Billesley Brake

Part of the Wilmcote Lock Flight on the Stratford-upon-Avon Canal. The 11 locks are located along a mile of the canal, with a total drop of about 77 feet.

Now managed by the Churches Conservation Trust.

Wilmcote is all about William Shakespeare and his mother Mary Arden who lived just down the road from here. History doesn't record whether she was a drinker or not, but one of the village pubs is named after her.

All Saints church, Billesley is now a redundant church in the care of The Churches Conservation Trust. At the time of my visit it almost felt forgotten with the graveyard overgrown with stinging nettles. The present church dates from 1692, with 18th century alterations. Immediately to the south of the church is the site of Billesley Trussel, the site of a deserted medieval village which had a substantial population at the time of the Domesday Book in 1086, however, by 1428 only four people remained living in the village. Historic England description Church, now redundant. C12 origin, rebuilt in 1692; C18 alterations. Coursed blue lias rubble with ashlar dressings; steeply pitched old tile roof. STYLE: Classical. PLAN: 2-bay nave with east apse, west porch and south transept, originally private pew. EXTERIOR: apse has plain plaster cornice; round-headed window has moulded sill, imposts and key block to architrave and leaded glazing. Nave has quoins, moulded cornice and coped west gable; north side has 2 round-headed windows as apse flanking blocked medieval pointed entrance; south side has windows flanking gabled transept with urns to kneeler and finial incorporating stack above keyed oculus, blocked entrance to west return has rusticated surround. West end has gabled porch with quoins, urn finial and small ball finial to left kneeler; entrance has thin projecting jambs and segmental pointed arch, wooden gate and inner wooden benches and entrance with flat arch over panelled door; window interrupted by porch has eared architrave, frieze and cornice, wooden spandrels forming round head, enriched round panel above; louvred bell turret has cornice and original ogival lead cupola and weathervane. INTERIOR: some re-used C12 masonry including some herringbone work; ceiled roof and moulded elliptical arch to apse, which has vault; similar round arch to transept, which has angle bolection-moulded fireplace. FITTINGS: stalls to north side and priest's desk and pews to south, probably C18, have similar balusters to fronts; box pews to west end and C17 west gallery with fielded panelling and benches, winding stair with stick balusters. Simple octagonal font, probably C17 with C19 recutting, with flared base. CARVING: transept has ex-situ carved stones: tympanum, Herefordshire school c1140, man attacked by snake and dragon and aided by dove; stone with carving to 3 sides, Anglo-Saxon tree motif and tile pattern, probably Harrowing of Hell c1150. A good example of a C17 church serving the small community round Billesley Manor, the village having been deserted by the C15. Vested in the Redundant Churches Fund. (Buildings of England: Pevsner N: Warwickshire: Harmondsworth: 1966-: 93; Victoria County Histories: Styles P: Victoria History of the County of Warwickshire: 1945-: 61). Source: Link

A Herefordshire school carved tympanum dating from around 1140. This carved stone is on display in Billesley church. The carving shows the central figure running from evil, represented by a dragon and a snake towards a dove representing purity.

Detail of a carved man in a tympanum on display in Billesley church. This Herefordshire school carved tympanum dates from around 1140. The carving shows the central figure running from evil, represented by a dragon and a snake towards a dove representing purity. See: SP1456 : Tympanum in All Saints church, Billesley

A dove representing purity carved in a tympanum which is on display in Billesley church. The tympanum is thought to be of the Herefordshire school dating from around 1140.

A dragon representing evil carved in a tympanum which is on display in Billesley church. The tympanum is thought to be of the Herefordshire school dating from around 1140.

A snake representing evil carved in a tympanum which is on display in Billesley church. The tympanum is thought to be of the Herefordshire school dating from around 1140.

This carved stone is thought to be the base of a cross and dates from around 1150. It is thought to be of the Herefordshire school of carving. It is on display in Billesley church.

Cereal field, from this distance it's difficult to be sure of the crop, opposite Upper Billesley.

View from the porch of All Saints church, Billesley. This porch is a later addition to the church dating from either the 18th or early 19th century.

Road sign indicate the way to Anne Hathaway's Cottage and Mary Arden's House, proof that we are in Shakespeare country.

With a name like The Mary Arden in Wilmcote no doubt this is a popular public house.

Country road from Billesley to Aston Cantlow.