ABC of the Saints

[Willd]

My final entry (for the moment). I've found 21, just missing Q, U, X, Y & Z. I don't fancy doing 100 miles +, riding into Birmingham / the Black Country etc.

I today in Coventry

Tally so far:

 

[All uphill]

Great work @Willd !

Your efforts prompted me to get back onto this challenge today.

My K is St Katherine's in Exeter.
The thirteenth century St Katherine's Priory strangely had no sign showing the name so I've attached photos of the street name as well as one of the priory itself.

 

[BoldonLad]

My ABC of Saints names had ground to a halt, because, in the area I live, I could not find a St "K" within cycling distance, but, on a short break, near Peterborough, I spotted St Kyneburga, located at Castor, about 10 miles away, and talked Mrs @BoldonLad into cycling there with me. I did have to bribe her with a pub lunch, but, worth it to get rolling again

 

[All uphill]

I continue to make slow progress on this challenge. After doing some bicycle maintenance I took the opportunity to test the bike by cycling out to Cotford St Luke.

Another mile would have given me Kingston St Mary, but there's no need to rush things.

 

[BoldonLad]

Two more today, both without clear name boards:

St Lawrence. of Rome, Tallington.

and St Marys, Bainton

 

[BoldonLad]

Not a good day for clear Name Boards!

Saint Nicholas, Hedworth, Boldon Colliery

We have to rely on a list of Facebook pages, and, last on list at that!

 

[BoldonLad]

St Oswalds RC Church, Whiteleas, South Shields, nice clear name board, but, gates locked, so, had to take photograph from outside. Clearly not an area to leave my bicycle unattended.

 

[BoldonLad]

St Pauls, Jarrow. Easily, the most historic church, and, a very elaborate name board, but, wording faded so as to be invisible. Has to rely on a little notice tied onto the gate. Never mind "Q" next!

 

[bluenotebob]

I haven't got the resolve to work back through 5 pages of this thread ..
.. but I'm curious - I'd looked at Saints as another option to the "ABC of Towns and Villages" - I've found 11 so far (or 13 if more than a two-word place) .. but as place-names rather than simply names of churches in a differently-named town or village.

Are you guys on your second or third iteration of this challenge ? .. or still trying to complete the A to Z of Saints by using church names if you can't find a place-name?

It doesn't seem to matter whether I chose single place-names, two-word place names (beginning with le, la, les or l') - or La Ville xxxxxx (as a three word place name) ... I still hit the same problem: A, D, F, N, W and X all prove very difficult to find.

I have located around 20 in each of the above categories .. but I'd really like 22/23 before starting. I hate to start something I can't finish (although God knows, I do it often enough..)..

I didn't want to start more than one category concurrently - but as Saints is a separate thread then maybe I will - just as soon as I find a 'Saint Axxxxx' within cycling distance of home....

 

[Willd]

I started off with churches, but that proved too difficult, so I've also found street names, a pub, a clinic, a well & a school; if I remember correctly. I still need Q, U, X, Y & Z. I have found a Q, but it's a 100 mile round trip

 

[BoldonLad]

I haven't got the resolve to work back through 5 pages of this thread ..
.. but I'm curious - I'd looked at Saints as another option to the "ABC of Towns and Villages" - I've found 11 so far (or 13 if more than a two-word place) .. but as place-names rather than simply names of churches in a differently-named town or village.

Are you guys on your second or third iteration of this challenge ? .. or still trying to complete the A to Z of Saints by using church names if you can't find a place-name?

It doesn't seem to matter whether I chose single place-names, two-word place names (beginning with le, la, les or l') - or La Ville xxxxxx (as a three word place name) ... I still hit the same problem: A, D, F, N, W and X all prove very difficult to find.

I have located around 20 in each of the above categories .. but I'd really like 22/23 before starting. I hate to start something I can't finish (although God knows, I do it often enough..)..

I didn't want to start more than one category concurrently - but as Saints is a separate thread then maybe I will - just as soon as I find a 'Saint Axxxxx' within cycling distance of home....

I am on my first iteration of Saint's names. I have just reached "P". So far, I believe, I have managed actual Churches. I have resorted to collecting some when I have been on "holiday" in various places, much to my wife's annoyance (which actually makes it even more fun, but, don't tell her that). I have found a "Q" which is the next one I need, but it is not a church, it is however relatively near (ie 10-15 miles) to home.

I don't know where you live, but, my main source of names has been via Google. For places (ie villages/towns), I found an alphabetical list of UK place names, via Google. For Saints Names, so far, I have relied on search for "Churches near me", then, picking out the ones I "needed". As I mentioned, my next "need" is St Q...., I found a possibility for that by simply opening Google Maps, and beginning to type "St Q" in the search box, it began to suggest possibilities, one of which was near me, but, as I mentioned, not a Church.

