Saint · St Ippolyts
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Riders once led their horses up to the altar; horses are still blessed here.
See it clearly
St Ippolyts has no published opening hours, so contact the parish if you want to go inside. The horse blessing is usually held in the churchyard on a Saturday in August and welcomes everyone, with or without a horse.
Coming up is St Ippolyts, where medieval riders led their horses up to the altar to be healed, and where horses are still blessed each August.
St Ippolyts takes its name from its church's patron, St Hippolytus, long honoured as a friend of horses. The Elizabethan topographer John Norden reported that the saint was reputed a good breaker of colts and horse-doctor, so travelling horsemen led their mounts right into the church and up to his shrine at the altar, where a priest attended to bless the animals. The north door and floor were said to be boarded to let the horses in. The historian Nathaniel Salmon later ridiculed the story. Today the church holds a horse blessing service in the churchyard every August.