Naunton

Three of us set out this dank morning from Naunton: we walked up the Windrush and across to Guiting Power, then to Barton and East towards Huntsman's Quarry, cutting downhill back to the Black Horse in time for not a very good lunch. Fact acquired: the Guiting Amenity Trust owns 73 properties. Photo: Longford House, next to the pub - built around 1800.

Light, the shadow of God

Naunton church has two sundials on its tower: this one appeals to me as it resembles a face, with its two eyes and smiley mouth. I photographed it this sunny afternoon, on my way back from Shipston-on-Stour. The journey became something of a crawl: in the process I bagged five more Gloucestershire churches for my photo project.

Having just been to the Catholic funeral mass of a cousin's widow, my visits to these Anglican churches made me realise what a lot of time we still waste, fighting the old battles, instead of joining together as Christians to combat secularism in all its forms. My cousin had 13 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren, many of whom were there, but of them only a minority seemed at home in a church. What can those Latin words possibly mean to the secular world of today?

Three fields to my right

I photographed this scene on a misty morning in February 21 years ago, in black and white - the last time I walked that way. The path from Turkdean runs along the valley, before rising (here) to Rixon's Covert. Starting from Hampnett today, we were making for Naunton, and so, instead of proceeding towards Salperton, we forked right to Notgrove and thence under the old railway line to Aylworth. A beautifully still, sunny day, possibly the best so far this year for a walk!

Compton Abdale

Cousin Trevor is over from Sydney, and has come to stay the weekend, together with his sister, who is from Suffolk: we have never met her before. Today, I drove them round on a scenic tour - past the top of Upper Coberley, through Lower Hilcot, Withington, Compton Abdale, Hazleton, Turkdean and Aylworth. Then lunch at the Black Horse, Naunton, and afterwards on through Kineton to Ford and Toddington, to see the railway (Trevor's work was in that world). Finally, back - via Winchcombe and its Railway Museum (where I had a sleep in the car) - to Cheltenham.

In St Oswald's, Compton Abdale, above the crocodile-mouth water spout, I found this somewhat out of the ordinary altar frontal.