Sunday 29 January 2017

Whitchurch On The Wrong Day

Hello, thank you for dropping in, it's lovely to see you here.  How's your weather?  Ours is still cold and grey, but on Wednesday the sky was blue and the sun was shining.  I was SO ready for it; my spirits lifted and my soul smiled.  My 'phone pinged: it was a dear friend, asking if I would like to go out somewhere to make the most of the weather.  Of course I would!  After a bit of discussion we settled on a visit to the town of Whitchurch because although both of us have lived in Shropshire for about thirty years, we had only been there once, she to the hospital and I for a meeting. 
 
She picked me up at 1 o'clock - having done some research and printed out some useful "tourist information" for us.  She knew our visit would result in a blog post!  All I knew of Whitchurch was that it's a small market town in North Shropshire, close to the borders of Cheshire and Wales.  That's it.  However, as I read her thoughtfully prepared sheets of paper the sentence which jumped out at me was this one: "What Whitchurch possesses in abundance is beautiful Medieval, Georgian and Victorian architecture."  Well, if I'd known that I would have visited years ago!  It sounded like just my sort of town.
 
So off we set in the sunshine to mooch around Whitchurch.  We found a car park (not easily, the signage wasn't great) and walked down an alley to the main street; the view ahead was full of promise.
 
 
What we found was delightful, but we had obviously come on the wrong day.  Many of the shops were closed, as was the heritage centre.  Perhaps Wednesday is early closing day?  Some businesses had closed down permanently and there was the sad air of a place which, although once thriving, is now struggling to keep its chin up.  
 
 
 
 

 

 
We were very impressed by the large, apparently tudor NatWest Bank building until we discovered that the frontage was only built in 1930!  Sadly, this is due to close in June this year as custom has declined by almost 25% over the last five years. 
 
 
Wandering away from the High Street, we came upon these pretty cottages -
 

 
The Victorian Bank For Savings was impressive -
 
 
I was really taken with this old building.  A warehouse? -
 
 
You see that doorway to the left?  Well, the door was open and we were able to peep inside.  Can you see line of washing hanging up to dry?
 
 
Back on the High Street, we found another charming old courtyard with a sign which tickled us both -
 

 
Obviously, we had to visit the church, St Alkmund's.  Built in 1711 and Grade One listed, it replaced earlier buildings and there has actually been a church here since 912 AD.  It has beautiful windows of both stained and plain glass and this etched panel tells a story -
 
 
It says, "This window was restored from the proceeds of the sponsored walk of fifteen miles, organised by the Rotary Club of Whitchurch, on Palm Sunday 1971 in which 211 walkers took part."
 
The most significant monument in the church is the tomb of Sir John Talbot, the first Earl of Shrewsbury, who was born in 1386 and killed in 1453 at the Battle of Castillon, the final battle of the Hundred Years' War.   His body was brought back to England and while his embalmed heart is buried beneath the floor of the church porch, as he requested, his bones  lie beneath this effigy in the lady chapel.
 
 
We liked Whitchurch and will definitely visit again, although not on a Wednesday. We liked the Café Bon Sol, where I paid £3 for a pot of Earl Grey and a slice of delicious, home-made bakewell tart.  We especially like the fact that the sun was shining and we had made the most of it and done something different on a weekday afternoon.  The sun was setting by the time we left.
 
 
See you soon.
 
Love, Mrs Tiggywinkle x
 
 

 


 
 
 
 

24 comments:

  1. Oh - I love the husband crèche sign!! I've driven round the Whitchurch bypass a few times so it's been interesting to visit the centre with you. Jx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. My husband is now very interested in a trip to Whitchurch with me! x

      Delete
  2. Well it looks like you had a successful visit even if everywhere was closed. Bakewell tart, yum! Great to be able to peep inside the door and see such an unusual sight. x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That courtyard fascinated me, I think it was the juxtapositions of past and present, commercial and domestic, wood and brick. x

      Delete
  3. Always nice to have a day out in the sunshine after days of grey. We've been having warm weather in the 70's, but now it's winter again with highs only in the 50's, but loads of sunshine so it's not too bad.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh Janet, you make me smile - "only in the 50s"! I can cope with the cold if the sun is shining but the relentless gloom gets me down. x

      Delete
  4. Your visit looks to have been successful in spite of the closed shops. A day out with a friend and a bit of sunshine is always a good thing.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I absolutely agree with you, Lorrie. And going on the wrong day is a good excuse for another visit when all the shops are open, I think. x

      Delete
  5. I liked the sound of a friend calling to want to go out in the sunshine and enjoy the day together having an adventure. You are blessed. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I really am blessed, Ellen. You make it sound like we are children, and that's fine by me! x

      Delete
  6. I have just come across your blog (via Jan) and enjoyed catching up. I look forward to reading more of your adventures. My parents used to have friends who farmed not far from Whitchurch - I loved visiting them!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's lovely to meet you here! There's lots of farming country around Whitchurch, our drive there was very pretty. x

      Delete
  7. Loved your visit! Whitchurch is a place I don't know but looks intriguing. Sad that it has an air of closure, hopefully on your next visit it will be better. Hope the sun is still out :) B x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Well this is the first day since then that we have had sunshine - ten days later! It's getting ridiculous. x

      Delete
  8. We usually fly by on the by-pass and I remember the only time we ventured there it took us ages to find parking. It does look a lovely town, I seem to remember something about the clock making industry when we were there:)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. As usual, you are spot on, Rosie. JB Joyce & Co were established there in 1690 and claim to be the oldest tower clock manufacturers in the world. They were sold to Smith of Derby in 1965. x

      Delete
  9. I have come across the husband crèche sign before, it never fails to make me smile. It is a place that we have never been to but it certainly looks impressive with the lovely and varied architecture.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I thought it was a lovely town and felt sad that so many businesses appear to be struggling. x

      Delete
  10. The town does have a bit of a sad, neglected look about it, but it could be beautiful. There is some very pretty architectural detail and I think that your photos are great. Glad that you enjoyed your visit and were able to savour a slice of Bakewell tart with a warming cup of tea on a winter afternoon. Oh, and since you asked, we have -11 C this morning with a wind-chill of -17 C. Marie x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Brrrrr Marie, that really is cold! It really could be a beautiful town with some tender loving care. I am glad you liked the photos, thank you. x

      Delete
  11. How lovely to get out and about with a friend! I know of two other Whitchurch's, I had no idea it was such a popular place name, it is odd how some names pop up again and again like this isn't it. Glad you had a fun time!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I believe the name is derived from White Church, Amy, as the original Norman church here was built of white stone. I suppose lots of places had white churches and named the settlements after them. We often drive past the signs for Whitchurch in Cardiff and in Hampshire and we always joke that we have gone the wrong way. Silly, I know, but it makes us smile. x

      Delete
  12. It does look like a charming little town and so nice to go exploring with an old friend! Sad about the shops that are closing....but the architecture is just wonderful. I do hope you get a chance to return on a more prosperous day. Love all the peeks about town. xx Karen

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I am glad you liked it, Karen. I thought the architecture was fascinating - some of the shops are 18th century buidings which had wooden shop fronts built on a hundred years later. One of them was in continuous use as a draper's shop from 1794 until the 1980s! I am hoping to go back. x

      Delete