Thornton church from the south-east corner of the churchyard, where the line of the original roof (before the C19th vandalism) can be clearly seen
The statue of Mary and Child, with the votive lights underneath. Most unusually for an English village church, this charming Madonna is probably Portuguese - C19th, sold on after the reforms of the First Vatican Council.
April 2010 Ready for the Mass of the Day at Easter. Note one of the limitations of a little country church - there is not enough space to have the Paschal Candle dead centre, so it is by the pulpit from which the Exsultet had earlier been sung.
Fr Nicholas celebrating St Stephen's Day, at a temporary altar in the newly refurbished area in the north-east of the church - for many years no more than a glory hole. Why was the picture taken? To send to the person who gave me what they thought was 'a wall-hanging' as a Christmas present: only it's a very fine silk Latin chasuble!
The East Window, by Charles Eamer Kemper, installed to commemorate Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee
A mid-twentieth-century set of stained glass in the north aisle
'The sexton' - a strange and ancient carving on one of the pillars, out of keeping with the rest of the church: we have been offered many explanations, but none seem decisively convincing.
A clear spring day, with a sunny sky setting of the church's best feature, the 1510 tower,
A grey day in summer, focussing again on the church's best feature.
Thornton village, from the east. St Mary's Church is over the hill, still next to the holy well; while the village has moved over to the sunnier and more sheltered side of the rise.
The figure of Mary and her Son, adorned with her Easter veil
With so narrow a sanctuary, it has never been anything other than eastward-facing
The gospel is read by the Deacon in the centre of the church