EDIT: Red face time! "Q" I found was in Newcastle-under-Lyme, not, Newcastle-upon-Tyne! Rather puts it out of my cycling range.

 

[bluenotebob]

I am on my first iteration of Saint's names. I have just reached "P". So far, I believe, I have managed actual Churches. I have resorted to collecting some when I have been on "holiday" in various places, much to my wife's annoyance (which actually makes it even more fun, but, don't tell her that). I have found a "Q" which is the next one I need, but it is not a church, it is however relatively near (ie 10-15 miles) to home.

I don't know where you live, but, my main source of names has been via Google. For places (ie villages/towns), I found an alphabetical list of UK place names, via Google. For Saints Names, so far, I have relied on search for "Churches near me", then, picking out the ones I "needed". As I mentioned, my next "need" is St Q...., I found a possibility for that by simply opening Google Maps, and beginning to type "St Q" in the search box, it began to suggest possibilities, one of which was near me, but, as I mentioned, not a Church.

Interesting that you and @Willd have gone for churches, rather than place-names .. but it makes sense. I imagine that if either of you lived in Cornwall or maybe East Anglia then place-names starting with 'St' would be more prevalent.

I guess you have to time your trips to churches fairly carefully ..? I could see myself cycling 50km across country to find an obscurely-named church only to discover when I arrived that there was a wedding taking place ... it would be tricky asking everyone to move so that you could pose your bike in front of the church for a photo ..

I'm in central Brittany @BoldonLad .. so thanks for the Googling suggestions but I don't think they'll work well here. If I get totally stumped I may see if I can find a friend of a friend of a friend who works in local administration who may have access to a list of place-names within a département (roughly equivalent to an English county) .. but I live close to the junction of three départements - so I may need to find three friends of friends of friends..

My original thought for this challenge was two-name place-names beginning with 'Saint' .. but that's too hard. I've broadened that to any length place-name that contains the word 'Saint' - plus any churches/chapels with 'Saint names' that are specifically named on the map. That gives me a total of 16/26 so far.

I like @Willd 's suggestion of schools .. I think French collèges may give me a few more options.

Good luck with finding a 'Q' ...

 

[All uphill]

Interesting that you and @Willd have gone for churches, rather than place-names .. but it makes sense. I imagine that if either of you lived in Cornwall or maybe East Anglia then place-names starting with 'St' would be more prevalent.

I guess you have to time your trips to churches fairly carefully ..? I could see myself cycling 50km across country to find an obscurely-named church only to discover when I arrived that there was a wedding taking place ... it would be tricky asking everyone to move so that you could pose your bike in front of the church for a photo ..

I'm in central Brittany @BoldonLad .. so thanks for the Googling suggestions but I don't think they'll work well here. If I get totally stumped I may see if I can find a friend of a friend of a friend who works in local administration who may have access to a list of place-names within a département (roughly equivalent to an English county) .. but I live close to the junction of three départements - so I may need to find three friends of friends of friends..

My original thought for this challenge was two-name place-names beginning with 'Saint' .. but that's too hard. I've broadened that to any length place-name that contains the word 'Saint' - plus any churches/chapels with 'Saint names' that are specifically named on the map. That gives me a total of 16/26 so far.

I like @Willd 's suggestion of schools .. I think French collèges may give me a few more options.

Good luck with finding a 'Q' ...

I'm very slowly working on this challenge; it's fun finding the difficult ones, I'm surprised Q is challenging - I would have thought St Quentin would be a possibility, but maybe I've listened to too many Johnny Cash albums!

I found "I" difficult, until I thought of St Ignatius.

 

[BoldonLad]

I'm very slowly working on this challenge; it's fun finding the difficult ones, I'm surprised Q is challenging - I would have thought St Quentin would be a possibility, but maybe I've listened to too many Johnny Cash albums!

I found "I" difficult, until I thought of St Ignatius.

Yes, as above, I thought I had struck lucky with St Quentin. But, it turns out, I had mixed up my Newcastles. I can find examples of St Quentin, but, they are all 200-300 miles away! I think I will have to take a bye on "Q", for now, and move ahead with "R", "S", "T" which I have examples picked out. Then, I suspect "U" is going to be a show stopper, although, I have a "V" and "W" in the frame.

 

[All uphill]

Here's my "M". Stoke St Mary in Somerset today. The church doesn't have a sign so I will pick up a St Mary's or St Michael's at some point.

I have an "N" lined up but "O" may be tricky.