Time for a coffee this week, it's a long one
The entrance though the Lych gate and if you look over the wall nearby you get this view of the church
Round to the South side and the entrance porch
The west end with the main part of the church on the side of the twoer
The door could well have been the original entrance to the church though I find it hard to see what part of the tower is Norman
Looking at the east end of the church
The door here looks like a porch entrance but I think it was just for the priest
Another view of the east end looking across the churchyard
Opposite ends, the chance and the tower
Lot's of old headstones around from around 1700
more from the 1800's
Viewing up the South side to the church
All these headstones blong to the Fleming Famliy
Celia Johnson was an actress who was in a flim called Breif Encounter who you might remember from this Blog from in A Bit About Britain
She was married to Peter Fleming who was a travel Writer and brother of one Ian Fleming
They lay buried beside each other with other members of the family
The grave of Robert Fleming who started the Bank Robert Fleming & Co
Not sure why but I liked the carving on the stone, the pillar is unusual round here
Quite a few crosses in the chuchyard
And this rather magnificent memorial which I'm afraid the wording has eroded off though the coat of arms survives
Sort of stands out on it's own
Couple of War Graves. F.W Steptoe &
F.W. Groves
Loved this carving of an angel
it was not the only one as you can see in this photo
Some of the headstone you can see in the churchyard
Not see this type of tomb before
I was impressed by the bowl in the wreath
The churchyard has a lot of headstones for a village of it's size
The porch with signals me to go inside
The photo does not quite show how light the church was when you walk in the door
Above is the font which is in the South Aisle and on the right the screen at the back of the church
The nave which is very light
Looking towards the chancel with the light shining through the window
Heading through the chancel arch to the chancel itself
The Chancel window was installed in 1970 and is in Memory of Dr Robin Williamson the work is by English painter and stained glass designer John Piper
The altar and screen
on either side of the chancel you ca see these panels
Looking out of the chancel to the nave and the back of the church
Another view of that superb chancel window and the altar cross
Here we have the marble pulpit with a prayer desk in the foregroound
Above the view of the nave from the pulpit and if you look over to the left you will see this fellow looking in your ear
The church banner on the left and another prayer desk to the right beneath a couple of the memorials in the church
Another view of the pulpit with a floral arrangement in front
The memorial on the left and below are at the front of the nave. The John Clark one is in the South Aisle
Nice memorial to Henry Algernon Baumgartner a past vicar of the church
Michael Valentine Fleming who died a hero fighting the Retreat to Dunkirk
Valentine Fleming who was the son of Robert Fleming founder of the bank Robert Fleming & co
He is also the Father if Peter & Ian Fleming
This is the near buy stained glass window in memory of them
The angels are St Valentine & St Michael
and at their feet you can see the dedication to Major Valentine Fleming DSO
And Captain Michael Fleming
Some of the carving son the ends of the pews
Over in the South aisle you can see quite a few memorials
The south aisle
The east end wall of the South aisle
These memorials are really worth going in to look at
This one is really quite something to view
with gilding and coats of arms
It's dated 1658 & 1674 to some of the Harris family
I found the detail on it quite amazing
the skulls so realistic and the coats of arms beneath
Beneath the Harris memorial you can see this one to Edmund Taverner 1637
The South Aisle chapel
High up on the North side of the South Aisle
and at the back is this coat of arms which gave me some grief trying to get the lighting right
Remember the screen at the back of the nave well this is the view from it
You can see right down to the chancel
Before going back outside some of the other stained glass in the church
This one is at the back of the South aisle by the font
Back outside & I had notice this planter which turns out is a Romanesque font
On the north side churchyard are more tombs
This brick one is in good condition
By the wall a headstone which may well have been put there out of the way being misplaced
Nearby a couple more older headstones
Looking at another tomb with others in the background
A couple more headstones which look like they are from the 1700's
Going out the Lychgate you cannot help notice the War Memorial with the fallen listed from the first war on one side
While the other has those from the second
Nearby a poppy wreath left from Remembrance Day with Remembrance crosses in a line nearby
An interesting church which had some surprises for me, I hope you enjoyed the tour.
Have a great Bank Holiday Weekend
