All Saints, Sudbury, Derbyshire

I crossed over the Dove into Derbyshire, and immediately turned left into the village of Sudbury. I drove through the village and past the National Trust's Sudbury Hall, where there was an unbelieveable amount of cars parked. No church spotted. Never mind, I have invested in one of those new phones and can get OS Maps on them. Problem with the signal meant a hit and miss service. I turned round and drove back into the village and parked. I asked a local and got some bum information so I risked asking another. Sure enough, as I thought, the church was alongside the Hall. So in the end I gave up and parked with the masses. Now the NT has two things here, the C17 Hall, and the Museum of Childhood. As I walked to the church and Hall I kept an eye on the front door of the house and not many people were going in here whereas most people were going to the far end and the Museum. So I also went round the hall, a good decision as the interiors are spectacular. It was the home of the Vernon family, and they have left their mark through monuments in the church.

The church itself is quite large, and I really liked it but I am a sucker for big Decorated east windows. Most of the monuments are tucked into the north chapel, from C14 worn effigies of ladies clutching their hearts, to the grandiose effigies and superstructure of John Vernon d1600 and his wife and the opulent freestanding urn to Margaret Vernon d1675. However the most touching memorial is to two Vernon children at the back of the church by the font, a plaque showing two sleeping children and foliage dating from 1862. The south sanctuary window has an unusual subject, commemorating war-time evacuated Manchester children. It dates from 2001 and is by Michael Stokes.