St Michael & All Angels Steventon

St Michael & All Angels in Steventon is a long way from what is the center of the village but I must say it is worth the effort of visiting. I was on a mission that day and had just visited Harwell church which I will post at another date. These photos were taken hand held and not with a tripod like  usually do so some may be a bit out of focus

 The church from the entrance gate

This is the north side of the church, you enter round the other side.

A few of the older headstones

and a preaching cross.

From the west end lookng across the churchyard

West end with the bell tower on the south side

Here you can see you enter through the door in the belltower

and on the buttresses you can see the remains of a couple of sundials 

 Interesting little memorial to

Thomas Stevens 

Thomas Lyford

1752

Inside you can see an old carved stone font and a wonderful looking chancel

The altar and chancel widow which is quite something

The organ is hidden behind a rood screen

Choir cassocks hanging on their pegs
and a list of benefactors

Think the poor were hungry if they only got bread once a year

Some of the wall memorials in the church

Memorial tiles in the floor

Considering the age of this grave it's in remarkable condition

These brasses are probably even older

These church pews are old if the graffiti is any thing to go by

I wonder who R:D L was and did  he get his ear clipped for his work. Have a great Sunday

Holy Trinity West Hendred

This is a church I visited a few years ago and though it was open there was a service going on so I felt it a bit rude to go in so it will have to wait till I get the chance to go back again.

Entrance to the churchyard is through this lychgate

which leads along the footpath that takes you though the churchyard and onto Ardington.

Holy Trinity Church

The porch leading into the church from the outside and inside

 The belltower

The north side with the north aisle 

Along the side you can see these buttresses

You can see a couple of doorways on the north side though one was blocked up years ago

Looking across the churchyard.

The chancel end of the church with the chancel cross on top

The war grave of Private H.F.Cooper

Lance Sargent W.F.Reeley is another war grave in the churchyard








  

Some of the older graves in the churchyard

Taking part in Taphophile tragics & Cemetery Sunday

Have a great Christmas Everyone

St Nicholas Marston

This story starts back in the 1970s. Back then I was a young guy working at Oxford Instruments in Oxford. The company was young and we had a close relationship with each other. One of the guys I worked with called Dave was a happy fellow who got on with everyone. He went to a wedding one weekend in Northern Ireland with some friends which included going on a stag night and watching a boxing match. While driving to the match along a motorway his car was forced off he road by a lorry and hit a bridge parapet and he was killed along with two of his friends. The fourth guy was thrown out through a window and survived but with a broken leg and other injuries. As you can imagine the whole workshop was numbed by the  event so much so that the day of his funeral the place was empty to a man we went along to the church to say goodbye.
I can still hear Dave's laugh & giggle it was so infectious and many times though of visiting the church again. The other week I had to take my son to Hospital in Oxford near the church so while he was with the specialist I went the  short journey down the road to pay my respects.
All the photos were taken Handheld with my compact camera.

This is the path leading to St Nicholas I remember walking all those years ago.
                                                           

The entrance to the churchyard is through this gateway

















Taking you down to the church porch

Looking up the bell tower at the clock where you can see gargoyles on each corner

The south side of St Nicholas church from across the churchyard.

I took this view of the north side from the road.

Looking down he nave to the chancel

Near the entrance to the church is this stone font and beside the chancel a carved pulpit with a cover a beautiful piece of work.

If you look up above the chancel arch you can see this wall painting which was only uncovered a few years ago

Below is this simple but beautiful rood screen

Inside the chancel you can view the altar and chancel window

You can also see a rather nice memorial on the chancel wall and this stained glass window which looks very old from the glass in it.

The south aisle still has an altar and to the side is a small window to view the minister giving the service. It was for the organist to watch through before the organ was moved to a loft.

 

The church organ in it's loft at the back of the nave

Behind the organ loft is the bell ringers area 

and you get a great view of the church from there as well

In the nave you can see this window which looks like it was painted by a local artiest.
Off to the left hand side of the chancel arch I spotted what looks line the door to a rood loft, seems it had been filled it after it had been removed.

 One of the pews has a brass cross inlaid in memory of a parishioner 

The lectern with scripture

Looking across to the nave from the entrance to the church.

Outside you can wander the churchyard where you can view the headstones, like these old ones by the wall

or this old tomb being damaged by the tree. 

Other headstones are lined up along the wall because where they belong is lost

The headstone on the left looks like it had had a different type of stone inlaid where as Bertrand Rippington Brasnett was chancellor of Edinburgh cathedral.

I never found Daves Memorial I assume he was buried by his family in Headington Cemetery  

 Rest In Peace Dave

Taking part in Taphophile tragics & Cemetery Sunday