Friday 29 September 2023

"Sniplets"

It was only a matter of time till I felt compelled to investigate.

Travelling along a busy road amongst the delivery vans and commuters I kept noticing the same road sign. It pointed off down a lane of medieval narrowness, between earthen banks overhung with branches. It soon disappeared out of sight around a bend. What drew my attention was the strange and singular name on the sign; it didn't fit this area, or even this country, at all. In the evening I opened up the lap-top. Despite all their talk of AI and algorithms, sometimes using Google is like being led through a vast museum by an enthusiastic five-year-old. This time we ended up at an oral history site where an elderly Mrs Cissie Pratt claimed that during her childhood they simply called it "Sniplets".



The village of St Ippolyts takes its name from the church which is dedicated to St Hippolytus, a rather shadowy figure, or possibly three separate saints. He is usually associated with horses, though probably just because of his name; hippo being the Greek for horse. There's a story that he was martyred by being torn apart by horses and some have him as the patron saint of horses. The village sign portrays the happier of the two scenarios:



The other side of the sign depicts other aspects of village life, but you'll have to wait to see that, till I've collected some more and can make a collection. Since there were some questions about the signs in a recent post I can tell you that this sign was cast at the foundry of Henry Isaac, now a seller of fireplaces, but whose website still proudly proclaims that they started out at St Ippolyts as agricultural engineers and iron founders. It was designed by a local man, Peter French.



Not far from the church I noticed this striking sixteenth-century building. Up until 1971 it was a pub called The Olive Branch.



There are more attractive houses a little further down the lane.



And if you venture down this little footpath, near the end of the churchyard, you'll soon be rewarded.....



....with views out over the surrounding countryside. Les speculated that this path would once have been taken by people from the big house as they made their way to church, and I can now confirm that he's right.



If scenery is not your thing then you can glance to your left to enjoy the contented munching of a herd of cows.



A few more steps will lead you to the pretty St Ibbs Bridge. I've just looked it up on the Listed Buildings Register and have found that it was built for the splendidly named Reverend Lax in 1801 so that he could make his way more easily from his house to the church. And speaking of splendid names: if we'd followed this track a little further we would have found ourselves in Half-Handkerchief Lane - now how did that name come about?



But you knew I'd have to poke my nose into the church eventually. There's been a church here since 1087, funded by one Judith, the niece of William The Conqueror. However it was much altered over the centuries, especially in the nineteenth.



It's a rather cosy and colourful church which I couldn't help but like immediately. Much of the colour comes from the east window....



It shows the twelve-year-old Jesus (centre) disputing with the learned Doctors (left) while Mary and Joseph (right) look on with some astonishment.



Then there's a rather battered tomb of a priest.



And here's a more modern lectern with again a horse recalling St Hippolytus. Behind it is one of those mysterious faces that are known architecturally as corbel-heads. It's impossible to ever find out any information about who they depict and it's generally assumed that the stonemasons rather improvised these details, so they may be people to do with the church, the masons' family members or indeed the masons themselves. You can meet them, if you like, and decide for yourselves....



But there we must leave them and go outside once more into the sunshine, start the car, then tiptoe back down the winding lane and chance our luck turning out on to the busy A602.




Take care.


26 comments:

  1. Unusual place name, but a lovely village and church.
    Some of the corbel heads show such good carving - others not so much!

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  2. That window makes the interior of the church glow

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  3. Yet another delightful outing. Many thanks.

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  4. Your description of using Google is spot on there.............. I'd have enjoyed a pint in the Olive Branch :)

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  5. You manage to capture all the pretty things that happen on your side of the country, it really is 'olde worlde' . Those faces are very good, all that talent long gone though.

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  6. Its always worth following that little lane you have noticed on a regularly used route :) You certainly found a very pretty little village and church with some unusual names in the area. Thanks so much for the history and the saint is a new one for me. I always wonder if corbel heads have been based on real people and you took photos of a great selection.

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  7. St. Ippolyts does seem like an odd name, but when I see the association with St. Hippolytus it makes sense. I have to wonder whether the current name has anything to do with the tendency of the English to drop their aitches. The delightful lady of a house where I stayed in the Midlands would remind me to “leave yer ‘at in the ‘all.”

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  8. The sculptures of faces are the most incredible!

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  9. Tu buena investigación, ha dado muy buenos frutos. Muy buenas tomas de fotografías has hecho para ilustrar toda tu explicación.
    Que tengas un buen fin de semana.

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  10. What a wonderful place full of history tucked away from the modern world. So beautiful!

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  11. I think I've accidentally deleted my comment! I think I said something along the line of. in an amalgamation of two poems The road less taken goes ever on and on Until it meets some larger way. I have always enjoyed taking these turns off the main road. It has led to some very interesting discoveries.

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  12. Considering the beautiful set of organ pipes in the church, I wondered where the organ player might sit...or perhaps that is hidden behind the choir seating. Love all the anonymous corbels!

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  13. What a beautiful walk that was. I'm glad you explored that church and photographed it.

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  14. I enjoyed your wander off the beaten track.

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  15. The church is a treasure. The sculptures of faces is amazing. Thanks, John.

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  16. It is worth going down these little paths when you find a treasure like this village and church.

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  17. The corbel-heads are fascinating. The old pub and outbuilding are amazing. The car looks like it doesn't belong (much too modern). I like your "medieval narrowness" description!

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  18. In your Google search did it tell you the population of such a very small hamlet? And how does such a small place maintain such a church? Lovely spot.

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    1. It's one of those places that doesn't follow the normal pattern. The usual set up is that there's a village with a church which also serves a few outlying hamlets and farms. This whole area served by a church is known as a parish. In this case the settlement around the church is tiny but the parish includes Gosmore, which is much larger than St Ippolyts itself as well as parts of the suburbs of the town of Hitchin. The church therefore serves a population of about 2,000, of whom less than 100 live near the church.

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  19. Wonderful photos, especially of the church, I like all those different corbel heads, so much character in all their faces:)

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  20. Those organ pipes are really lovely. I enjoyed your views of the surrounding countryside.

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  21. One question: Have you ever met a church you didn't like?

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  22. I really enjoy seeing those stone faces. It always makes me wonder if they were modelled on a real person. In most cases we shall never know but I like to think so.

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  23. The village buildings, the country scenes and that magnificent church with its stained glass windows, wow. The stone faces are intriguing too.

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Thanks for taking the time to comment. I'll try to answer any questions via a comment or e-mail within the next day or two (no hard questions, please!).