St George's Kelmscott

I wandered in to this village back in 2012 while tracing down some pillboxes along the Thames. I stopped off at St Georges church and took the time to look round it before carrying on with the task I had started out to do.

Go inside the church and it shows the church dates back a long time.

With wall paintings that date back to the 13th century

Graves up by the altar with crests on show some one of wealth was buried there.

On the wall in the chapel this memorial is hung which is to Edward Dore who it seems was well traveled.

Nearby s a war Memorial tp Frank E Hayes and Henry Hayes who were both killed in the first world war.                                                                                                 

Here we look down the nave of the church from the chancel.

The Altar is a simple one with a small chancel window behnd

That depicts St George killing the dragon.

Either side is this material called Strawberry Thief by William Morris who's influence in restoring the church can be seen.

Going back outside to wander the churchyard you can see many old graves

And some newer memorials

Along with family ones like John Wells Brain his wife and his children who are  buried in these two graves.

Not far away across the churchyard is the grave of William Morris and his family. Many people from all over the world come here to see it while visiting the Manor up the road where he lived.

Kelmscott is a peaceful and tranquil village by the Thames in Oxfordshire that is worth taking your time to visit if your in the area.

St John the Baptist Moulsford

There has been a church on this site since the early  part of the 12th Century though  it  first mentioned that a chapel  was here in 1220-1227. In 1508 4 shillings & eight Pence were left to the church by John Cockles (that's about 25pence in today's money) and in 1547 Thomas Benet left 3shillings & four pence. Back then that was a lot of money. It shows the church had benefactors.  In 1846 most of the medieval church was demolished and the current church was built on its foundations. It was designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott in the Gothic Revival stile and the  building retains the west wall of the original church, which includes a 13th-century Early English Gothic lancet window, and the timber frame of the bellcote. St John the Baptist is now part of the Benefice of Cholsey and Moulsford.

The church is not large in compared to others in the area 

but is typical being flint faced

it's also not far from the river Thames which could explain why there was not one here before the  12 century as Danes would have raided it after seeing it from their boats going upstream

The west end showing the Bellcote

The new part of the churchyard with recent graves

The older part

with some interesting looking cast ones

the names seem to have long gone

though this one has an outline

The odd tomb

lichen covered headstones

 more of the churchyard which has been cleared

some tombs covered in moss














I really like the cross here on the left, the one on the right is getting lost to moss  growing on it







 

which is damaging the words 

these two belong to Arthur Edwards and his Sister. Arthur was vicar of Kintbury

Looking up the more recent part of the churchyard

Robert used to live down the road from the church and if I'm right  his Sister is Anne Packer who won a gold at the Tokyo Olympics in 1964
The grave on the right is that of Frank Abbots who used to work in the Boilerhouse at Fairmile

Like to know how old these two are

I thought these were tomb slabs but realised they were headstones laid down, the far two must have stood really tall

Couple of differing stile crosses

I have visited the church in the past but since my last time here some things have changed, the two doors at the back were the fist thing I noticed

Never realised the font was on a tomb either

 These tow memorials were here and framed by the
 original bellcote frame for the tower

This was something I missed last time, box Pews on either side of the nave







Some nice work as usual by the local WI and a rather nice stained glass window 

The place names Great & Little Runsford do not exist now though there is a place named Runsford Hole along the Thames nearby.
  The place now known as Runsford Hole in Streatley was originally Runsford, misspelled sunesforda  in an early charter relating to property in 895 but surviving in a copy from the 12th century, but then as Runeford 1250-60, Runesford 1338, along with other spellings.  This plaque confirms that it was a more important place once, because it records the Great and Little distinction

Some photos of the church which I must admit I had a terrible time trying to capture, this is looking down the nave from near the font 

From the center of the church you  look back for this view where you can see the timber frame of the bellcote

looking over to the side and the North Aisle, this has changed since the last time I came here

No doubt when the church was built they made room for the organ as it sits nice in this arch

 The Chancel area with the altar and Stained Glass window

Which I have to say is very nice and must look good when the sun sines through in the morning

There are a some nice memorials in the church

 along with the Roll of Honor

This is one of the most impressive bequests I have seen yet

 Memorial to one of the former vicars

 Mother Father & Daughter, if you look at the skulls in the top two you can see they Face each other

The North Aisle has some nice stained glass

and at one end features a kitchen now, the cupboards were made  by reusing some of the wood in the old aisle

Looking the other way towards the organ, the door to the side take you to a restroom

A nice carved lectern and pulpit
grace one side

while the other has a carved pew

Someone went to a lot of trouble in this work, the detail is superb

 Floral displays are always worth looking at in a church

Crucifix on a staff and a view of the ceiling in the chancel area

 Here we look back down the nave from the Altar

and a view from the Pulpit.
That normally would have been it for this week but the next day was sunny so I went back and got thses few shots

The West end Lancet window and the sun shining through another

the church looking at he original west end wall with the window, the cross is a memorial of a former Vicar

But I'll leave you with the Lancet window with the sun shining through, 

Have a peaceful Sunday