St. Mary's |
School House north of the churchyard |
Sun dial, 2005 | Canopied tomb against the south wall of the chancel, 2021 | |
Gated mounting block, 2005 | Gargoyle |
Sitting by the sun dial in Blymhill churchyard one can speculate on the various phases of building of the church by looking at the discontinuities in the colour and shape of the stones. The base of the tower dates from about 1300 with the upper section about two centuries later. Inside the south arcade is 13th century and the chancel is 14th century but much of the remainder of the outside walls dates from the major restoration by Street between 1856 and 1859, when the north aisle was added. The dormer windows were installed in 1876. Among the more unusual features are the canopied tomb on the south side of the chancel believed to be for the builder of the chancel in the 14th century. There are two unusual gargoyles, one of which is shown above. The church yard is now maintained so as to encourage wild life with mown paths surrounded by meadow among the gravestones. A notice at the foot of the tower showed the species of wild flowers present. This is perhaps fitting as in the late 18th and early 19th century the minister was the botanist Samuel Dickenson. He was rector for 46 years until 1823.
The village has an unusual gated mounting block, said by the owner of the house to be the only one surviving in the county. The steps can be seen through the ralings; the end section forms a gate.
The Old Parish Churches of Staffordshire, by Mike Salter, Folly Publications,
first edition 1989, reprinted 1996, ISBN 1 871731 03 8
The King's England, Staffordshire, by Arthur Mee, Hodder and Stoughton,
London, first published in 1937.
The Buildings of England, Staffordshire, by Nikolaus Pevsner, Penguin,
1974, ISBN 0 14 071046 9