensively rebuilt in early Victorian times. Camilla showed me around and revealed the flaws in the building’s fabric as well as some of its treasures. Workmen are currently installing a new form of combined heating and lighting to facilitate the continuing use of the building while major fundraising proceeds for the big overall rebuild envisaged in due course.

She also showed me the old graveyard which has been rather hidden away from public view for many decades. It was fascinating to see the many old metal plaques marking former graves that have been placed on some of the outer church walls. There must be hundreds. In the centre of the graveyard is a wonderful dignified old oak tree with majestic limbs. I’ve added an ‘Extra’ of the view through the tree’s boughs and leaves to the backlit church which is hard to decipher.

But I liked the interior of the base of the spire with the bell ringers ropes. It was very dark and impossible to show without using the single light hanging down through the ropes. I’d like to come back and photograph the bell ringers at work one Sunday morning.