My week

We've been enjoying some mellow September weather and on Sunday afternoon we went to Meersbrook Park which is one of the local parks in Sheffield situated high up overlooking the city.

In the park there is a vantage point called Turner's Viewpoint because it's from here that the artist got inspiration for a watercolour which is now hanging in the Ruskin Gallery, Sheffield. (click on the title for the link to view it 'Sheffield from Derbyshire Lane').  J.M.W. Turner probably painted Sheffield when on a tour of the midlands in the mid 1790s.  He was still then a teenager and at the start of his career as an artist.  Today the views from this open green space are still amazing. The Botanical Gardens can be seen to the left and taller buildings include the university and hospital.

In the grounds of the park is Bishops' House.  We had hoped to take a look inside as it's now a small museum and is usually open to the public at weekends when volunteers go in to supervise, but  unfortunately it had been closed due to some safety issue relating to the electrical lights.  With National Heritage Days coming up this month when many such historic buildings are open to the public usually with guided tours let's hope that Bishops' House will be available for a look inside.
Afterwards we went to an icecream parlour.

this was my choice - raspberry sorbet and pistachio ice cream

On Wednesday we had another celebratory family meal We made lasagne al forno and suppli (riceballs with mozzarella in the middle) using fresh pasta and our own tomato sauce followed by birthday cake.

the lasagne al forno - a vegetarian one made with aubergine, squash and courgettes 

and a meat one before I put on the white sauce sprinkled with grated Parmesan cheese

ready for baking. The suppli were ready for frying in shallow oil.

after baking

The portions were served with green salad and home grown tomatoes.

I forgot to photograph the suppli so this was the only one left

and that one was soon gone too!

The weather continues to be sunny although thankfully it's a lot cooler.  September days can be beautiful when the weather is good, but I don't mind a shower of rain either. 

St. Nicholas' Church, Rotherfield Greys

The site on which St Nicholas' Church stands was used as a burial ground by the de Greys, the first owners of the nearby Greys Court and estate. Then a church was built there in the 13th century.  Many important memorials are contained within the church. As we were in the village enjoying lunch at the pub next door it was a good opportunity to visit the church afterwards. I particularly wanted to see the Knollys Tomb because this family also had connections to my home town. They owned property there and a street is named after them.  

 

This brass memorial in front of the altar 

is c. 1387 and shows Lord Robert de Grey

clothed in a suit of armour, hands in prayer
and a lion with a raised head at his feet.

In the small chapel to the left as one faces the altar

is the Knollys Tomb with other memorials

on the surrounding walls.

William Knollys, the second, but eldest surviving son of Sir Francis Knollys together with his wife erected the chapel in memory of his parents. (Sir Francis was one of the Queen's councillors and Treasurer of the Royal Household).

The son, William, Earl of Banbury and his wife appear on the top of the canopy kneeling before a prayer desk. 

Sir Francis and Lady Katherine Knollys (Katherine Carey was the daughter of Mary Boleyn and niece of Anne Boleyn) are recumbent effigies with the figure of a wooden swan and a plaster elephant at their feet. (symbolic figures used in the Knollys' Coats of Arms)

Their children are kneeling figures on either side, Lettice comes first and is depicted in her coronet and robes as a Countess. (She was married first to Walter, Earl of Essex and secondly to Robert, Earl of Leicester and she was a lady-in waiting to Elizabeth I).  Behind Lettice are her sisters Mary, Maud, Elizabeth, Anne and Catherine. The last figure is possibly Dorothy, the first wife of William Knollys.  On the other side are the sons, Henry, William, Edward, Robert, Richard, Francis, Thomas and Dudley who died in infancy.  As the gate in the railing across the chapel was locked I could not photograph the other side of the tomb. The family continued to live at  Greys Court until 1686.

From the 18th century onwards the chapel was used by the Stapleton family, who then owned Greys Court until the late 1930s when the Brunner family bought it and lived there. There are many memorials in the church commemorating them. 

A memorial to the Fallen

In a glass case is one of the ceramic poppies from the 

Tower of London Installation of Poppies tribute done in 2014 for
the centenary remembrance of the beginning of  WW1 1914-1918,

 each one representing someone who sacrificed life

to bring about freedom for society at that time.

This was a thought-provoking way to finish a visit to this church.

On a bench in the church porch was this trug of garden produce

with an invitation to take some. I didn't, but left feeling that there

 must be some lovely people in that village community.