Holy Cross Sparsholt

This is the second of the churches from the Ridgeway Benefice I visited one day one I was looking forward to seeing because of the effigies the church had. Some history on the church from Wikipedia is below.
"The oldest part of the Church of England parish church of Holy Cross is the nave, which was built in the 12th century. The church has a 13th-century west tower, and 13th-century arches leading to the chancel and south transept.
In the 14th century the chancel and transept were rebuilt and several new windows were inserted. The chancel was given a Decorated Gothic piscina and triple sedilia with ornate cusped arches. A pair of tomb recesses in a similar style was installed, one on the south side of the chancel beside the sedilia and the other on the north side. In the transept are three rare 14th-century oak effigies, two of them under canopies like those in the chancel. Some 13th- and 14th-century stained glass survives in the church.
Late in the 15th century a vestry was added on the north side of the chancel, more windows were inserted in the nave and the nave roof was replaced. The chancel has a 17th-century collar truss roof. The north porch is late 18th-century, as probably is the transept roof. In the 19th century a Gothic Revival traceried wooden screen was inserted in the chancel arch.
The west tower has a ring of four bells. Joseph Carter of Reading cast the treble and third bells in 1578 and the tenor bell in 1603. Mears and Stainbank of the Whitechapel Bell Foundry cast or re-cast the second bell in 1914.
Holy Cross parish is part of the Ridgeway Benefice, along with the parishes of Childrey, Kingston Lisle, Letcombe Bassett, Letcombe Regis and West Challow."
This is another long blog so Coffee & cake are recommended  

The North side of the church and right the church tower & spire

Above a couple of more views of the spire from opposite sides.
looking along the South side to the chapel

Above the South end wall of the chapel

Right one of the carvings by the chapel

The East end of the church

A gargoyle which has got a more modern attachment of a drain pipe in it's mouth

Above the East end wall and window.

Right the churchyard East of the porch

The porch leading to the church

The entrance doorway and door, I did like the ironwork

Here we look down the nave to the chancel with it's rood screen

The chancel looked big

and the East window filled the end

View back the opposite way

Left the altar screen below the East window

Here we look at the sedilia & piscina

Beside which is this tomb effigy

opposite is another that looks restored of much newer.

Closer look

 

On the wall you can see these church brasses

On the floor is another a the grave slab

Either side of the chancel you can see squints

The pulpit with desk in front

The view from the pulpit

The South Chapel 

That had lights illuminating the recessed tombs.

The floor had quite a few slabs of others buried here

The  recessed tombs had an effigy of a Lady in each

On the East side is an altar and stained glass window

The south was has this magnificent one

Over to the South wall is a Holy Water Stoup and a very colourful memorial on the wall

The memorial is dated 1623
One of the effigies which you might notice is made of Wood

The second is the same

As is the Knight who I might add is very tall

At his feet is a lion

Out in the nave is a royal coat of arms

You can also see some stained glass windows which look Medieval

The colours are vibrant

You have to look at the windows to find the glass

Bit it really gives me a kick to think how old it is

I find it amazing it is still so good, I doubt the person who made it thought it would be here hundreds of years after he died

There are a few memorials about like this one of the Atkins family

They vary in size & age

High on the wall is a prayer


Right the church organ with the ten commandments either side

Each of the roof supports have carvings on them

This one is an angel

The roof of the nave

One of the items of interest was this clock mechanism which no doubt was from the tower. The other item was this church chest that looks very old

Before going outside you pass the font with it's cover. I suspect this one is very old

Outside along the North side of the churchyard

In the churchyard you notice the War Memorial that looks as though it uses part of an old Preaching cross

Looking East

Another view East along the churchyard with the memorial

Hidden over to one side is this grave Marker of young lad who died age 9

Left along the boundary nearby are a couple of family vaults

one of the crosses by the boundary the other near the church which is quiet large when you stand near it

From the bottom of the churchyard a last view of the church

I will leave you with this view of the Snowdrops that carpet the churchyard. Till next time have a pleasant weekend