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Churches & Pubs in 2010
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Church and Pub next door

The Churches & Pub Group meets on the 1st Wednesday of each month,
10am at the village hall, unless stated otherwise.


Programme:-

Please inform Paul Kenneth beforehand if you wish to come on any visit.  We need to provide both church & pub with an indication of numbers.

5th May      All Saints Parish Church, Youlgrave near Bakewell and The George Hotel opposite the                               church.

2nd June     St.Marys Church, Astbury near Congleton and The Egerton Arms opposite the church.
Report on the trip
The second of our trips this year took us to St. Mary’s church at Astbury where we were welcomed by one of the church wardens, William Bell.  He gave us an excellent slide show and talk on this historic church.

St. Mary’s church at Astbury has stood on this site, in one form or another, for many centuries.  It has been described as one of the most beautiful churches in the county.  Its exterior, dominated by the detached tower and lofty spire, evokes the admiration of the beholder and this is increased when the majesty of the interior is surveyed.  The earliest parts of the church go back to Saxon times.  The church is eight feet wider at the west end than at the east giving it an added vision of perspective as you enter.  The Astbury Devil nestles in the north-west corner of the west porch.  In the north aisle, by the north door, is a notable roof boss depicting the Green Man or Jack-in-the-Green, a pagan fertility symbol adopted by the church to represent new life.  The font and cover, which were part of the furnishings installed at the restoration of 1610, is placed so that the congregation can share in the ceremony when a soul is received into Christ’s flock.  The north aisle roof is not the original of this early English church.  From the way it fits it appears to have been brought to Astbury from some other church.  The communion vessels and pewter date from the Elizabethan period and are therefore rather fragile.  An eagle in black oak serves as the lectern and dates from the early seventeenth century.  The carving of the eagle is rather stiff and formal and is one of the few wooden eagle lecterns in existence.  There are too many different windows in the church to describe but the church is well worth a visit.  It is open to the public on Sundays from Easterday to the last Sunday in September between 12noon and 6-00pm.  Light refreshments are available between 2-5pm.

The trip was concluded with an excellent meal opposite the church at the Egerton Arms.

7th July      
St. Wilfrid’s, Ribchester and then St. Saviour, Stydd.  Lunch at the Ribchester Arms.
                       Meet at 9.15am


Paul Kenneth


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