AUG 1 Friday – Dull. To King’s Lynn in the afternoon with FDB on Joes. We went through the Garden of the Greyfriars with its tower standing on an arch, and by the Ouse, a fine wide river. A new kind of barge was anchored in the stream drawing only a few inches of water and with nearly square bows. We were told they were for Belgium. We then visited St Nicholas, a grand Perpendicular church with a rich porch. It has very curious tracery in the aisle windows. A magnificent west window, fine wooden roof and two tall arcades.
[King’s Lynn written in red in margin.]
AUG 2 Saturday – Warm and close, some showers in the afternoon. I went to King’s Lynn by train meeting FDB at St Margaret’s Church. This has two western towers, one thicker than the other and the stump of a central tower. Very large west window. Some fine Norman work at the SW corner. The nave is debased being rebuilt in 1740 after the fall of the central tower. The choir arcade is fine. The clerestory is curious, internally it is a row of thin pillars. The east window is round with a passage below. There has been much settlement and the building is much out of the Perpendicular in many places. I came back on Jo. In the afternoon we walked over the common and by West Bilney Hall.
AUG 3 Sunday – Church at 8 and 11. The church is mostly Perpendicular with a tall tower, high clerestory with a sanctus bell cot, and a curious porch with open windows at the sides – Perpendicular tracery executed in brick. FDB preached at night.
AUG 4 Monday – Fine at first, mizzling rain at times later. Hard rain at night. In the afternoon I went off by myself on Jo past Gayton, a fine flint church with a tall tower with a kind of dome. The pinnacles are statues of evangelists. Grimstone, Hillington, Great Bircham and over a heath with a large aerodrome past Stanhoe to Burnham Market. I visited the church at Westgate and went on and saw my first round tower. Then on past Holkham to Wells by the Sea – a very picturesque place, but the sea was quite a long way off, and the old road to it was black with people. I came back by Wighton, Great Walsingham, Little Walsingham past the old Abbey gate to Houghton St Giles and East Barsham with its fine old brick house and so to Fakenham with a fine tall tower (church locked) to Raynham and Weasenham St Peter, Great Massingham and Gayton Thorpe. This last has a round tower of early date. 59 miles.
[Wells by the Sea written in red in margin.]
AUG 5 Tuesday – Fine, sunny at times. In the afternoon FDB and I went on Joes over Lynn Bridge along the Long Sutton road to Terrington St Clements. The church is most glorious – cruciform with a tower detached at the NW angle of the nave. Fine clerestory of many windows. The west front is of particularly fine design. There is one flying buttress on the north side to prop up the wall which has settled. Like many of the churches about here, the exterior is more impressive than the interior. Fine original font cover. We had tea and then went on to Tilney All Saints. The church here is most interesting, as it has parts built in all styles. The spire though squat is very striking. The nave arcades are Norman (except the west bay with is Early English) like the tower. The capitals vary greatly. The clerestory windows are small on the north side, large on the south. But perhaps the best feature is the double hammerbeam roof with carved angels, which is very beautiful. East window Perpendicular. There has been much settlement here and buttresses have had to be erected to keep the walls up. We came back through many apple plantations, well cropped, to Wiggenhall, St Germans and back direct to East Winch. 28 miles.
[Terrington St Clements, Tilney All Saints written in red in margin.]
AUG 6 Wednesday – Fine and bright. FDB and I started about 9.30. We went past the station to Gaydon and Grimston. The church here is a fine spacious one, fine SE door, with some beautiful tracery in the small chancel windows. Good roof. Tall tower of flint. We went on to Hillington. The church was mostly rebuilt last century. They were putting down a new floor. We turned off for Sandringham. There were many motors and other conveyances taking people there, and they were waiting in a long queue to get tickets for admission. We went on to Dersingham – a fine Perpendicular church with the usual good clerestory. Very curious columns, fluted and carved at the top. An old screen. Angels on the roof, they looked new. Fine looking west. Then we went on to Snettisham which is very fine. There is a curious vaulted passage along the west front. The west window is one of the most beautiful decorated windows I have seen. The interior of the nave is very impressive, the arcade being very high and the proportions excellent. The alternate clerestory windows are quite different. The tracery throughout is very fine. The spire (formerly central) is fine and of unusual design. The chancel has been destroyed. The present east window has been shattered by a Zeppelin bomb and is till boarded up. We went on to Hunstanton where we met Ethel who had come by train. We had a nice walk along the cliffs to the lighthouse. We left just before 5 and came back over some fine heathland and through woods to Castle Rising. The nave here is all Norman with no windows at all on the north side. The chancel arch is fine and above there are curious little Norman windows looking into the space under the tower, which is lofty and vaulted with a Norman vault. There are curious opening on each side of the chancel arch. The chancel is Early English. The tower has a gable roof. We came home over much heathland past cottages built of flint or [?] with brick quoins and red tiled roofs. 40 miles.
