Two days, four churches!

We had a friend staying with us over the weekend and so we were out and about.....despite the awful weather on Sunday! Who would have thought it was June?? Pouring rain and freezing cold did not stop us.....we headed into Derbyshire......first stop was Tideswell where the 14th century church is known as 

The Cathedral of the Peak

  There were some lovely wood carvings.....I particularly liked this dragon.......

these angels........

 and this green man.

 Next stop was Eyam......known as the plague village as in 1665 when plague was brought to the village in a bundle of cloth from London the villagers decided to isolate themselves in the village to stop the plague spreading. 

Above is a model of a plague doctor.....the mask was filled with herbs thought to prevent the plague.

 The church in Eyam has a stained glass plague window...............

 and remains of painting on the walls from the time of the plague...............

Monday was a better day weather wise and saw us heading off to Ludlow in Shropshire. I have been to Ludlow MANY times but had never been in the church......what a treat I'd been missing!

 I'm a sucker for a beautiful stained glass window and this church had several.............

 .....it also had the most beautiful ceiling in one area......supported by angels.

 On the way home we stopped off at Battlefield Church just outside Shrewsbury.....again we have driven by many times  and meant to stop but never have till now..........the church is believed to be built over the mass burial pit of the dead from the battle of Shrewsbury in 1403!

 It has a particularly lovely wooden roof..................

 .....and tiled floors.

And finally......what can I say.......I LOVE gargoyles!