Sunday Stroll - The Village of Saints

Sunday morning brought more in the way of 

clear blue skies and frost.  

It also brought an early morning wake-up call from the people monitoring the intruder alarms at Mr U-t-B's workplace, so with him up and dressed early after going to check all was well (and me dressed too -I didn't set forth in my pyjamas, even if it is becoming increasingly popular round these parts!) we decided to go off for a walk.

We headed through Farnham and out to Upper Froyle, where we parked up.  

Although it is less than ten miles away, it was not until I attended a craft fair in Lower Froyle last October that I became aware of this pretty and historic village.

'Bounded by two ancient trackways and a Roman road, Froyle has probably existed since the early Christian era.  There are Saxon foundations beneath the Church and the Manor was in the hands of the last Saxon king, edward the Confessor.  At Domesday, it was held by the Nuns of Winchester until the Reformation, then sold by Henry VIII to William Jephson.  It passed through a number of families, as did the sub-manors of Husseys and Brocas, until it came into the hands of Sir Hubert Miller (1868).  he did much to beautify the Church and adorned many of his cottages with statues of saints.  In 1953 The Lord Mayor Treloar Trust established its college in Froyle Place where the school for disabled children flourishes today.'

{Actually, the school and college have recently re-located to nearby Holybourne.}

Pretty cottages abound.  The three on the left here have pillar-box red porches and front doors, very striking!

The village's War Memorial has to be one of the most peaceful I have ever seen.  Situated on the hill between Upper and Lower Froyle (interesting to climb the hill from Upper to Lower Froyle!), it has beautiful views.

Now it may have said that Sir Hubert prettified the 'cottages' with statues of saints, but this isn't quite my definition of 'cottage'.  You can clearly see the statue above the front door.

Here we have what I call a cottage, complete with its statue.

Idyllic surroundings!

Another 'cottage' it would seem.   It has three beautiful gates like this one, though only this one had the sweet kissing gate at the side.

Back to more cottage-y proportions...

I didn't take a photo of this um...er...cottage, as it was undergoing renovations and the portaloo rather detracted from its Georgian loveliness.  However, you can see from its five window span that it is a cottage fit for the most acquisitive of people.  

Another statue glimpsed through a picket gate...

And another in its nook beneath the eaves...

Just a little post for this one...

But a pretty canopy beneath which to shelter for this one...

I'm a bit of a sucker for a pretty gate, so here's one that I couldn't resist snapping...

I'm also partial to interesting outbuildings.  This one looked like a gypsy caravan that had come to rest beside the barn and had grown old and plump there...

We ended our walk with a quick scout around the church yard...

A peaceful resting place...

Some of the graves are the bricked over type that I've only ever seen in my local church yard.  I believe the bricking over was to deter grave robbers.

Upper Froyle - definitely worth a visit!