Running to Hawton Church

Thought I'd bring you a bit of proper old history today, utilising a route that takes in some of Newark's Civil War History too.

Indeed I ran one of my usual routes, across the Grange Road fields, but halfway along took the left turn that leads to the Middle Beck.

It was proper cross country running today, lots of mud. A little egret looked at me from a distance, wondering who this other stupid wader was. I decided to avoid his contempt by taking the right turn along the Beck.

The Middle Beck actually marks the boundary of the Civil War encampment that General Poyntz and his Roundhead chums set up at Hawton Village, about two kilometres from the Queen's Sconce away to the North where Royalist cannons were situated. Within the fortification the church of All Saints would have already been standing, built as it was in the 13th-14th centuries.

The grounds were enchanting, for the simple reason that the grass was so soft and springy, it was almost like a bog but without the wetness. It was delightful, it really was. On inspection, this seemed to be because it was full of a sort of green lichen of some description. In turn the gravestones, some of them so old as to be illegible, were a home for other lichens of various shades from coppery green to a rusty orange.

The whole thing reminded me of the cover from REM's classic "Murmur" album that Guy Garvey was joy of joys playing on his 6 Music show at that very moment.

The church itself is famous for is carvings, from the gargoyles on the tower to the sculptures of two very royal and Plantagenet looking characters on either side of the porch. Looks too kingly to be the local landowning worthy - wonder if its Henry IV?

I ended up doing 8.5km in the end, a decent little run indeed!

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 07.01.17