St Laurence North Hinksey

I visited this church back in 2010 and had forgotten about it until now. I used to pass by it on my way home from work as the road it is on exits to the A34 and by chance decided to stop after having my car serviced at a dealer not far from the village.
The history I found comes from Royal Berkshire History
"Until the 18th century, North Hinksey Church was a mere chapel under the control of Cumnor Parish Church. The building is mostly of 12th century date, with a western tower added a hundred years later. It features windows of various periods and a fine mid-12th century south door with chevron ornamentation and animal head stops. The church was partly restored in Victorian times.
The stonework of the tower incorporates parts of the old font as well as the head of the 13th century preaching cross, the steps and shaft of which can be seen in situ in the churchyard. It is gabled and displays one hand of the figure of a Calvary. Internal features include a number of tablets with cherubim to the 17th century Fynmore family. Other than the manor, they owned the only estate of any importance in the parish, as well as the lucrative ferry across the Thames to Oxford."

My first view of the church after walking in the churchyard

Going nearer I noticed this little fellow run off

Above left the East end of the church and right the entrance porch

The tower looked quite different to what I had come across at the time

The stained glass windows I could see from the outside looked like the would be impressive to see inside

The churchyard also was full of headstones and memorials

with a few overgrown with ivy

The path was also edged with old miss placed headstones another thing I had not seen before

The stump of a preaching cross makes a good focal point in the churchyard

A final look back to the church on the edge of the village. I only stopped off for a short time and the door was locked so I could not get photos of the inside which was probably for the best as back then I never had a tripod like I use now. There is also a church of the same name in the next village of South Hinksey which I hope to visit when I return to see Botley Commonwealth War Cemetery nearby so I will see if I can get some photos of the inside of both churches them

May I wish you a peaceful weekend

Watlington Churchyard

Going on from last week with a tour around the churchyard at St Leonard Watlington.

There is a fare bit of frontage to St Leonard but the graves are sparse here with only this Tomb chest standing out, any headstones that were here have long gone

Going along the south side of the church proves better with many older headstones on show

The one above looked particularly  old

Above another older headstone with inscription just about readable.

Left the churchyard at the east end of the church looks more recent

One of the headstones that stuck out belonging to Jennifer Piper

I did like the carving of the Jenny Wren at the top

Further along you come into an area of older headstones again

which are in an idyllic situation of woods growing around them

You will also see the headstone of
Private W.W.Lamport  nearby
 Walk on a little further and you pass a fenced marking the extension of the churchyard and the more recent burials of the parish

Turn around an you look back through the old part

Lawrence A Batten I can  only assume was a fireman from the engraving of an engine on the headstone

One point in the extension that stands out is this cross, nearby memorial tiles are let in along the stones

Above Andrew Patrick Brown who from the badge was in the US Medical Corps


Right looking across the new part of the churchyard

On the way back through the old part I noticed the marker of  General Sir John Mogg

The older part of the churchyard

The churchyard held a few more Commonwealth war graves

Bombardier Herbert Edward Jones

Private H.J.young

Private A.E.Paget

Corporal George Edward Hoar

You can see their graves amongst the other headstones

A covered wooden cross on one grave

While in another part the marker of Lt Col Fred Basset R.A and his wife Mary was in danger of being covered in grass

A crucifix serves as a monumental for one family  in the churchyard

The old churchyard with path running through the centre

An old family vault with the names still readable on it

Finally I walked out by the yew tree near the church and left for the next church on my list to visit.

Till next time Take care and have a peaceful weekend 

St Leonard Watlington

This is one church that has been on my list for a while and I finally got to visit it after an aborted previous attempt when I found that a Christening was taking place & I thought it was rude to intrude. Watlington is a very old town dating back to at least the 6th century the church is no less so and here is the history I found on Wikipedia
"The oldest parts of the Church of England parish church of St Leonard are Norman, including a diapered tympanum that was over the north door until this was dismantled for the building of the north aisle. The church was extensively rebuilt in the 14th century, and the arcade of the south aisle survives from this period. The south chapel is 15th century, built for Maud Warner as a memorial for her husband Richard, a woolman. The tower is also Mediaeval. A few Decorated Gothic and Perpendicular Gothic windows survive, but in the 1870s some were moved to different positions within the church.
In 1763 Edward Horne, a local landowner, obtained permission to build a burial vault east of the Warner chapel and south of the chancel. In 1877 the architects H.J. Tollit and Edwin Dolby restored St Leonard's. The church is a Grade II* listed building.
The west tower had a ring of six bells until 1909, when two recently cast ones were hung and increased it to eight. Henry I Knight of Reading, Berkshire cast the fourth bell in 1587. Ellis I Knight cast the sixth bell in 1635. Henry II Knight cast the third and fifth bells in 1663. Charles and John Rudhall of Gloucester cast the seventh bell in 1785. Mears and Stainbank of the Whitechapel Bell Foundry cast the tenor bell in 1869 and the treble and second bells in 1905.
St Leonard's parish is now part of the Benefice of Icknield, along with the parishes of Britwell Salome, Pyrton and Swyncombe.^"

^{I have decided to show this in two parts as the churchyard and cemetery were quite large so I will show that next week} 

St Leonard's church from outside the Lychgate.

Left the bell tower

You can see looking at the tower the church  has both North & South Aisles

Here on the East end of  the South aisle you cans see a chapel has been added

slightly larger than the aisle

The east end of the church

Heading around to the North side

Walk along the South side and you can see some interesting Gargoyles

Do like this Dragon one

This old man looks like he is peering at something

But this fellow holding his head has to be the best. I was told to look for him after going in the church
Right the church clock showing quarter past eleven

So inside for a look around with the nave the fist part to look in

You can see the pews have been removed from the church making it a more useable space

The altar and chancel window

The altar screen with superb decoration  

Looking up at the magnificent stained glass window

Looking back out of the chancel to the nave.
Right the pulpit

and the usual view you an see from it

At the back you can see this nice font that looks a little out of place for the church and was proably added in Victorian times 

The South aisle and the Horne chapel,

The altar in the chapel and the stained glass window behind

In the north aisle you can see the Roll of honour for Watlington

It is a beautiful piece of work

with the fallen from the second world war at the bottom

If you walk around the church you can see some nice stained glass windows

This one is in the West end

The other you can see along the aisles

There are also quite a few memorials around the church

One to the Tilson family

You can also see what looks like to relics of the churches history on display

Along with the odd church brass

The Church banner and a few more memorials

Flowers on display in the Horne chapel with their memorials behind

Another church brass and memorials

Memorials to the Wiggins family

An eagle lectern  and the church organ which is in the chancel

This may well have had an effigy in it at one time

Door in the wall and some of the kneelers on one of the remaining pews

A rood hangs from the ceiling

and if you look around in the South Aisle you can see some green men











and other decoration

Floral display near the altar

I will leave you with this display from the Christening 

Do have a wonderful weekend