[Snettisham; Hunstanton; Castle Rising written in red in margin.]
AUG 7 Thursday – Fine and bright. We had a quiet day. Amused ourselves with golf putting.
AUG 8 Friday – Very hot. I left East Winch Hall at 9.35. FDB came with me as far as Lynn gate. Here I turned off for the bridge and passed Terrington to Walpole St Peter. Another magnificent church with a curious valuted passage under the east end – an ancient right of way which could not be blocked so the altar was raised to allow the passage under. There are two open-sided porches. South porch is vaulted. The tower though rather small for the church is very [?] with a panelled parapet. There are no pinnacles on the nave or on the tower. Two large ones on the chancel arch with a bell cot between with a bell. The clerestory has two windows to each bay. The aisle windows are very large Perpendicular ones. There is a room over the south porch. The chancel of five bays has no aisles. Leaving Walpole at 11.30 I went on to West Walton. The tower here is entirely separate from the church. It forms the entrance into the churchyard. It is a very remarkable Early English structure. The detail is all on a very large scale – it looks like a piece of some huge cathedral dropped here, which dwarfs it very much. The nave is mostly untouched. Early English – clerestory and all – and the capitals of the columns are most beautifully carved. Early English porch. The aisle windows are later. The east window is a hideous churchwarden one. The building has settle very much and has to be propped up in places. I left at 12.10 and went on through a very rich fruit country, chiefly apples and plums (czars and Victorias) with bush fruit underneath. I next visited Walsoken Church, which has a very fine rich Norman arcade and chancel arch with Norman moulding but pointed as at Soham. Perpendicular aisles and clerestory. Early English tower and spire. West door Early English mouoldings but round headed. Fine roof with angels painted – not a hammerbeam with niches on the supports with coloured figures. Fine font. I reached Wisbech at 1 pm. Very curious large church here. Two parallel naves under one roof outside. Divided by perpendicular arcade. Chancel on north nave. North arcade curious square Norman columns. Quite a nice tower with good parapet. The next place I came to was Leverington. The church has a very fine tower and spire. The porch is very beautiful. There are beams across the nave. Fine corbels. Then I had a long ride across the Fens past Wisbech St Mary, Tholmand Drove to Greyhirne. The [?] is here for a mile or so parallel to the road but one has to climb a huge bank to see it. Greyhirne is 6 feet above sea level. From here I had nearly six miles of road absolutely straight and varying only 2 feet in level! I reached Thorney at 3.25 and visited the Abbey. The ruins have been made into a parish church. Only the main avenue of the nave is left and the clerestory is missing. The old Norman arcades have been walled up and windows placed in the triforium and a barrel roof put on. The Norman columns have a curious effect on the outside. Inside it is very pleasing. From near here I could see both Whittlesey Spire and Peterborough Cathedral. I reached Peterborough at 4.07. I took a peep at the west front and the inside just to refresh my memory. The interior is not so impressive as Ely. I had tea and then took the Oundle road. Elton Church seemed worth a visit. It has a fine tall tower in outline like Lavenham, with a large belfry window. The aisles extend each side of the tower. Some good carving. Chancel windows good. The next stop was Warmington – a very nice little village with a church celebrated for its fine Early English work. Some of the windows are most beautiful – enriched with dog-tooth. The spire though rather squat is very fine. The nave is covered with a wooden vault – not very satisfactory, but the shafts to carry it are richly carved. I then pushed on to Oundle meaning to sleep there, but I could find no accommodation, so I had no time to see the fine spire close at hand, but hurried on to Thrapston where I managed to find a bed, 9.06. 68.3 miles.
