2014 Review

I thought I would start the year off with a round up of some of my favourite church's I featured & visited last year. My Blog is now entering its' Third year and I never ceased to be surprised by the churches that I find locally and further afield. You pass by churches with no more than a second glance not considering what they are like inside but they are places of peace where you can spend some time away from the hassle of daily life even in a busy town. I have said many times you do not have to be religious to visit a church you can just go and spend some time there in quiet contemplation or if you wish pray. Most of the time I visit I stand there and wonder on the people who used to come to worship in the place in the distant past. What  type of people where they? Sometimes you go and walk round the churchyard and you can see the answer. 

Please enjoy some of the churches I visited that in my own words knocked my socks off

The first one that really made me stand back and look was the Holy Rood in Woodeaton not far from Oxford

 

It amazed me that this wonderful village church had withstood the ravages of time and still looked like it was in the 17th century 

A truly stunning church.

The Holy Trinity Ardington stands out next not because of the age but the chancel and Altar backdrop

It was quite beautiful

St James at Avebury stands out not only because it stands outside  a Henge but because the rood screen is so old and was hidden during the civil war

 Quite magnificent you have to admit

St Thomas of Canterbury I visited twice because the door was locked the first time

and I had to go back after seeing some mosaic on the wall but I was not expecting the mosaic behind the altar. It was worth the effort

The next place is one that is near to the hearts of My Wife and myself. We were so taken with the place we came back later in the year and renewed our vows together there in the grounds. 

Glasonbury Abbey a place that sill exudes peace

Hart to believe that the ruins here was once the chancel

I republished a few Old Bix being one though now the place is fenced off for safety and Aldworth Church which is famous for its Giants

Going back to Glasonbury when My wife & I retook our Vows I found St Patrick and wondered how I could have missed such a wonderful little church.

The chance to go inside St Peters Wallingford was not one I was turning down

How many ties had I passed the place and wondered on what it looked like

 Thats what I missed all those years

The pace that never disappoints me is Wales. I love going there when ever I can and I will say none of the churches I visited there disappointed me 

St Cewydd's was the one which really knocked my socks off

 Not many churches you can go in and the look like this and the date of 1668 carved on the door of a pew

My favorite churches I visted in Wales were all with in a few miles of each other near where I stay. The three St Davids of  Glascwm  Cregrina. Rhulen.

Glascwm may have been the oldest

 A shame the rood screen was lost

Cregrina may have lost its porch

 and retained it's rood screen

 but St Davids Rhulen.

stands out as being the most simple and in my view the nicest visited, a place you can be at peace

Happy New Year