Saturday 30 April 2016

St Mary the Virgin Long Wittenham



St Mary the Virgin dates back to 1120 and was built on the site of an earlier Saxon church. The Norman chancel survives and the aisles are later additions. The font you will see is a rare Norman lead one and was it was later encased in wood, and this preserved it from iconoclastic Parliamentarian soldiers in the 17th century.


St Mary's looking from the West end 




Must admit I came to the church through the churchyard at the West end




As you can see the churchyard has a couple of yews obscuring the view of the church on the South side





not so round the North Side





 Going round to the chancel end




The extension you see to the right here is used as a vestry now 




though  it looks like it was a chapel at one time








The weathered porch is oak and still in good condition





Looking down the nave towards the Chancel arch which is of Norman origin



The chancel is also mostly Norman from what I read














The altar covered in a colourful altar cloth in red & gold





Behind the altar is the chancel window which depicts the Crucifixion of Christ
















 The window above is another scene from the life of Jesus but I also noticed the dedication at the base of it








Did not think to check who the saint was in this









In the chance are a couple of  choir stalls




















But it was the carved finials on the end of them made me look more closely












Looking back along the nave to the West end of the church and the Bell tower












Beside me was the wooden pulpit and opposite the lectern










Looking down at the nave from the pulpit




The stained glass window in the North Aisle shows the Good Samaritan is in Memory of  George Max Lambert who died in South Africa in 1891 aged 23




Below is a table covered in a cloth with embroidered butterfly's


Off it the left is the parish roll of honour, one of the most beautiful ones I have seen to date






Nearby you can see a couple of memorials to the Haward Family. The description on John Haywards I found rather sincere







Above is the North aisle and the Led font which dates back 800 years and is still use to Baptise children.


It was boarded up in the civil war to hide from the roundheads incase it was use to make bullets and only found again in 1830. There are a couple of others like it locally but only this one has it's original base




The Lead font depicting the Thirty Archbishops








Looking round the North & South aisles
you see more stained glass with scenes from the life of Jesus






This one with the small altar is near the back of the North aisle











The artwork on them is superb looking pre-Rafaelite








This is one superb memorial and I really must go back and try getting a closer shot of the skulls




Over in the South Aisle you can see the church organ with is beside a screened of transept. thought to have been built by Princess Joan of Acre, daughter of King Edward I, as a memorial chapel to her husband, Gilbert 'the Red' De Clare, Earl of Gloucester and Lord of Wittenham. It now seems to be used as a Church office or vestry and many of the memorials and grave slabs are hidden from view.





apart from the partly stained glass window you can see these memorials





which are quite old















and over in the corner a tomb
and this old funerary hatchment





Couple of small things I noticed before going outside again. A piece of led engraved with the plumbers  names , 1786 and the carving over on the chancel arch






Some of the headstones you see coming out of the porch under the yew tree.
 

Ive seen these on churches before and wondered what they were. they are called Mass Dials. One for Summer the other Winter. A little pointer would go in the middle and poit to the time of mass.
I thought they were sundials of sorts



I walked round the church clockwise past the Western churchyard




round to the North side where the grass has been left to grow long




Lot's of old forgotten headstones



with ivy and shrubs growing








or getting a covering of lichen




Though the grass is let long it's there for a reason. To attract wildlife so you know why a lot of English churchyards are left






 


Walking back  past the South transept
















you can spend a few moments on a seat nearby










I headed off the way I cam noticing an unusual marker and a couple of familiar ones



One thing you should notice is the churchyard wall which looks like it's an old cob one with the thatch on top lost to time




On the back of a cross I noticed this verse


Have a good weekend

9 comments:

  1. Lovely series of photos. The weathered porch is beautiful,had it been painted would it have stood the test of time? The graveyard looks massive and very interesting - a great idea being wildlife friendly!

    Happy May Day!

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  2. Once again Bill, you have captured the amazing detail of this church and its grave yard. It's delightful!

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  3. Thanks for the wonderful tour and all the fascinating facts.

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  4. The carvings, the memorials and the rare font are so interesting. This is another beautiful old church in your locality. Thank you for sharing the photos and the detailed information.

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  5. Charles Keisling10 January 2023 at 16:05

    I have just discovered your blog and I must say I am amazed! This is such a complete and thorough exploration of churches I have see. I would like to ask your permission to use some of your information and photos in my Facebook group "Historic Sites". I would give credit to you, Bill Nicholls and and your blog Thechurchexplorer.blogspot.com. My group is strictly non-profit with no ads nor solicitations. Again, I am amazed and highly respect and regard your work.

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    1. Hi Charles I don't have a problem with people using the photos so it is nice to be asked as long as they are not for commercial use I'm happy. I might add I see you have used a few already along with John Wards who I know as well. I do not have a facebook account so it if gives me a few more hits I'm happy. If you want to be kept up to date there is a subscribe by email near the top of the right hand column

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