Sunday 22 September 2013

St Mary's Llanfredd


I visited this church once before and while I was in Wales the other week I returned to see if I could get some internal views but alas the place was closed so I took some more external views.

 The church is set off the road behind church house farm and is reached by walking up the farm entrance track and going through a gate
 The path leads to the entrance porch
Looking towards the farm where you can see there is a yew tree in the churchyard















This war memorial is in the porch. Considering the size of the community that loosing those men hit them hard beside the war memorial are some interesting stone ones these two being of the same fam






























A footpath runs through the churchyard  and you pass these graves and headstones





This is looking from the back of the church where on the wall you can see a tomb slab which is now getting faded.



Along the wall at the back are these large headstones










This is one the more interesting, the wording is very flowing as though it was written. The dates on it are 1735 & 1736





Going round the other of the church you can see it has left to grow wild as seems the norm now.













Walking back to the front of the church you can see some old headstones in very good condition 




 They have interesting carvings like this urn










Looking at the ones leaning against the wall I noticed this headstone, it looks old and on checking the date





you could see 1698 or so as the last number was not easy to make out







Walking to the overgrown side I could see the front of the headstones in the grass and took photos  of the carvings on them











A scroll and cross





Towards the back you could make out a plant like a Lilly and in front a cross on a scroll with flowers around












There are two headstones beside each other from the same family and both have the same carved dove on it with hands clasped underneath
The two headstones with the doves on.





Walking back past the church I noticed this stone which had some interesting carvings in. It looked like it had been recycled from somewhere else 
I'll leave you with the sign from the front by the gate which is where I came in. Have a peaceful Sunday
Taking part in Cemetery Sunday

Saturday 14 September 2013

Lewknor Church


This was a second visit to St Margaret's Church in Lewknor. The first time was a quick look and a few photos as I had not come prepared with a tripod and was in a hurry. The memorials I had seen made a return visit a must.

St Margaret's Church Leknor



As you walk in the church from the porch you are greeted with a view of this chapel



On your right you can see this wonderful old carved stone font.











Walk into the nave and look to the back and you can see a wooden screen leading to the bell ropes with a superb stained glass window above.
Here we look along the nave towards the Chancel. Taking this taxed me and I had to play with the exposure to show the detail.




Going to the chancel you will find has some wonderful memorials




The altar and chancel window
The superb looking chancel window you can see in St Margaret's Church
 Just before you get to the chancel you will find a a chapel off to the side  where if you open the doors and go in you will see this
magnificent memorial which is on a vault holding the remains of the reverend Sir Edward
Repps
Jodrell and his wife and some other members of the family




look round the chapel and you can see other memorials to the family as well.




The memorials are mostly written in Latin and as I can't read it I could not tell you what it says.








These are the wrought iron gates which are inside the chapel and outside you can see this carved pulpit with an irond banded trunk at it's base.






This little bot of historical local interest can be seen on the iron bound chest in the photo of the pulpit and tells of Adrian Scrope who was off this parish and executed in 1660





Head back in the chancel and you can see some more great memorials and some interesting tombs 




Memorial to Ronald Owen Hall
Bishop of Hong Kong











The wall memorials are quite stunning along with the stained glass windows
A name I think most people will recognise





This tomb effigy was hidden behind one of the choir stalls








You can see these tomb effigies as you walk in the chancel 



the carving and detail on them is superb.












They look as though they were painted at some stage



The carvings can be seen at the feet of on one of the tombs



though i could not be sure if they were off the tomb











What you cant see on the tombs




are these panels which are hidden behind the choir stall
along with this carving.
 


The organ in the nave is not over large like others I have seen and if you look up in the chancel ceiling you can see some great head stops





This one I found quite interesting







On the nave wall you will see the village memorial to the dead from the first war









Going outside much of the churchyard is overgrown which seems to be the norm in a lot of churchyards



If it is like our local churchyard it is to encourage wildlife 




Parts though are still free of growth though ivy still has its way



Round the north side of the churchyard it is well covered in grass











loosing some of the headstones almost from view.





 






The north side of St Margaret's Church 

















David Watt's grave





Have a peaceful Sunday