" Would You Like The Key? "

It was time for a drive around Stephens' Essex. Believe me, there are a lot of very tiny lanes within a 10 mile radius of his home and we explored a number of them on this afternoon. Down one particularly narrow roadway we came across this lovely old house with climbing roses draped over the front fence and pulled up for some photos.





Opposite was an interesting looking church which looked worth a stroll in its yard.

http://www.achurchnearyou.com/venue.php?V=6354

We climbed through the fence - it was easier than going through the gate - and were 10 yards down the path when hailed. Uh oh, must be trespassing was my thought. But no,
" Would you like the key? " was the enquiry.
I am tempted to say that only in England would someone volunteer to offer total strangers the key to a locked up place, hand it to them then disappear back to their home, and maybe its true.






In a way, it was an average English church, its origin a zillion years ago and some recent ( ie several hundred years old ) additions. It was slightly unusual in that it had a round tower, one theory because construction of corners by flint were not possible.




http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Round-tower_church

It also had a blank wall facing the roadway thanks to some unwanted attention from the Germans in the 1940s.




The interior was refreshingly simple in keeping with a parish church.



And so ended one of the unplanned experiences found on the tinier roads of Great Britain.