[Walpole St Peter; West Walton; Walsoken; Wisbech; Peterborough; Warmington; Thrapston written in red in margin.]
AUG 9 Saturday – Very hot. I left Thrapston at 8.45 and passed Denford – curious spire stone but wooden shape – and soon reached Ringstead. Tower here is remarkable for having no windows at all in the upper part, the belfry window is in the spire. Plain arcade, the arches are made of bands of yellow and white stone, beautiful tracery. Vaulted south porch. I then went on through Higham Ferrars – a glorious church with splendid spire and Rushden, another gem, but as I had seen these before I did not stop long, but went on past Wymington (a rich little spire) to Podington (crocketed broach spire with fine gargoyles, most of the window square-headed) and Olney – large church with tall broad spire with pinnacles. The spire has a decided bulge. Fine decorated tracery in all the windows. I left here about 1 pm and along the Ouse Valley past Weston Underwood until near Gayhurst where I turned off to Hanslope. The tower and spire here were amazingly high and of good design, perhaps the tower is rather too tall in proportion to the spire. The church is fine and roomy, Perpendicular. The chancel is Norman with fine corbels and a decorated east window. From here I went past Thorpe Station on the L&NWR main line and across Watling Street just north of Stony Stratford to Buckingham. It was now very hot and I was glad to rest and have tea at Brackley before going on to Banbury. I left Banbury at 7.45 and came home via Shipston-on-Stour and Campden (not by Ebrington). Here I had to borrow lamps. I reached Badsey soon after tea, having travelled 88⅓ miles or 156½ from King’s Lynn. The whole trip was 503 miles.
[Rushden; Olney; Hanslope; Banbury written in red in margin.]
AUG 10 Sunday – Very hot again. Church at 11. Lay down to the shade of apple trees and read to two boys. WRW died.
AUG 11 Monday – Heat continues. Dwarf picking at Garnetts. Most have been cut up now. At the Sand onions were sown on the spot last week. To Evesham. We are now making some progress. Both Badsey and South Littleton schemes have been approved both as to site and layout. The cottage plans have also been provisionally approved. Not much of interest at the Guardians.
[RDC written in red in margin.]
AUG 12 Tuesday – Very hot. At office nearly all day. Apples are cheaper. Peas 7/- 10/-. Broad beans 3/3. Runners 10/1. Dwarfs 10/-. They were all behind with the pay so I put in extra time. Saw the German prisoners off by 12 train.
AUG 13 Wednesday – Very hot. 12 bags runners from Garnetts. To office in the morning.
AUG 14 Thursday – Still hot. We have started egg plum picking. They are making 16/2 pot. We sent off 15 pots today. To Wilkins’ funeral in the afternoon. Fine sun spots.
AUG 15 Friday – Hot again. Plum picking all day. We sent off 41 bags today.
AUG 16 Saturday – Hot. We picked 19 bags of Egg plums and sent them off. Then we picked 10 pots of tomatoes at the Sand and put them in the greenhouse after whitewashing the glass.
AUG 17 Sunday – Warm. No church at 11. Read Froude’s Essays in the afternoon. Church at 6.30. Went up to Ruby House after. Coming back I found a man who had been a prisoner of war in Germany exchanging views with the German Commandant who is left behind with 4 men to clear up.
AUG 18 Monday – Showery. We sent off today our first tomatoes 9 chips. I have sold the crops for 4d 1b. We sent off also today 30 chips of Belle de Louvain plums. To Evesham Police Court. 4 cases of bicycles without lights fined 10/-. One who did not appear 15/-. The last case of no rear lamp 5/-. This is not now necessary. Then we had a long defended case of milk selling above the controlled price, which should have been 3¼ pint on the farm. Instead those who fetched the milk had to pay 4½d and later on 3½d. The defence was that the orders are confusing and difficult to find out. The farmer was fined £5, and had to pay altogether nearly £10. He had very few customers. In the evening, I had a very interesting talk with the German. He told me a great deal about local government in Germany, and also education. He thought Englishmen were very fond of football. He said that as soon as they can toddle they want a ball to kick. Later on he thought it was part of their daily bread!
AUG 19 Tuesday – Very showery. I had most of the day at the office. Men shallot trimming. Runner and dwarfs still making 8/- to 10/- pot. Tomatoes 4/3 a chip. Beet 4/- bag. Marrows 3/5 pot. Shallots 28/- cart.
