All Saints Oxford

 

I thought I would publish this mid week as I have now finished writing the blogs on Oxfordshires Best Churches and I though it only fitting to do a short one on this church which is now called Lincoln Collage Library, as yet not one I have been inside. It stands along the High Street in Oxford so you cannot miss it and is not far from another church worth Visiting St Mary the Virgin. There is some history to read on All Saints Oxford in Wikipedia so it is easier to give a link rather than cutting and pasting a whole page. Since my visit last year I have returned on the open doors event to go inside the old church to look around so hence it being republished.

I should have take a photo of the church from the other end as well but will take one next time I am in Oxford

I noticed a small churchyard on my way back from St Mary. There were a few headstones and seating area

There might be an inscription on the other side 

 

Walk up Turl Street and you can see the other part of the churchyard that has a few headstones still

 

They are now in the small garden of the library

The churchyard which round the north side is left for nature though some one does some gardening

 The road is busy before the opening

 Turl street looking towards the library, lots of people around, look close you can see people waiting for the place to open

The old churchyard

These are the headstones  you see through the railings

 Inside you pass this large memorial

The inside from ground level, the nave was up a set of stares I did not take a photo in this direction up there., there was also an under croft from what I could see as stairs wend down to some glass door behind which was another part of the library

This effigy is near the London road entrance, I did not see who it was

Couple of tombs as you come in the door 

Funerary Hatchment for Mark Patterson who was a rector of Lincoln Collage

Impressive looking candelabra

 

Memorials not easy to read 

 These are behind where the altar would have been in the church

Looking to the back you see another Funerary Hatchment this one for Charles Mortermer

Wide view showing the whole of the west wall

Looking up to the ceiling 

Back through to the west end from where the altar was

This would have been the church strong box

I'll leave you with this little fellow who was on the shelf under the two tablets behind where the altar would have been. I probably should have take a few more photos but it was very as you can see from the photos

Till next time Have a peaceful week 

St Helen, Abingdon

 

I will start by saying I have visited this St Helen, Abingdon a few years ago but was never really happy with the photos and then I found out I missed something I should have seen and photographed so it was on the cards to do a return visit. History is on Wikipedia 

 

St Helen from by St Helens Wharf

West St Helens Street

 

Down near the church

The south side porch from St Helens Wharf

West side

Part of the churchyard near the Almshouses

Looking south with the other almshouses over to the right

Churchyard near the archway

The main entrance porch

The view as you come inside

I class this as the main nave aisle

Going towards the altar

The modern altar used now

The chancel 

The amazing Reredos

Closer to the reredos

It hides the east window 

Tracery arch and seats

Looking up at the ceiling

Jumping over to the north aisle by the entrance looking east

The font and cover

Closer look at the font and cover 

North wall with lots of memorials to see. To the left of the main door is a covered doorway which I thought could go to the room over the porch but the door in the foreground could be a contender as well with the carved stonework.

The east window

Closer view of the center part

Collage of the lower panels 

Statues in ether corner

West window of the north aisle

Impressive monument to Elizabeth Hawkins 

The inscription underneath

A children's area in the north aisle and adjacent on

From the back of the north aisle towards the nave

North aisle windows

At the east end you find the rolls of honour which were missing on my last visit

Above this reredos

The roll for WWII

Two from WWI

The next aisle looks to the Lady Chapel

A screen partitions off the chapel from the aisle 

In side the altar is backlit 

Above the east window

The altar with back lighting

This is what I missed on my previous visit 

The painted ceiling panels 

Some are faded away

The outlines still there 

But considering they date from 1380

They are amazing

Madonna and child banner

Mothers union banner

Between the chapel and north aisle is a tomb chest with coat of arms on it

Dated 1571

Belonging to Johannis Ryosse

Memorial to R.C.A Griffith

West window of the aisle 

Close up of the window

I would say this was pew for important people once

It has some carved poppyheads of a lion and unicorn 

Couple of plaques on the pillars behind the pews, the long one I should have read about but is on the end of one of the pillars

Not sure if the is the South aisle but its next down from the nave, you look towards the Organ

The organ with piano in front, the organ keys are around the left hand side

Memorial to two members of the Bailie family killed in WWI

Bass on the wall with protected by perspex cover

 Kapp family memorial

 This is behind the organ

Along with this memorial

Pulpit

View down to the nave from it

Another view

Turning right to the north aisle

West nave window

This of over on the far north aisle shows St Helen

Its more modern but I do like it

 

There are a few more stained glass windows in the south wall

Though they are not as bight as I would have thought

The light seems muted through them for some reason which might be to do with the nearby trees

The last one does let light through 

I did ask and ladies did not mind being in the photo, I call it the south aisle

The east wall is full of memorials

Looking back across the church from the aisle

This is the William Lee memorial who was 5 times mayor of Abingdon it is mentioned in Jarome K Jaromes three men in a boat and represents his family tree. He had 17 children, 78 grand children and 102 great grand children by the time he died at 98 

Benjamin Hucks memorial

Only thing I can read on this is 1560

 

South asise across to the north

Where I will leave you with this view of the font and cover

Till next time have a peaceful week