Where Am I? No. 32 - Country Church

[cazza59]

A lot of church porches have a cross atop the gable - examples here (I stopped after three pages of images):

http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/4090375
http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/2646944
http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/3490557
http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/2938961
http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/2214955
http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/1502170
http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/1453651
http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/1960662

and not confined to any one county or area. The crosses vary in style or type maybe depending on when it was built.  So I'm not sure how to use the information to limit the search.

Nell

Even if we can't find this chapel/church/mausoleum or whatever it is, I'm really enjoying viewing all these examples and I'm learning so much!

Thanks for posting the links Nell, I've booked marked the site for future reference!

Caz

[cazza59]

Another bit of a ramble!! I've been making notes of my own observations and those of others so here goes. Oh and a few architectural terms for Caz too 
I agree with Imber, the two photos are of the same porch, but I think taken at different times. the bushes near the window on the right side on #32a are a quite a bit higher. Is there a wall at the top of the steps?
I think  it is a church/chapel not a vicarage or church hall as Nell says the windows are more church like. I was thinking on the lines of a private chapel, like Joy, perhaps belonging to an estate. It could also be a chapel for a cemetery, or a hospital, the mental hospital that used to be near where I lived had it's own chapel.
That porch is very ornate for what looks to be a simple flint built building, as Ruskie says, could it be a later addition. We have established that there are two cross pattee's on the porch and I agree with Malky, there appear to be crosses carved into the capitals (tops) of the Corinthian columns[/u] (pillars). I can't make out if there are crosses on the two gate posts but there could be. I also think the rib vaulted roof of the porch has very ornate  carvings.
Is that a notice attached to what appears to be a short extension near the front door. 
I hope the architectural words underlined will do for you Caz.
Pat
I apologise there is more underlining than I intended and my stupid lap top wont let me correct it

Wow Pat, you've put a lot of work into this and come up with an excellent descriptive summary of the points of interest in the photos.  Very observant of you.  Every clue is very helpful.

Pity you live on the other side of the World, I need you here to get me sorted out and organised!  Your summaries and maps will be invaluable and are great time saving devices. Thanks so much for going to so much trouble!   

Caz

[cazza59]

Great observations Pat, and you are sounding very professional with your architectural terms   

Your suggestion that it may be a private chapel got me thinking - maybe it could be a private mausoleum for a wealthy family.  The tower we can see at the back could possibly be part of the house and not the chapel.

There's my little ramble.

Great minds..I hope it isn't as I don't think we would find it, but that's what I think it may be as well.   

[cazza59]

Having a break from the tower house 

Found this church in Dorset, which has a similar tower top to the one peeping over the roof.
St Wolfrida, at Horton.

I can't find a photograph taken from behind this church, to get a similar angle to no. 32.
Looking on Google maps, there is some sort of structure behind it, but can't really tell what it is.

http://dorset-churches.org.uk/horton.html

My search wasn't as technical as some on this thread.  Just "louvred dormers"   

Yorkslass

What a wonderful old building in one my favourite parts of the world.  Would love it to be this one!

[cazza59]

Yorkslass, I put St Wolfridas church Horton into Google images and there are a couple showing the other side. Unfortunately it is not the one.
I cannot show them here as I think they are protected by copyright.
Pat

What a shame, never mind..cross that one off!

Caz

[Ruskie]

For some reason this one is bugging me too Caz.

The cross I referred to earlier as looking a bit "celtic" is the one on top of the porch (above what we originally thought might be a "knights Templar" cross).

I thought we were looking at two (identical) porches but it didn't seem to make sense that they would be identical - but it must be the angle the photos are taken from and the depth of field in the first one threw me. 

[cazza59]

This is from the other side:

http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/847345

No porch 

Actually, looking at the porch, it might more accurately be described as a portico, since the side 'walls' are not solid -  in the second picture, on the right hand side of the entrance, you  can see the flint wall behind the column.  So the roof is supported by those two columns.  Possibly a Victorian add on?   

Nell

What a beautiful, picturesque church.  Disappointed it's not this one.

More food for though…..

[cazza59]

I agree with you Nell.

Though not the same as our mystery church here is an example of the kind of doorway I think it may have originally looked like. When searching for flint churches the other day I saw many similar examples:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Mary_Magdalene's_Church,_Tortington
It is possible that our church was originally intended for one purpose but changed over the years,
including the addition of the porch.

I think our church is old due to the small windows and norman style doorway and the unusual tower with louvres. Slightly similar: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_George's_Church,_Eastergate

Gosh, I had to look twice as at first glance I thought that was it (St Mary's that is).  The image on the righthand side of the website is how I picture it to be.

I agree, it has quite some age to it for reason you have already eluded too above.

[cazza59]

For some reason this one is bugging me too Caz.

The cross I referred to earlier as looking a bit "celtic" is the one on top of the porch (above what we originally thought might be a "knights Templar" cross).

I thought we were looking at two (identical) porches but it didn't seem to make sense that they would be identical - but it must be the angle the photos are taken from and the depth of field in the first one threw me. 

I thought you were.  I put a red box around it in the close up to draw people's attention to rather than the white cross. 

Agree, it's definitely the depth of field that's creating the illusion and I'm sure we're looking at one porch.