We arrived at St Mary’s Stansted Mountfichet last Saturday, to glorious sunshine. This was my Christmas present to my husband, Simon and although I was really excited he wasn’t sure what to expect. The church is set in what was once a beautiful estate – the main house is now a separate enterprise and can be glimpsed through the trees. The church and graveyard were so beautiful and peaceful. We let ourselves in and spent an hour just wandering amongst the wonderful tombs (we picked this church as it still has a lot of features inside it!) and reading the many inscriptions. The local village has a little bistro, which we walked to and enjoyed some live music and a glass of wine. We didn’t feel that we could sit on the churchyard bench in the sunshine and partake of a glass, as two ladies were tending a grave and it felt a little odd to be drinking, however later in the evening we returned and spent a very cosy night reading stories to each other with torches and enjoying the silence.
It was a brilliant experience, very well organised and a memory to treasure. No phones, television or distractions.