#kempe

On our last visit to this gem of a location, it was pouring it down and cold. Today there was a hint of Spring and a very soft February sunlight filtered through high cloud. Here is the house viewed from the park with its signature tower.

Long slanting shadows graced the parkland and a veritable carpet of purple crocus. We wandered the various pathways. There are two ornate fountains and benches to sit and admire the view, though it was still a little cold today.

Adjacent to the house are conservatories with a collection of striking exotic plants and an intriguing elephant sculpture.

The Park falls away gently from the house and from here you get fine views over toward the moor beyond. This hill country separates Airedale from Wharfedale. If you're familiar with the song, you might know it as Ilkley Moor.

Let's take another look inside though. It was only a little while before the house closed but there was still enough time for a brief visit. You enter through the gateway of the Castle's main tower with the family crest above. There is some beautiful carved wood on the entrance doors.

The hallway contains a beautifully executed bronze of Henry Isaac Butterfield who developed the house much as it is now.

Today we wanted to see the stained glass collection here. You get to it by climbing the main, carpeted staircase which rises to the tower's first storey. The surrounding pillars, as they are throughout the house, are intricately decorated.

The head of the staircase is lit by a magnificent stained glass window.

The stained glass is the work of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, prepared by Morris and company. Here you can see panels designed by Kempe, Burne-Jones, Madox Brown, Rosetti and Morris himself. The exhibits include a wonderful sequence showing Tristram and Isoude, inspired by Malory's retelling of the story. The panels came from Harden Grange in Bingley.

When local churches closed, some of their religious stained glass by the same artists were moved here.

This creation story panel came from nearby West Riddlesden Hall. All the glass is exquisite and beautifully lit from behind. Such a joy to see.

I hope you enjoyed this account of my 2nd visit. Cliffe Castle is free to visit (donations accepted) and car parking is free for three hours. All shots were made on an old Canon 350D gifted me by my husband with a 2nd hand Yongnuo 50mm f1.8 lens. Edits were made from the original monochrome images using Canon Digital Photo Professional 4.

A few days ago I visited the Church of All Saints in Lindfield, just north of Haywards Heath, East Sussex. The village retains a high number of re-faced late medieval houses which sometimes display a teasing glimpse of old timber or brick nogging behind their Regency facades. The High Street narrows to the north as you approach the Church, the original focal point for built development. Lindfield’s Manor was held by the Canons of South Malling for centuries, and the original High Street was laid out by the Chapter.

It was a blustery day and the churchyard seemed to me like a quiet oasis. It’s a sheltered spot between the Church’s south wall, a series of mature trees and the walls of ‘The Tiger’, a former Inn which hides a (probably) 14th century jettied hall within. I was charmed to spot the tomb chest of George Newton between the porch and the south transept, set apart and sheltered from the elements. He was sometime Lord of the Manor following the Dissolution, and was granted this exalted position beneath the Church his ancestor, William, paid to restore in 1617.

The interior bears the marks of late-19th and early-20th century restorations, and there are few early monuments to be seen. Most of the pews were replaced with chairs in 2017, giving the space an airy, equitable atmosphere. Charles Eamer Kempe made his home in Lindfield, establishing a Gothic Revival masterpiece in Old Place, his house around the corner from the Church. He donated bells and a Chancel Screen to the Church, though the latter was not accepted and installed until after his death. Can you spot the little sheaf of wheat, Kempe’s signature, in the window below?