Saturday 15 March 2014

St Mary the Virgin Silchester


The last time I saw this church was nearly 20 years ago when my Children were at Junior school. I had forgotten about it untill my wife suggested we visit Silchester which is an old Roman town (the walls you can see in the photo) I remembered the church and it was on the list to see.
After walking round the wall from the far end of the site we came to the church.

This is the view from the road, the church is on the other side of the old Roman wall.
This is the first view I had of the church after waling round the old Roman walls whan I came in the rear entrance to the churchyard.



A couple of old graves are near the porch on the north side of the church




With more on the opposite side under a yew tree





Looking from the east end towards the church spire





















The weather vane is unusual in that it has a fish, most I have a cockerel on it

















This is the view down the nave from under the belltower, that is a greating down the middle




The photo came out a bit dark but shows the rood screen up





This was taken hand held as I got fed up with the tripod I had which ws not the normal one I use. It shows the detail on the rood screen
















It was nice to see another covered pulpit






The Chancel which if you look you can see what look like Medieval paintings










Here you see the altar and the chancel window










Used the flash on this as the light was not working for me







Couple of the superb stained glass windows in the chancel
The staind glass windows and memorials on in the North wall






One of the memorials and a beautiful framed one in honour of the fallen from the first world war
This carved stone one is on the south wall and commemorates the second world war dead
 looking out from the rood screen towards the spire & bell towere which is supported by those huge wooden beams you see





On the left is an  hatchment
and a stained glass window from the south wall





Where you can also see this tomb effigy
 Set in its own recess




Usual floral arrangement





A deed dateing back to 1815




This beautiful stained glass windwo is a memorial to a couple. The church font is also nearby with corona over the top














This grave belongs to General Sir Edmund Haythorne KCB who was Adjutant General of the Army in India. He died in 1888




More graves and a rather nice dome top tomb





Thes graves look like they belong to a family




Leaning up against the groundsmans shed are these footstones which date from the early 1700's












Couple of old tomb stones




View aross the churchyard














Here we look at the church from the south side





Another south side shot of the church







I'll leave you with this view of the church taken from the Roman walls by my wife. She has a better eye than me
Have a peaceful Sunday.
Taking part in Taphophile Tragics & Cemetery Sunday
Inspired Sunday

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR9th9Rb7OteDA7Ka5QKFgaZk9r7qVfNJC7Tnr1xoazdc6fTPLpE8iAXzx1UIcqv9XaM6u_aTLubsbayUoT2jpR3vR9VJlg2L9RR32T-6Hu3A46RE6SRlXK0uZqir7uGzOMTpjT-9U4Hk/s1600/inSPIREd_Sunday_new+copy.png

9 comments:

  1. Lovely church! Thanks so much for all the detailed photos.

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  2. Wonderful tour! Thank you so much - very thorough and much beauty midst the ruins of time.
    Have seen the Roman pillar in Yorkminster, and walls, but not in a local setting such as this one.
    Blessed Weekending...
    I'm posting Stone this InSPIREd Sunday - Welcome!

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  3. Splendid. What history you have. The U.S. is so young in comparison.

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  4. Very interesting church and very ancient. Thank you for such a comprehensive post.

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  5. wow, that is cool for you to return after so many years. how fun. ( :

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  6. Fabulous! Thanks for the wonderful shots, both inside and out. It is a lovely, lovely church.

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  7. St. Mary's is a wonderful old church Bill thanks for showing all the lovely details. Loved the fish as a weather vane. never seen that before :) The windows are marvelous but isn't it funny how the simple things are so appealing, your shot of the vase of flowers bathed in light from the window is just lovely. Your wife certainly captured a wonderful shot of the church in it's typically English setting, nice one!

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  8. Hi Billy, I'm doing some research on General Sir Edmund Haythorne and I'd be very grateful if I could use any images you may have of his grave. I am compiling all the information I can gather on him, along with many of his personal effects. Would it be possible for you to email me the original photos?

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