Kent Village # Kemsing

Kemsing is a small village at the foot of the North Downs in Kent.

In the centre of the village is a well dedicated to St Edith, the daughter of King Edgar. She was born in Kemsing in AD961 and this area was where she spent her childhood. It was said that the water from the well had healng powers.

The Bell is the only remaining pub in the village.

The old Blacksmiths yard.

This is St Edith's Hall which has a statue of the saint and a clock which chimes on the hour.

Below the clock is the inscription:
'Tis mine
Each passing hour to tell
'Tis thine 
To use it ill or well

This is the church of St Mary the Virgin, the oldest parts of the church date back to the 12th cent,

The porch is over 500 years old and still has some of the original woodwork including the door.

The indentations on the door were possibly made by pilgrims banging their sticks on the door to gain access.

A lych (Anglo-Saxon for corpse) gate was added in 1894 through which the dead could be received into the grounds of the church.

The Post Office also doubles as a small tea shop which was a welcome place to visit after a walk up on the Downs.

Highgate Cemetery

Highgate Cemetery is in North London. It opened in 1839 as part of a plan to establish 7 large cemeteries in the suburbs of London. Prior to this burials took place in small churchyards and were becoming overcrowded. There are two parts to this cemetery, known as the  East and West with over 175,000 people buried in approx 53,000 graves.





The cemetery is famous not just for the people buried there but also as a nature reserve. Entry to the West cemetery which is the oldest part  is by guided tour only. However for a small fee (£4) the public can wander around the East cemetery which is where these photos were all taken.

There is a cultivated wildness to the cemetery. The trees, shrubs and wild flowers add to the beauty and serenity of the grounds. Here are some of the more famous graves that can be seen in the East cemetery:

The family grave of Karl Marx (philosopher and socialist) 1814-81

Philip Gould (1950-2011)  Labour Peer and political advisor

Anna Mahler (sculptor and daughter of the composer Gustav Mahler)

Jim Horn (1976-2010) 'Avid reader but not a partner in the firm'

Douglas Adams (Author of The Hitchhiker's guide to the Galaxy)

Harry Thornton (1883-1918) Pianist

Malcolm McLaren (1946-2010) Rock artist, clothes designer and original manager of The Sex Pistols

Jeremy Beadle (1948-2008) TV presenter and writer

Patrick Caulfield (1936-2005) Pop artist

Richard Smith (1836-1900) Miller who patented Hovis high wheatgerm flour process

George Eliot (Mary Ann Evans — the name on the grave is Mary Ann Cross) novelist

Archway Bridge

This is Archway Bridge, built in 1897, which goes over the main A1 road going North from London. Prior to the opening of the M25 motorway I used to drive this route regularly on my way North to Manchester. 

 Unfortunately the bridge is also known by another name, 'Suicide Bridge'. Many troubled people have lost their lives by jumping from this bridge and many others have suffered as a consequence.

 Local campaigners are desperate for measures to be put in place to prevent further loss of life.

Weekend reflections

Looks as though these are murals painted on the walls but actually they are mirrors reflecting the mural opposite. These photos were taken near Brick Lane in East  London.

Also noticed these shoes which had been flung across a wire between the buildings.

Sharing with James at Weekend Reflections

Flooding of the Thames

This is the Thames overflowing its banks at Chiswick in West London last weekend.

The ducks didn't seem to mind swimming along the road.

 The houses all along this road have flood barriers fitted. If you look above the wall you can just see the see through perspex with concrete supports in the corner.

 These are flood gates to prevent the water going down to the basement level. It is obviously a regular occurrence for the river to flood here especially during the Spring tides.