1920-22 Draft of the Seven Pillars of Wisdom – Page 278

Ely. 1xxxii It was made, we two dames in Somerset and here we are again, very easily in the morning to examine Greensted St. Andrew's church, "The Cathedral of the Diocess". It is a noble wood I 'twas lined with oak pannels, but they had an oaken roof beams in the chancel, more curious than form. Between two of the tie-beams on an arched main tie there hung a particulare ornate brass corona, perhaps. Perhaps part of the gifts or kind, to confute the little mean parsonages with their arched roofs of "Queene Annes" reign, and the ruins of her manor, with its heavy red rubble-arch under lawn, where stood the Vane's Seat of their Sheepwalk where the Woodhay old chafe-house still stands. Said they not of Grinsted its 'the King country' meaning I suppose his lands surrounding it, and perhaps also the deer forest itself lying to the South, leading to Hatfield and the sea coast. This side of the manor is Woodham Ferrers, and we are to cross over the fields, and by bridle ways, to come round further South to the Parish church under the hill. So first to the manor house, wishing to note the ruined walls and compare them with those of the house at Woodhamwith, not far away. Then in a hundred yards or more inside the outer court of the old manor still a little of the thick outer gate walls, the ruined grange and farm steadings forming a second and smaller court round them. And we went in a side door just where a stack of beans and straw had been led in for the thrashing at seasons end, and where the thrasers lately gone, and left in the heap odds and ends of all kinds, broken elm floor boards from the winnow floor and sheaflips, as old pieces of ox-harness, hay-rakes, and a cow's tie chain with its stinking headstall. The whire a Scene of moment. The beater stalled, its hornes with their back-bound arm of oak, We turned for want of more sight, to poke around corners of sheds and barns, barns for hay and grain and carts and wains, but of late used only for the storage of old implement and odd lots, now since the war over. The outer wall of the Meadow Court still well preserved: at one end its gateway, between stone piers on which were traces of the iron rings, perhaps 2 or 3 to span an oak Door, and beyond you could see a vast waste of old-world wreckage, old brick and tile-wrack, where had been the little ancient Churchend town of Woodham in its woodhay heyday. The big Church itself was just beyond, in a big Churchyard paddock. Many of the little houses must have clustered here in their day, as for example the little old house we know so well, white walls of plaster, red tiled roof, just the perfection of its kind, a picture in its window curtains and deep oak frame, and Mrs. ... and her daughter. And at the back old farm-buildings and sheds there. We paused for a bit looking around that debris of many centuries, and towards the trees still marking the woodhay edge, and recalling how it all connected with our rambles on many an August afternoon. Then we strolled out to the Church paddock and Northaw by its back path, pausing to remark how the nave was late Norman Romanesque, richly masoned, with the short squatty pillars in triplets, as was usual, and of about period with the South doorway of St. Mary's Sprowston and that of Beighton ("Beeston") Priory. Its porch however was a rather frail addition, though original and quite perfect, the outer arch being a horse-shoe, just in the way of many rather crude bendy-topped little Norman porches: and a thing with arms and legs and a head, in stiff stone, guarded each side of the porch. And we had to smile as we saw there the date carved of the restoration of the little porch, "This porch was restored to its Gothic design in 1xxvi". He also gave some amusing comment on the Saxon wheel-head cross in the churchyard, and its present condition, and was very happy about the fine "Eagle" lectern.