I went to St. John's, Barnack to see the surviving Saxon tower (with additional squat spire), but - as is usual - I was struck by something else within the church.

The carved relief of Christ in Majesty is tucked away in the north aisle. It has been dated to around 10000 AD. Remarkably it was found in the 1930's face down, forming part of the floor surface.

It has a Byzantine quality and the exposed belly reminds me of the pot-bellied Buddha statues. There's lots going on here visually - including the negative space behind Christ's head which is shaped like angel's wings - tooled in a different way too. A closer look at the relief reveals flecks of paint.

For me it reveals how the Saxons were integrated and connected to Europe.

This style of presentation is so powerful that it has pierced the present day. Think of the Sutherland Tapestry at Coventry - another great piece of world class art for all to see.

I love how our churches - free to visit - are hidden repositories of world class art.

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