Monday 15 September 2014

One mile southeast of the town is a 10–acre walled


One mile southeast of the town is a 10–acre walled in area called 'The Castle'. The physical remainders on the ground show the past presence of a manor here, in spite of the fact that there are no verifiable records for the site. 

Leigh has a town cross with a pole dating from the fifteenth century. The ward church, committed to St Andrew, was long ago a sanctuary of neighboring Yetminster. It additionally dates from the fifteenth century, however was considerably adjusted including the virtual reconstructing of the chancel—in 1854. 

Leigh is arranged in the Blackmore Vale in the West Dorset authoritative region. Measured specifically, the town is 5 miles (8.0 km) southsouthwest of Sherborne, 6 miles (9.7 km) southeast of Yeovil and 12 miles (19 km) northnorthwest of Dorchester. The encompassing scene is tenderly undulating and dominatingly horticultural. The underlying geography is Oxford dirt which here produces great quality pasture; the town was once known for delivering cheddar and juice, with at one time each ranch having an orchard.

Affidavits from 1650–1664 express that the Miz Maze is the place nearby witches used to meet. In 1879 the Dorset tongue artist William Barnes introduced the Dorset Field Club with a paper in which he composed "Numerous years prior I was told by a man of this area that a corner of Leigh Common was called 'Witches Corner'; and long after that a companion provided for me some old statements on witchcraft ... one of the witches' sisterhood said that they frequently met in Leigh Common." The last witch to be smoldered in England was rumored to have been captured at a meeting here in the seventeenth century and afterward executed at Maumbury Rings in Dorchester. 

There used to be a few of these mazes in Dorset, however this is the stand out where follows still remain, and even here there is little confirmation with the exception of little unsettling influences in the grass surface which might be felt underneath. 

The district has a long history of human settlement extending over to the Neolithic time. The Romans vanquished Dorset's indigenous Celtic tribe, and amid the early Middle Ages, the Saxons settled the zone and made Dorset a shire in the seventh century. The initially recorded Viking strike on the British Isles happened in Dorset amid the eighth century and the dark passing entered England at Melcombe Regis in 1348. Dorset has seen much common turmoil: amid the English Civil War an uprising of vigilantes was pounded by Cromwell's strengths in a pitched fight close Shaftesbury; the Duke of Monmouth's destined defiance started at Lyme Regis; and a gathering of ranch workers from Tolpuddle were instrumental in the creation of the exchange union development. Amid the Second World War, Dorset was vigorously included in the arrangements for the intrusion of Normandy and the huge harbors of Portland and Poole were two of the principle embarkation focuses on D-Day. 

Dorset is generally country with a lot of people little towns, few extensive towns and no cities. The main major urban zone is the South East Dorset conurbation, which is arranged at the south-eastern end of the area and is atypical of the province in general. It comprises of the ocean side resort of Bournemouth, the noteworthy port and district of Poole, the towns of Christchurch and Ferndown in addition to numerous encompassing villages. Bournemouth, the most crowded town in the conurbation, was secured in the Georgian period when ocean washing got to be popular. Poole, the second biggest settlement (once the biggest town in the province), abuts Bournemouth to the west and contains the suburb of Sandbanks which has a percentage of the most noteworthy area values by zone on the planet. 

In the twelfth century Roger de Caen, Bishop of Salisbury and Chancellor of England, manufactured an invigorated royal residence in Sherborne. The royal residence was crushed in 1645 by General Fairfax, and its demolishes are claimed by English Heritage. 

In 1594 Sir Walter Raleigh assembled an Elizabethan manor in the grounds of the old castle, today known as Sherborne Castle. 

Sherborne got to be home to Yorkshireman, Captain Christopher Levett who went to the West Country as His Majesty's Woodward of Somersetshire, and who stayed in Sherborne when he turned to a profession as a maritime chief and early adventurer of New England. 

The Winchester Mizmaze is most curious, being generally square, despite the fact that its ways bend tenderly and it has adjusted corners. It is likewise one of just two surviving noteworthy English turf mazes where the way is a restricted section in the turf (the other is at Saffron Walden, Essex). All the more regularly the turf itself structures the raised way, which is stamped out by shallow channels uncovered between its turns and turns; this is the situation at Breamore, where the mizmaze is round (an adaptation of the medieval maze outline) and encompassed by 

Friday 17 January 2014

Natural Inclination

Our natural inclination is to be so particular—attempting always to predict precisely what will happen next—that we gaze at uncertainty as a bad thing. We think that we must reach some set goal, but that is not the nature of the religious life. 

