Like the beating of a giant heart

The fifth Sunday of Lent. Lent this year seems far more studious and serious than usual. As well as the formal services there are meditations on the beatitudes, a course on the psalms, a day "exploring the spirituality of George Herbert priest and poet".



Above: driving back across the county I saw an isolated church, the nave and chancel quite small but with a striking tower and steeple.



Above: I turned off the main road and went down a narrow lane to the church (miles from the nearest village). I thought I may as well have a quick look while I was passing. Vaguely arts and crafts gates, creaking open.



Above: as I expected, the door was locked. No notice on where the key might be obtained. Looking through the windows I saw an interesting interior, including some pre-Raphaelite stained glass.



Above: rounding a corner, I became conscious of a regular pounding sound, like the beating of a giant heart. I was briefly (only briefly) alarmed, thinking I was imagining things. The "boom, boom, boom" noise seemed to be coming from narrow slits in the tower.



Above: looking upwards, I saw dozens of pigeons flying in and out of the windows at the very top of the tower. The whole structure was hollow (had the floors collapsed?) and acted as a gigantic sound box. The beating sound I could hear was the collective cooing of the birds, magnified many times over and projected out through the window slits.

The sound on the RSPB site: http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/name/w/woodpigeon/index.asp