AUG 20 Wednesday – Very wet morning. Shallot trimming. In the afternoon we picked 10 pots tomatoes from the Sand. In the evening we finished cutting down the belladonna and we started Egg Plum picking.
AUG 21 Thursday – Finer, cooler. We finished today the Egg Plums, sending 5 pots and 1 sieve. This makes 80 pots 1 sieve in all. The heaviest crop I have had. Then we picked 27 pots of tomatoes from Under Badsey and had them carted to the Sand. In the evening we gave the sprouts Under Badsey near the road sulphate of ammonia and nitrate of soda mixed.
AUG 22 Friday – Fine, drying day. Sprout hoeing. Went to office to decide about F Bubb. He thinks he will be able to carry on. DSMcD wants a long holiday. I picked 1 pot of tomatoes and started to hoe the onions at the Sand. School Managers’ meeting in the evening, at which I presided. Find sun spots. 300 lb tomatoes this week.
AUG 23 Saturday – Fine. I started hoeing Lisbons at the Sand. AJT and EM sprout hoeing and feeding. I picked some more tomatoes at the Sand. 24 Sand, 27 Under Badsey now picked. I got out the first lot of tomato seed.
AUG 24 Sunday – Fine. Church at 11 and 6.30. Read old ballads to some boys in the afternoon.
AUG 25 Monday – Fine. To office and to Evesham. Had the spokes of Jo’s back wheel tightened. 32 chips of tomatoes sent off. Runner picking in the afternoon. 1 cwt shallots and 1 cwt round beet sent off.
Old Age Pension Committee. Had an interview with Surveyor re plans of houses.
AUG 26 Tuesday – Fine, showery later. Runner picking, another lot of shallots and beet sent off. To office.
AUG 27 Wednesday – Fine, strong west wind, bright. Choir trip. I walked to Evesham with little Douglas Jelfs and met most of the others in Bengeworth. We started off from Evesham at 8.05 by Midland. 18 boys and 3 men, Vicar and I. Changed at Ashchurch and went on to Tewkesbury, where we had 40 minutes, so we walked down to the Abbey but it was locked as it was not yet 9.30. We then went on by train to Great Malvern. We fixed up with the Central Temperance Hotel for meal and then I took some of the boys to the Priory Church. The men were busy putting back the coloured glass in the windows, which had been taken out for fear of air raids. The east window was still boarded up. The interior is pleasing. The Norman arcade is very low with a large space below the large clerestory windows. The space under the Central tower is vaulted. Then we went on the lower slopes of the hills by St Ann’s Well. Dinner at 12.0. Then we all went up to the top of the Worcestershire Beacon. The view was good though I have known it better. It extended to Radnor Forest, the Wrekin and Edge Hill. Then I went with most of the boys to the North Hill and spent the afternoon in scrambling about. Tea at 5.30 and we left by 6.40 train MR.
28 chips of tomatoes today. They have got very cheap in the open market 2½d.
AUG 28 Thursday – Very wet morning. 13 chips tomatoes today. We started clearing out the old drying shed. Meeting of Foundation Governors of the Grammar School in the evening. We decided to hold an examination for Deacle’s scholarships next month. We had a good deal of discussion as to the old school premises now let as a private school. It seems the top rooms are damp in spite of the fact that a new roof has been put on lately at great expense.
AUG 29 Friday – Very dull and very cold, some rain. Hedge trimming. Shallot trimming. Sulphate of ammonia put to all the sprouts at Garnetts. School Managers’ meeting. We appointed Miss Batty as assistant teacher.
AUG 30 Saturday – Dull, rain at times. To office. Mother has had a stroke and has been unconscious since Wednesday night. I decided to go over to Oxford. I went by 1 pm train, very crowded. Found Cicely at Iffley Road, no change.
876 1b tomatoes.
AUG 31 Sunday – Beautifully fine. Mother keeps just about the same, slowly getting weaker. I had a talk with the doctor. He says it is most unlikely that she will regain consciousness. Went to service at St Michael’s. Loll came over and stayed the afternoon. GCB and I went a walk by the Morris Cowley works.
[MB written in pencil and underlined in margin.]
