St Mary, North Marden

I visited St Mary’s on day three of a four-day Pilgrimage back in February of this year. I was following the newly described “Mary’s Crescent” pilgrimage curated by Dr Tim Goulder (2023).

I had seen the book by chance in the local authors section of One Tree Books in Petersfield, whilst shopping in the lead up to the previous Christmas. Having talked for many years about completing a pilgrimage route but holding off due to concerns about the walking health of my right knee, this pilgrimage seemed ideal for a first timer.

• Relatively short days walking through a familiar landscape.
• I was never more than a short drive (rescue) from home if my knee did fail me.
• I could be resupplied on route, so did not need to carry so much food and clothing.
• Exploring aspects of my home turf which I had never previously enjoyed.
• A quiet time of year, so expecting little company along the way, giving me time to enjoy the route in solitude, and quiet reflection.
• Ending the Pilgrimage at Chichester Cathedral.

The pilgrimage is described starting at St Mary, Porchester Castle, and ending at Chichester Cathedral – the walk forming an arc which heads north over Portsdown Hill along the Meon Valley to Droxford before heading east following the South Downs Way to Buriton, then on to South Harting, North Marden, Singleton, ending at Chichester Cathedral four days later.

As my affection for Chichester Cathedral noted elsewhere in this Blog, is given. I will not repeat myself here. However, it is safe to add that walking the final stretch of the pilgrimage on day four from St Mary, East Levant through farmland, the outer limits of the city, then North Street turning onto West Street and then seeing the statue of St Richard beckoning – was a rush. (That I bumped into a work colleague and his partner on North Street and failed to string a coherent sentence together testament to the profound and overwhelming feeling of quiet and well-being invoked by my solo peregrination).

I reached North Marden around 12:45PM. I had walked south off of the South Downs Way, past an estate I had not heard of, then down through a hedge of mature Hazel (Corylus avellana) it’s base already showing signs of spring flowers. Then crossing the B2141 followed a farm track, and entered the church yard of this singular building.

Comprising of a single cell with both nave and apse combined, the church’s foundation dated to the 12th Century though modified throughout and up to and including the modern roof and bell-cote, with one bell dating from 1829.

The leaflet found within “Notes on EAST and NORTH MARDEN and their CHURCHES” picks out the variously aged, architectural features, adding meat to the bones of the church’s description within the pilgrimage guidebook.

It is a beautiful and serene space, and on first stepping through the door whereupon my mind was silenced, and I sat for a long time in quiet meditation before exploring the finer details of the churches as described in the literature to hand.

signs of Spring

St Mary North Marden February 13th 2025

Chichester Cathedral - St Richard on St Valentine's Day

Reading:

Goulder, T. (2023) Mary's Crescent Countryside Books Newbury

McLaren, P. (undated) Notes on EAST and NORTH MARDEN and their CHURCHES Midhurst and Petworth Printers

The Flatåsen cave dwellings, Brønnøysund

We had a reasonable amount of time ashore at Brønnøysund and so decided to take a short walk to visit one of the only archaeological sites of our trip – the cave dwellings at Flatåsen. Set in a wooded area it also gave us the opportunity to do some natural history exploration as well, and we managed a small but quality bird list, and some wildflowers under our belt.

Cow Parsley (Anthriscus sylvestris)

Geranium sp.

Epilobium sp.

Bush Vetch (Vicia Cf sepium)

Herb Paris (Paris quadrifolia)

Colt's-foot (Tussilago farfara)

Finding any literature on this archaeological site, has been difficult to be honest. There is a free and downloadable research paper available at Research Gate that discusses the finds / artefacts and context of both cave dwellings and rock shelters in Norway’s Roman and Migration period, but unless I am mistaken the Flatåsen cave dwellings are not mentioned in the text?

It makes for interesting reading but is beyond my current level of concentration to make any meaningful distilment of the text, such is its complexity.

Excuses aside, the information here is gleaned directly from the interpretation board at the site and this is only available due to the wonders of Google Translation. Having photographed and then copied and pasted the original Norwegian text into the online translation.

A summary of the Google Translation is as follows: the three cave dwellings at Flatåsen are dated to 500 BC - 500 AD and they record the first signs of human activity in Brønnøysund. Excavations between 1925 - 1926 produced many artefacts from hearths to a wide range of food remains including fish, fowl, animals (both wild and domesticated), shellfish and snails. Bone tools were also found to be typical of the period.

