Friday 22 March 2013

Angel Headstones



At a bit of a loss this week as to what to publish so I thought some Angel headstones might be in order which I have come across on my visits to various churches.

I'll start with this beautiful angel which is in Marcham churchyard.

 Another angel this one is in Streatley churchyard.


 This stunning one is in Horton Churchyard.
A close up of her face

 This praying Angel is in St Johns Churchyard in Boughton






These two I came across in a couple of churchyards in Wales






















 These three you can find in Reading Cemetery




I will leave you with this one who is in Cholsey Churchyard. The Harald did have a trumpet which I remember when I was young but it has since gone.

Sunday 10 March 2013

A village Cemetery



Blewbury is a village I pass through twice a day on my way to and from work, like most villages in the UK it has an old church (St Michaels) and churchyard which is full or not used.



St Michaels Church


 St Michaels Churchyard












Some of the old headstones lining the path to the church



Not sure if it's his grave or a memorial but he did leave a message.











Inside St Michaels it is worth looking around as it is quite old an still many of the features



Though the bell tower is not one of the places you can visit, I had an invite
 
The west tower has a ring of eight bells. Joseph Carter of Reading cast the sixth bell in 1586.  As well as his name and the year, the bell bears the legend Blessed be the name of the Lorde. Henry II Knight, also of Reading, cast the third bell in 1663. His successor Samuel Knight cast the fourth bell in 1689 and the fifth bell in 1704. Edward Read of Aldbourne, Wiltshire cast the seventh bell in 1752. John Hunt, who briefly ran a bell-foundry at Cholsey, cast the tenor bell in 1825. These may have completed a ring of six bells, until John Taylor & Co of Loughborough cast the present treble and second bells in 1906. St Michael's has also a Sanctus bell that Thomas II Mears of the Whitechapel Bell Foundry cast in 1819 (History taken from Wikipedia)

And an even more impressive view from the top of the tower.




Heading out of the village you will find two cemetery's  this older one which is dedicated to the men of the village who gave their lived in the war




And the new one which is used now.





The older one which is no longer used is worth a visit





























There are a couple of war graves and one of a local paster and cricketer

 The cemetery is well kept and still have people visiting to leave flowers.
 
Though some grow on their own





One side you can find the small graves of children who have  passed away before their time which I always find sad






Worse when they have only been on this world for less than two weeks and now seem forgotten but she does have a bunch of snowdrops growing on her grave.






Snowdrops growing through fallen leaves by one of the older graves in the Blewbury  cemetery, beauty in decay.