Reading Minster Part Two

As promised the photos I took inside Reading Minster. My apologies  for the size but I only realised after downloading them I had the camera set to video when I too them so they came out a different size. I suggest a cup of coffee for this blog, it's quite long

The area under the belltower which is covered in memorials







 

that extend all the way round

As you walk in the church you get this superb view along the main nave aisle

which leads into the Chancel

where you can get a good view  of the altar and chancel window

The back of the altar is very impressive with a crucifix and tow saints flanked by angels

Over to the right through a screen is the Lady Chaple

If you visit the church you really need to see this memorial

It has to be one of the most impressive I have seen todate

Looking across the altar

You can also see this wonderful organ

at the back of the North Aisle you can see a small doorway which was the old entrance to the Nunnery and now leads to a memorial chapel

Called St Edwards Chapel, it is large enough for two people to pray in

One think I noticed was the amount of war memorials in the church. The one on the right is one of two to the policemen who died in both wars

The memorial on the right is to those who died in

This memorial to the dead of the great was  1914-18 was pointed out to me. Seems the rector saved it from a skip (trash Can) and had it mounted in the church, I find it astounding any one would throw such a history plaque away

The end of the North aisle

This alter at the end of the North Aisle

The screen here  I presume lets you get behind the organ. Above is a view looking the other way up the North aisle

Above the painting above the North aisle altar while on the right another old doorway which is not used any more

The pulpit with a beautiful display of flowers in front

The view you get from the pulpit towards the nave

and turning right looking over the North aisle

The North aisle from the back

Looking down the South aisle to the screen, to the right you can see some people heading to the south entrance to the church

There is some magnificent stained glass in St Mary's

All depicting various scenes from the Bible

Above is the stained glass window in the lady Chapel 

With a closer view of the Madonna & Child

Two memorial of the same family can be seen in the lady chapel beside the screen

Both are from the early 1800's

Here we look at the top of the screen where you can see flags hanging from the walls of the chapel

The floor in the church has many tomb slabs

Of people who were buried years ago in church vaults

These two are in the aisle leading from the South entrance

Looking along the floor in the main nave aisle

Thought I'd show some of the detail from behind the altar with these shots

The stained glass windows in the North side of the chancel

and of course some of the work done by the lady's who look after the church, I have not come across seat cushions in a while 

This Christmas Fair was going on while I visited selling cards and gifts for various charities
































Couple of the banners in the church

and a tomb slab which you see walking in the South Entrance

This pillar is one of the ones which came from the former Reading Abbey

Though when you look a all of them on the South side I would think most of them came from there

The font & cover you see when walking in form the West end tower entrance

Around the centre of the church is the altar with candles you can light while you pray

The floral display in front of the pulpit

I'll leave you with this view of St Mary