Page 37 - Oundle Life May 2022

QUIET
BEAUTY
Our local churchyards
When exploring a village for the first time most people will head straight for the church, and of course this will usually provide a good introduction to the history and character of
a place. However, it is very often worth your while to take a detailed look at the churchyard in which the church sits for these are very often delightful and historic sites in their own right.
Some are immediately beautiful and peaceful places. In the Oundle area one might in this respect think of Tansor. Here the
church stands on a ridge so that on
the south there is a fine view of a quiet
stretch of the Nene gently flowing
between Oundle and Peterborough.
Nearby Cotterstock similarly gives
beautiful views over the river and a seat
on the south side looks towards what
remains of the Mill and Mill house. On
a summer day it is hard to remember
that the scene is not always peaceful
and that there have been several tragedies nearby. A very different kind of beauty and peace can be found at Easton on the Hill. Here a large churchyard that is full of snowdrops
in spring has recently been enhanced by the addition of a peace garden and labyrinth. Incidentally if you visit Easton at the height of summer you will be treated to a magnificent rose
in bloom around the porch. Appropriately the variety is Rambling Rector!
Other churchyards gain much from their close relationship to nearby buildings – often a
A very different kind of beauty and peace can be found at Easton on the Hill
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