The small woodlands which also included a frisbee golf course provided the following:

Bird List:

Magpie (Pica pica)
Hooded Crow (Corvus cornix)
Wood Pigeon (Columba palumbus)
Great Tit (Parus major)
Coal Tit (Periparus ater)
Blue Tit (Cyanistes caeruleus)
Willow Tit (Poecile montanus)
Blackbird (Turdus merula)
Robin (Erithacus rubecula)
Fieldfare (Turdus pilaris)
Redwing (Turdus iliacus)
Common Redstart (Phoenicurus phoenicurus)
Pied Flycatcher (Ficedula hypoleuca)
Common Redpoll (Acanthis flammea)
Song Thrush (Turdus philmelos)
Willow Warbler (Phylloscopus trochilus)
Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus collybita)
Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs)

Early Purple Orchid (Orchis mascula)

Steilneset Memorial, Vardø

When we read “The Witches of Vardø” by Anya Bergman in September 2023, neither of us would have thought for a moment that we might end up visiting the island itself. Nor imagine that we would see the Steilneset Memorial to those “witches” executed by fire or dying from the stress of their torture during the Finnmark witch trials which ran throughout the greater part of the 17th Century.

The book’s fictional account of one dark episode in this period made for truly grim, terrifying, and at times uplifting reading: with courage, sisterhood and love countering the overwhelming oppression, psychopathy, violence, and misogyny of the accusers and their deluded lackeys.

In the early part of 2025 – our May holiday plans were finalised, and we looked forward to a cruise “that’s not a cruise!” on the Havila Capella one of the mail boats sailing the Bergen – Kirkenes – Bergen route. We were heading for the Midnattssol.

We boarded Havila Capella on the 19th of May in Bergen – departing north shortly afterwards.

Havila Capella, coming into moorings Bergen

Crossing into the Arctic Circle Ca. 07:48 on the 22nd we almost missed the moment on deck – because our server was struggling to open the bottle of Champagne, we were sharing with our breakfast companions to toast the event. Our glasses charged we rushed onto deck, just as we drew level with the Arctic Circle Globe situated on Vikingen Island. It was a close thing.

sweater by Dale of Norway

Shortly afterwards, we and our fellow travellers received an invitation to attend the rear deck, to witness and participate in an Arctic Circle hazing. A large barrel of ice stood alone. A server was handing out complimentary glasses of a local spirit.

First the competition winner who had come closest to predicting the exact time of crossing the Arctic Circle, rewarded with the Norwegian Flag which flew at the point of crossing, time stamped and signed by the Captain of the Havila Capella. It was a stunning prize, and one which I missed out, on by around eighteen seconds.

Then as one we invoked Njǫrd, the Norse god of the sea and wind, three times, before a mystical figure appeared in fake beard and fancy pirate costume. He blew his ram’s horn as the ship’s horn sounded.

Willing travellers then had a ladle of ice from the barrel, poured down the back of their neck, finally two crew members also crossing the Arctic Circle for the first time had between them the entire barrel lifted and poured over their heads. We spoke to one of them much later in the day who confessed he only had one pair of shoes on board, and they remained waterlogged from the fun.

in an Arctic Haze

We enjoyed our first Midnattssol at 00:00 23rd May.

Midnattssol: May 24th 00.01

And then onward, arriving in Kirkenes this morning having passed Vardø in the night. It is Sunday and we had time to disembark and explore, following signs to the sentrum we discovered it closed, as were the air-raid shelters which offered historic tours.

A monument to the Russian liberation of Finnmark stands atop the small hill under which lies the air raid shelter, wreaths lay at its feet. Road-side a small van painted with the colours of the Ukrainian flag, and the slogans “Stop War, Stop Putin” acted as a thought-provoking reminder of the privilege and peace we enjoyed, against the realities of another country’s sufferings.

Arriving at Vardø we only had around 40 minutes ashore. Reliably informed that the Steilneset Memorial was a brisk 15-minute walk across the island, we and our newfound Australian friends legged it through the town, ignoring Vardøhus Fortress the seat of the trials and torture – as we passed.

Our breathes finally caught at the sight of the memorial, and we slowed down to take in as much of the ambience and symbolism of the site as we could, within the limited time that we had.

No time to read of and acknowledge the individual dead, 91 of whom were sentenced to death in fire at the stake - as a result of accusations of witchcraft levelled against them – to which many of them subsequently confessed under torture and duress, or by the cruel and unjust testing of the water ordeal.

Karen Olsdatter 

Karen Olsdatter "confessed to" and convicted of practice of witchcraft 8th April 1663. Sentenced to death in fire at the stake.

Birgitte Olufsdatter "confessed to" and convicted of practice of witchcraft 8th April 1663.Sentenced to death in fire at the stake.

Vardøhus Fortress
the current building, dated to the later period of 1738

Steilneset Memorial

Returning to the harbour, the laughing cries of the Black-legged Kittiwake colony, helped to lift our subdued spirits.

See also:

Anya Bergman (2023) The Witches of Vardo Manilla Press (UK) Bloomsbury London

Norwegian Public Roads Administration, National Tourist Routes, Veranger Museum IKS (Undated) Steilneset Memorial to the Witches burned in Finnmark Guidebook translated by Katjana Edwardsen

Insight Guides (Undated) Norway