A Church Fair

The Parish Church of St. Leonard, Bulford

14th Century tower

For years I have driven past the little church in Bulford wondering what it was like inside.  Sometimes they hold a little fair to raise money for repairs, but I have never had the opportunity to go.  Yesterday, I made it. It was bustling with people, the centre of a community.  

The kind Church Warden left her raffle stall to find me a printed leaflet which is a copy of an architectural survey written in June 1900.  It tells that the church must be early 12th century and that it has been altered greatly over the years.

The tower was once much higher, but probably due to faulty foundations only the base remains.  Somehow it's much more endearing that way.

The little church fair was very busy and I couldn't stand still too long inside the building, or take photographs, but one feature stood out.  A partly exposed medieval wall painting, very faint.  So faint that I couldn't see what it represented and I was told that it had been covered up by the puritans, (them again).  The community cannot afford to have the whole piece restored, so it stays under the plaster.  One day.

Showing signs of  many alterations over the years

The main doorway is in the tower
Children's bikes outside - a much loved  building - still busy

Quote from the front of the little leaflet. 

"The care of this ancient sanctuary falls on the parishioners.  It is a 'labour of love' to preserve and beautify it for this and future generations".