Two drawings in two days. Not so busy at work yesterday so took the chance to go down to Benet's Hill and discovered a church that took me completely by surprise. It looks unlike any of the other churches I have drawn and sits on an island of green on the side of a hill. It must have been quite close to the water when Wren built it. Paul's Wharf, a Roman wharf is close by. It's now surrounded by roads and looks a bit lost and forgotten.
Wren designed St Benet in the manner of a Dutch country church. The tower sits on the foundations of the tower destroyed in the great fire. Underneath Wren's stucco are some very ancient and sooty walls.
The Victorians had no use for St. Benet and it was planned to be demolished. The Welsh saved it and there are Welsh language services in it every Sunday. St. Benet is one of only four Wren churches to avoid the kiss of the Luftwaffe.
It started drizzling as I cycled down there, so I had to sit in an underpass. This is why the angle I drew from is so extreme and I'm not that happy with the result.
Seat: borrowed from council depot next to underpass. I borrowed a lump of wood, but a very nice lady offered me a seat sized piece instead.
A local tramp came and sat down with me and we conversed a little. His most common question was 'Youallrighmate?'
I want to go back and draw it again with the roads and traffic encompassing it. We'll see whether the attraction of going to new churches outweighs this desire.
Two and a quarter hours. Absolutely freezing toes.
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