Wednesday 19 May 2021

Stained Glass and Cut Grass

Hello Friends!

I plucked up courage and went inside a church this week for the first time in over 14 months.  You will be shocked that it was not the Cathedral, I'm sure, but I have my reasons, and it was all very carefully planned.

As some of you know, I recently lost a very dear friend, suddenly and unexpectedly.  We had no warning, no time to say goodbye.  She had been on my mind for a few days and I'd been meaning to phone her, but I didn't and now it's too late.   I wanted to light a candle for her, which is something I do on times such as this, and especially as I cannot attend her funeral.  As I say, it was carefully planned, yet despite the planning I still panicked when I got there.

The walk down was delightful, it makes me want to sing out loud {I assure you that this would not be a good thing, so I restrained myself}; not too hot; a perfect blue sky; calm with a gentle spring breeze and enough sway for the Cow Parsley and grasses to dance delightfully in tune with my steps.  Every step I put in front of the other was made with a grateful heart full of joy in honour of a beautiful day, and remembering my friend who enjoyed this part of the world so much.  We've been blessed with some delightful weather of late, if a trifle cold, but hatches are battened for the coming days which bring change.


The reason I picked the Chapel of Our Lady and Saint Non, which sits on a high clifftop, overlooking Saint Bride's Bay and the wild Atlantic Ocean is that it would, hopefully, be much less busy than the more popular Cathedral, and right now the Cathedral is operating on a timed ticket only entry system.  I did not want to take up an entry slot just to light a candle.  That seemed a little selfish to do.

This chapel was built in 1934 and stands in the grounds of Saint Non's Retreat.


I left my cottage early, purposely to make an attempt to avoid too many other people.  I encountered a couple of coast path walkers who turned right on to the coast path, not headed the same way I was headed, so I was okay!  

I arrived to find the door slightly ajar, and I put on my mask, as required, and gelled my hands with sanitiser.  It is all arranged inside in accordance with current guidelines. I brought my own matches from home to avoid touching their lighter, and I lit the candle carefully, as alcohol based hand sanitiser is flammable!  

As I was on my own, I took the opportunity to take a few photos; they are not brilliant as they're on my phone, and by now I was starting to panic a bit.  I noticed a small card on the altar, it contained a prayer for our deliverance from the Pandemic.  I stood by the altar and read it aloud.

The stained glass over the altar did not come out, but it shows Saint Non.


The four windows are of:

Saint Bride


Saint Winifred


Saint Brynach


Saint David


As you emerge from the dark interior, you are greeted by the most magnificent view of the coastline, facing south and west.  You get an idea of how near the coast path this precious little chapel sits.


Before heading home, a last look back at the Chapel


Near the {open, no touching needed} gate, the ox eye daisies flower in grand profusion. 


and further along, on the flat edge of the path, are spikes of pennywort, which I've never seen on the ground, only growing up a wall.


My heart leaped with joy when I spotted my first flowering foxglove spike of the year, but sadly there was a group of breakfast picnickers sitting just a little bit too close to it for me to get a photo.  Still, it brings hope that soon more will follow!

The fields that line the road are no longer the lush, verdant green of recent weeks, rather they are now the colour of pale, golden straw, for they have been mowed in the last day or two for a cut of silage.




Until next time
Stay Safe, Stay Well

19 comments:

  1. Deb, I love that though built in 1934 it looks as if it's been there for centuries. And what a beautiful area!

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    1. Thank you, yes, it does look a lot older, apparently it's built in an older style of chapel.

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  2. what a lovely chapel, inside and out. And what a view. That would be an enchanting walk just by itself. A fabulous view and especially at this time of year. I'm sorry about your friend, Deb.

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    1. Thank you. It's my go to walk, probably like The Ditch!

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  3. I'm so sorry to hear you have lost a dear friend, Deb. The Chapel of St Non is so lovely and the perfect place to remember and honor your friend. The striking beauty of your coastline in the bright sunshine is stunning! Hopefully when you walk this path again the foxgloves will greet you. xoxo

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    1. Thank you. The contrast upon emerging from the dark interior into the sunlight is stunning. xoxo

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  4. I was sorry to read about the sudden loss of your friend, Deb. It was nice that you choose to remember her by this visit and lighting a candle in her memory. The chapel looked very peaceful. The coastline view was spectacularly beautiful. I envy and enjoy your coastline walks.

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    1. Thank you, and yes, I know I am blessed to live here.

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  5. What a beautiful walk, but a sad reason behind it. You must be missing your friend but I am sure that lighting a candle for her has helped and in SUCH a special place too. This has been on my list of places to visit, but doubt I'll get there now - bit more of a hike from here than Carms. I was fascinated by the stained glass windows and St Brynach was a fascinating chap. He had a well-detailed life . . .

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    1. Thank you, but never say never, although it would need more than an early start day trip to see enough of it!

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  6. What a beautiful little chapel, a real gem! Thanks for sharing the photos. It's situated at a very beautiful place. Glad you were able to go there to remember your friend, and well done on overcoming your fears to do so. I often go into the Basilica here and light a candle, it always feels so peaceful there. Have a great day, hugs, Valerie

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    1. Thank you, yes there is something special about lighting a candle in a place that holds the ancient energies of the Saints.

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  7. Thank you for those wonderful photos of the chapel. I have visited on many occasions during the past, and it lit up a memory of the ruined church in the field. A good place for you to remember your friend.

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    1. Thank you, yes the ruins are on the opposite side. It is a special place indeed.

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  8. Such a beautiful walk and photos. The chapel is so peaceful and relaxing and with its lovely location is just the place to light a candle to remember your friend. Thanks so much for showing photos of the inside of the chapel - it looks so tranquil and sacred. I am glad you found the gate and door open so no need to handle anything - that is always a relief. Hopefully you will find more foxgloves to photo soon and fascinating to see Wall Pennywort in the ground not a wall!

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    1. Thank you. Yes, doors and gates being open is such a relief. One less thing to fret over. I thought of you immediately when I saw the Pennywort on the ground. There were a lot of them.

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  9. I'm glad you were able to go light a candle for your friend, and do so without making things worse than was necessary for your anxiety levels. I'm also glad it was a beautiful day, so you were able to delight in all the beauty of the season on your way there and home again.

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    1. Thank you. I should have been doing this on a different day, but it's very exposed to the elements and, as you probably guessed, we've got a full on gale, so I doubt I could have walked there safely in this wind and rain. What a difference in two days!

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  10. I'm so sorry for your loss. The chapel is lovely! And the location beside the ocean must make it very popular, especially in the Summer months.💖

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