Church of St Pancras, Arlington

As I mention in today’s earthstar wildlife blog, my friend Jill and I veered off our walk around Arlington Reservoir in East Sussex to investigate an interesting-looking old church, and this is it, the Church of St Pancras in Arlington. (As I was out and about photographing wildlife, I only had my long lens with me so you’ll have to forgive the lack of landscape shots – I focused on the details instead.)

Though the Lychgate is recent – beautifully crafted in 2000 to a design by church architect Ralph Wood ...

and the guttering was put up as recently as 1869, presumably during a period of restoration and refurbishment ...

parts of the church itself date back to Saxon times. (You can read about its history here.) The interior walls have mostly been white-washed but some traces of early decoration remain. 

There are painted flowers and crosses that date from the 14th century, and fragments of text, which have been labelled Elizabethan but apparently date from the 18th century – perhaps the style is Elizabethan. 

It’s hard to imagine what the interior must have looked like when the paintings were complete but it must certainly have been very lovely. 

There were many other fine relics and objects to admire – a finely carved screen, a Saxon window, lovely old tiles and beautiful stained-glass windows – but I think my three years’ living in Wales is having an effect on me as I was particularly enchanted by the two dragons on the pulpit. 

Though the pulpit itself is rather plain and has been dated to the 18th century, the dragons are a more recent embellishment. 

And not a sign of St George coming to slay them!