All Saints Hinton Ampner

A visit to Hinton Ampner House gave me the opportunity  of visiting this church. There is little I can tell you about the church other than parts of it date back to the 13th century and restored in the 19th Century. If you visit the house then it taking time to visit the church is worth while to look round

Walking into the Gardens you see a beautiful view of the church and tower

The church sits in it's own walled area

View of the church as you go through the gate

Looking towards the west end

The chancel end with some of the graves

Along the South side of the church are many older graves and tombs

Like this with moss growing on it

Round the North side

Moss covers the base of this cross above while ivy gets a hold of this tomb

Much of the churchyard is covered in leaves form the trees nearby

While moss grows on the headstones

Over in one are are a set of family graves

Old and with moss growing on  them

Many are hidden in the older trees in the churchyard

Inside the porch a flower arrangement greets you

The church was a lot lighter inside than I expected, the photos are all taken by hand or with a phone as I did not have a tripod

The Chancel

Altar with oak panelling behind

The Altar cross and stained glass windows which look quite modern

Floral display

Looking out of the chancel and into the nave which had people from the house visiting. Another looking down from the pulpit

Some of the memorials you can see in the chancel

Memorial to the Greenwood Family who's vault is nearby

This memorial is in the nave and is in Latin so I'm afraid I cannot translate it

The plaque is nearby and tells you where the above memorial came from

The memorial on the left is on the North wall of the nave the right hand one is the second one from St Mary's Laverstoke

These tombs are in the chancel. Ralf Dutton was the last baron and on his death the house was left to the National Trust

Rather stunning memorial  in the chancel

The memorial on the left can be seen opposite the one above in the chancel while the one to the right is nearby

Some nice stained glass can also be seen in the church

These two standing out

Near the entrance to the church is this memorial and below it the font

I'll leave you with this shot of the cross and panelling behind the altar

Do have a wonderful weekend

St Lawrence Toot Baldon

St Lawrence is a church I have had my eye on visiting for a while  (the  reason you will read about in the blog) and the opportunity arose one Saturday when I went to a seminar with my Son and decided it was not for me so as the church was in the vicinity I was off.

The church has been here since the 13th century was restored to designs by the Gothic Revival architect Henry Woodyer in 1865.

After arriving at the church along the long drive to the manor house you are greeted with this fine looking Lych Gate, the path leading to the porch

Walking along through the churchyard on the south side

 

affords you some nice view of the churchyard and church

while you walk around to the East end of the church

The North side churchyard is more sparse of graves and memorials

While looking at the west end you can see the two bells in the cote

back to the start of my walk round

The first headstones you see when arriving at the church are quite old like this one of Sophia who died in 1834

Wandering round the churchyard you can see quite a verity of differing headstones and tombs

here looking a the South Transept are more older headstones while on the left is a family vault

Looking towards the Lych Gate

East up the churchyard

Another of the Tomb chest you can see and the remains of a cat cross

The North side Churchyard

Where I spotted this wooden memorial of a cross and a couple of graves forgotten by their family's along time ago

Looking up the South side of the churchyard

Turning round and you can see the new churchyard extension

Looking North by the West end of the church

This cross is laid out and each section gives the name of one of the Fruin family and when they passed away

 One cross which stands out

and a headstone sinking away in the ground

The porch where you can see the Village Roll of Honour carved on a wooden tablet hung on the wall

Inside from the nave aisle you get a wonderful view along the church taking in the font

Across the chancel is a rood screen 

standing above is the rood

Past the scree you come to the altar with the rail in front

The altar back partly obscures the stained glass window behind but you are drawn more to the screen behind the altar

The flash I used to take this photo tends to over enhance the altar back

Either side are paintings of saints

Turning round you see the back of the rood screen while over on the north side of the chancel is the organ behind a screen in front of which are the choir stalls.

on top of which you can see the carvings of two painted angels

The rood from the Chancel

the choir stalls on the south side of the chancel

Looking back down the nave

The carved wood pulpit of wine glass design and the view you get of the church from it

One of the most noticeable things you see when walking in the church is the memorial to  the Little Baldon air crash which is in the north aisle draped either side by the flag of the RAF and Parachute Regiment. I remember reading about the crash when I was at School





 

Poppy wreaths placed in front of the memorial

 

You can read the dedication on the memorial

Nearby you can see the list of names of the men who were killed in the crash

Remembrance cross below the memorial

Couple of the memorials in the church, one to William Fruin and the other to Frederick Richard Pitson

On the left is the north Transept and the stained glass window inside. Also on the wall one thing I failed to notice at  the time is the Roll of Honour

Lancet window to St Stephen

Stained glass window in the nave

Another lancet window

Couple of view of the church font and cover

The local Ladies flower arrangements in the church looked beautiful

Views down both North & South aisles

As you come in the door you see this bucket of flowers welcoming you

I also loved this wood carving of hands clasped in prayer

I took this as I walked out to show the view you got as you walked in

The sky looking out over the Baldons where just beyond the trees the Air Crash happen back in 1985

The church is behind and must have been ever watching when it happened. Their lives taken away with in sight of the church RIP

This blog is dedicated to my Friend Ivan who died the other week and who's funeral I went to while writing this May You Rest In Peace