Oh what a wonderful world it would be if every church had an isle like Tichborne. It’s true that it isn’t alone, for there is another English church which also claims the rare glimpse of an Anglicanism fraternising with Catholicism - that other treat being Arundel, Sussex.
Sadly for me both these spiritual spaces share another thing in comman, that of the Catholic part to each church being securely gated and bolted shut. I did wonder to myself on this sunny March day, if the reasons behind this over zealous padlocking might be more Anglican protectionism. After so many centuries its still so hard to let bygones be bygones, as without sturdy bolt cutters, who knows what those Catholics might do if they were to be given the total freedom to worship under ancient timbers.
For today, i could only crane my neck to peer into this other more flamboyant Christain world, one not so dissimilar, but nevertheless still considered enough of a threat by some to see painted iron divid the two friends.
St Andrews Church, Tichbourne