Warwickshire Wubbleyous

Another lovely day, and compulsory cycling! The intended trip to South Warwickshire having been foiled by Virgin Trains' lack of cycle-friendliness, I made the best of it and headed off nearer to home. This is such a glorious time of year that almost anywhere looks good. North-East Warwickshire lacks the black-and-white cottages of the South of the county, but it is fine cycling country, and has many good, and some very good, churches. It also has many villages beginning with 'W'.

St. Mary Magdalen, Wyken, is an unusual dedication, and - appropriately - next to it is the Church of the Risen Christ. Wyken was a remote village till Coventry expanded in the second half of the 20th century, so this simple medieval church remained largely unaltered. When the estates grew around it, the new church was built next door.

St. Andrew's, Shilton. One of many Warwickshire churches with elaborate and poetic gravestones.

St. Botolph, Burton Hastings, where I had lunch!

St. John Baptist, Wolvey. Wolvey is at the edge of a rather open, unpopulated area with evocative placenames such as Wolvey Wolds, Cloudesley Bush and Hobley Furze. It is bisected by the Fosse Way and Watling Street, and there are frequent deserted villages: the area was cleared for sheep grazing in the 15th century. The church has several old Norman heads incorporated into the stonework.

The priory church of St. Edith, Monks Kirby, is one of the largest in the county, and was the only one open this day. There was a Benedictine priory here in 1077, but at the same time as the Carthusians took over in 1399, the dedication of the church changed too - hostilities with France meant that St. Denis became unacceptable. The church has an elegant pillared nave, and some fine carved tombs. It was lovely and cool on what had become a hot day.

All Saints' Withybrook, though rather dumpy, has a pretty streamside setting and some interesting triple-headed gravestones. It sounds as if it is interesting inside too; a pity it was closed.

Fittingly, it was another Mary, St. Mary the Virgin, Walsgrave, which was the final church of the day. Another (largely) medieval church subsumed by Coventry, it is unfortunately located very close to the busy Walsgrave Road. It is evidently well-used and cared for though: there are modern red sandstone carvings on an ancient doorway, and a new church hall.