One of the pleasures in cycle touring is coming across village churches, and stopping to have a look. For an atheist I've visited a huge number of churches - I love the history, the architecture, and even the feeling that people have worshipped and met here for possibly hundreds of years. I'm not completely soulless!
So here are just a few of the churches I visited back in July.
St. Hugh's Charterhouse, high up on the Mendips. Very distinctive, I haven't seen a church like this before.
St. Mary the Virgin, Cannington, north-west of Bridgewater. This 15th Century church has some powerful carvings on the outside. Is the face below depicting leprosy?
A similar church, Halberton St Andrew, but way over the Quantocks, near Tiverton.
Lovely carvings!
St Mary's Ilminster, a fine church in a delightful town, not only because there were four cafes to choose from!
Finally, Wedmore church, back on the Levels, and another dedication to St. Mary. This was propbably the most interesting on the whole trip, with many carved bosses and corbels. Most of these were inside and the photos aren't good enough for publication (!) but the external carving of a little devil below rather took my fancy, he's a bit like the Lincoln Imp.
