FSO - Steeples, Spires, Weathervanes

This topic should be right up my street.  Churches have spires and steeples and I spend enough time looking at old churches.  But I wouldn't give a second glance to an impressive cathedral with steeples soaring to the heavens.  My kind of church is small, wooden and humble.

The church which, to my way of thinking, is the most impressive in the north of New Zealand is Our Lady of the Assumption, a prominent landmark on the Hokianga Harbour at Motukaraka.  Built in 1910, its steeple was originally sheathed in copper and resheathed in stainless steel in the 1980s.

It is listed with the NZ Historic Places Trust.

 

A couple of other steeples seen around the north:

(Ko Te Rau Tau O Kaikohe, 1937)

 

 (Holy Trinity Church, Pakaraka, 1854)

 Sadly too many churches of the north are falling into disrepair.  The spire on this one looks like it could topple in the not too far distant future.

As this one already has:

 

That won't happen to the Church of the Epiphany, not far from where I live.  It will be 100 years old in January, 2016, the new roof was completed in 2009 and parishioners are now fundraising for the next project - the renewal of the steeple roof, the cross and the walls.  They hope to have the refurbishment completed for the centenary celebrations.  

As for weather vanes, I guess they come in handy if you are in an unfamiliar area - and you want to go sailing.  Otherwise, to me, they are mostly just an interesting garden feature. This one I find particularly appealing as the dog was crafted to resemble the owner's aging companions.

Others will be posting their steeples, spires and weathervanes here.