Lympsham's Pinnacles

An ornate hexagonal pinnacle stands at the junction of Church Road and Lympsham Road in the village of Lympsham.  It is one of a pair: the other one is in the grounds of the Manor House on the other side of the road. It is thought that the pinnacles were designed as gateposts and were originally located at the entrance to the Manor House.

The pinnacle at the road junction has 3 small plaques on it: one says "Love one another", the second says "Fear God" and the third, which is very worn and now almost illegible, is thought to say "Honour the King".  These words are from the New Testament: 1 Peter Chapter 2 verse 17.

You can just about see the pinnacle in the Manor House grounds in the distance if you peer through the hedge at a certain place, but you cannot access it because it is on private land.  This one is a memorial erected in 1876 by Joseph Henry Stephenson, who was rector of the parish. He was the second of 4 generations of Stephensons to be Rector of Lympsham.

One of Lympsham's Pinnacles

 

Pinnacle in Lympsham

Dunster's Secret Garden

This sheltered walled garden is located at the back of St George's Church in Dunster.  It can be accessed through a gate in the wall on Priory Green just opposite the dovecote. It was formerly the cloister garden of Dunster Priory and in 1953 it was passed to the church by Mr Geoffrey Luttrell, to be dedicated to all the men of Dunster who had given their lives in past conflicts.  It was renamed the Dunster Memorial Garden.

The original garden plan was to create a space for reflection.  Mr Dunlop, the Church Prebendary in 1953, said it should be a place for "peace, fragrance and quiet memories."

The garden is free to visit and has a number of seats.  It is a beautiful and tranquil place to sit and just "be" for a while.  I think most visitors to Dunster are unaware of its existence, as I have been there on several occasions but it has never been busy.

Simon Jenkins, author of England's Thousand Best Churches, said this about the garden: "Surely the most delightful church garden in England."

Memorial Garden in summer

St George's Church from the garden

Looking towards the Dovecote

War Memorial Plaque