A walk from Cardinham dodging the showers

Nothing too remarkable about this walk but a very enjoyable jaunt through lanes, footpaths and forest tracks. Plus an interesting church at the end. With apologies for the quality of some of the photographs as I used the camera on my 'phone because of the weather.

We started in the centre, if it can so be called, of Cardinham and headed across fields to Cardinham Woods. The trails there took us back to a field exit, thence to the church. I'll give it 6.5 miles and an easy/moderate grade.

Saint Meubred, Cardinham. At the very centre of Cornwall, both East-West and North-South, just off the A30 on the western margins of Bodmin Moor. More at the end of our walk.

Lots of small print here but the gist of it is that the local Snooker Club building is going to close and they are trying to find out who owns it. Typical for Cornwall, no deeds, no clear ownership and both were totally irrelevant as it was in operation for over a century. In its way, a piece of important social history but how do you preserve a tin shed?

Not just an oak tree, it's an oak tree festooned with some moss

Haven't come across one of these before - a wood fuelled hot tub. Not the most attractive of locations but I guess that the rural location adds to the ambience 

A muddy footpath going from where to where exactly? And for what purpose? For people? For cattle? To get people to church? A simple path, perhaps, but lots to think about as your boots get stuck in the mud.

Looking back to Cardinham with its church tower springing from the landscape.

A doorway to the inner workings of a beech tree or an exit for tree elves? Take your pick.

Nothing quite like squelching along muddy forest tracks, with leaky boots (so much for Graingers' waterproofing polish). Strangely pleasant, in a schoolboyish sort of way.

Indeed - Grrr, bark, woof!

A get-away-from-it-all AirBnB? I bet that someone from the South East would rent it and rave about its 'back to nature' vibe, dahling.

Nothing special about this shot, just the green 'jumble' catching my eye and capturing my attention for a while. Take pleasure in the small things. I think some people pay vast sums on 'mindfulness' to learn this.

We come across plaques like these very now and again. The Incorporated Church Building Society was set up to help build and enlarge Anglican churches in England and Wales.  Between 1818 and 1982 it gave 14,356 grants to churches, helping to pay for the building and enlargement of many thousands of churches. It was also at the forefront of the battle for ‘free’ pews and its funding contributed to adding over two million pew spaces, most of which were free seats for all, in contrast to the then customary provision of private pews and the reliance on pew rents. And nowadays there are plenty of free pews but very few bodies to occupy them.

Saint Meubred's is a lovely 15th Century church. A grand and surprisingly large church with a very fine stone Cornish Cross at the entrance (probably 9th- 10th Century). You can just about make out the Viking-influenced carved snake design on the column.

Mybbard (Mewbred or Mebbred), also known as Calrogus was a 6th century hermit and is a local Cornish saint said to be the son of a King of Ireland. Very little is known of his life though he is recorded as having been beheaded, with two others, by the pagan ruler Melyn ys Kynrede in what is, today, the parish of Lanteglos-by-Fowey, near Fowey, Cornwall. He was later re-invented as an Irish prince. William Worcester names him as the son of an Irish king who became a Cornish hermit. He was a contemporary of St Mannacus and St Wyllow. An image of him carrying an extra head in his hands is included in a stained glass window in the church of St Neot alongside St Mabyn. He is said to be interred within the shrine (scrinio) of Cardinham Church. Mybbard is regarded as the patron saint of Cardinham.

The Norman font with a carved 'dove of peace' on the wooden cover. At least, I think that's what it is. Other people thought it might be an eagle.

Looking down the main aisle, towards the over-exposed altar window.

The pew ends are mainly from the 15th Century and bear close inspection for the various themes

• The modern stained glass in this window features the local industries of farming, fishing and mining. It was installed in 1949, necessitated by the 'old' window being blown out during a bombing raid in WW2. Well, perhaps bombing raid is a spot over the top as the bombs were jettisoned randomly after a raid on Bodmin.

St Meubred’s Church especially welcomes cyclists and walkers and was dedicated as the first Cycling Church in the UK.who are enjoying the delights of the surrounding countryside. People are invited to bring their thoughts and prayers to the Cycle Prayer Station by tying ribbons to the bicycle or writing on and attaching luggage labels. The original idea came from a member of the congregation who sadly lost a close friend who had been passionate about cycling.  

Rather oddly, the original Norman font was, at some point, “mislaid” and this Georgian font replaced it for a while. So, what we have today is a church with two fonts. How on earth do you 'mislay' a Norman font? Only in Cornwall.