West Drayton: St Martin's Church

Image: © Nigel Cox Taken: 7 Dec 2008

The church mainly dates from the 15th century with some 12th and 13th century fragments. It is mostly built of flint rubble, although the three-stage west tower has quoins of alternating brick and stone. There is a small newel turret on the north side of the tower, probably at the top of a staircase that gives access to the different levels of the tower including the roof. Architecturally these staircases gave strength to large towers, particularly one such as this which had not got any supporting buttresses. The newel turret has a wooden cupola on top. The churchyard is enclosed inside the walls of the former Drayton manor house. This view was taken from the north-western corner of the churchyard late on a winter's afternoon. The roof of the building to the left shows where the sun's rays reached and melted the frost and where the frost stayed in the shade all day.

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