The nature of the spiritual life is that we are certain in our uncertainty. Consequently, we do not put down roots. Our common sense says, “Well, what if I were in that circumstance?” We cannot assume to see ourselves in any situation in which we have never been.

Certainty is the mark of the commonsense life — gracious uncertainty is the mark of the holy life. To be sure of God means that we are doubtful in all our ways, not knowing what tomorrow may bring. This is usually expressed with a sigh of sadness, but it must be a look of breathless expectation. 

We are unsure of the next step, but we are certain of God. As soon as we discard ourselves to God and do the task He has placed closest to us, He begins to fill our lives with shocks. When we become just a promoter or a defender of a particular belief, something within us expires. 

That does not believe God—it only believes our belief about Him. Jesus said, “. . . unless you . . . become as little children . . .” (Matthew 18:3). The holy life is the life of a child. We are not unsure of God, just unsure of what He is going to do next. If our faith is only in our beliefs, we build up a sense of self-righteousness, become overly critical, and are limited by the sight that our beliefs are absolute and settled. 

But when we have the right bond with God, life is full of spontaneous, joyful uncertainty and expectancy. Jesus said, “. . . believe also in Me” (John 14:1), not, “Believe certain things about Me”. Leave everything to Him and it will be superbly and decently doubtful how He will come in—but you can be sure that He will come. Remain faithful to Him.

Wednesday 27 February 2013

Gracious Uncertainty

Our natural inclination is to be so precise—trying always to forecast accurately what will happen next—that we look upon uncertainty as a bad thing. We think that we must reach some predetermined goal, but that is not the nature of the spiritual life. The nature of the spiritual life is that we are certain in our uncertainty. Consequently, we do not put down roots. Our common sense says, “Well, what if I were in that circumstance?” We cannot presume to see ourselves in any circumstance in which we have never been.

Certainty is the mark of the commonsense life—gracious uncertainty is the mark of the spiritual life. To be certain of God means that we are uncertain in all our ways, not knowing what tomorrow may bring. This is generally expressed with a sigh of sadness, but it should be an expression of breathless expectation. We are uncertain of the next step, but we are certain of God. As soon as we abandon ourselves to God and do the task He has placed closest to us, He begins to fill our lives with surprises. When we become simply a promoter or a defender of a particular belief, something within us dies. 

That does not believe God—it only believes our belief about Him. Jesus said, “. . . unless you . . . become as little children . . .” (Matthew 18:3). The spiritual life is the life of a child. We are not uncertain of God, just uncertain of what He is going to do next. If our certainty is only in our beliefs, we develop a sense of self-righteousness, become overly critical, and are limited by the view that our beliefs are complete and settled. But when we have the right relationship with God, life is full of spontaneous, joyful uncertainty and expectancy. Jesus said, “. . . believe also in me” (John 14:1), not, “Believe certain things about me”. Leave everything to Him and it will be gloriously and graciously uncertain how He will come in—but you can be certain that He will come. Remain faithful to Him.

Monday 23 July 2012

Divine grace

Divine grace is a theological term which is present in many and varied spiritual traditions. However, there are significant differences between the way people of different traditions use the word. In particular, a more treatment of the Grace of God indicates that Divine Grace is one of the three categories of Grace. The other two are Material Grace and Spiritual Grace.

Friday 2 September 2011

Leigh, Greater Manchester

Leigh (pop. 43,000) is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, in Greater Manchester, England. It is 4 miles (6 km) southeast of Wigan, and 12.6 miles (20.3 km) west of Manchester. Leigh is situated on low lying land to the north west of Chat Moss.

Historically a part of Lancashire, Leigh was originally the centre of a large ecclesiastical parish covering six vills or townships. When the three townships of Pennington, Westleigh and Bedford merged in 1875 forming the Leigh Local Board District, Leigh became the official name for the town although it had been applied to the area of Pennington and Westleigh around the parish church for many centuries. The town became an Urban District in 1894 when part of Atherton was added. In 1899 Leigh became a municipal borough. The first Town Hall was built in King Street and replaced by the present building in 1907.

Originally an agricultural area noted for dairy farming, domestic spinning and weaving led to a considerable silk and, in the 20th century, cotton industry. Leigh also exploited the underlying coal measures particularly after the town was connected to the canals and railways. Leigh had an important engineering base. The legacy of Leigh's industrial past can be seen in the remaining red brick mills – some of which are listed buildings – although it is now a mainly residential town, with Edwardian and Victorian terraced housing packed around the town centre. Leigh's present-day economy is based largely on the retail sector.