St Laurence Combe

This week we visit the first of three Churches in West Oxfordshire, my car was in for service and I put the loan car to good use. I also used the opportunity to do a review on the car I had which you can see as a page on my Daily Photo blog. The first church I visited was St Laurence Combe set in a typical Cotswold village which is not far from where I picked up the car. The history comes from Wikipedia
"The Church of England parish church of St Laurence dates from the 12th century but was rebuilt in the late 14th century for Eynsham Abbey. Its interior has several 15th-century wall paintings, which were rediscovered during restoration work in 1892. St Laurence's is a Grade I listed building.
St Laurence's bell tower has a ring of six bells, cast by John Taylor & Co of Loughborough in 1924, and a clock built by John Smith and Sons of Derby in 1948"
The church is set up a small lane off the main road through the village. After walking around the churchyard I found the church locked but after a phone call managed to find some one who had a key and the church was opened for me. It was worth waiting a few moments for.

Above a lane leads you to the church which is through the gates

Once though the path takes you to the porch

Heading around to the East end you can see some scaffolding where a new Cancel cross is being fitted

Some one did come along to work up there

Going around to the South side

Which also has a porch

The belltower like many around here is castellated

The North side has a clock which faces the village

The tower base has an entrance but the porch is the main way in

Above the fist view of the church along the nave

Going into the chancel

The East window only has a few bits of really old stained glass in

A couple of chairs stand one side with a Scintilla the other

Here we look back to the nave through the chancel arch

On the north side of the chancel arch is the entrance and exit to the rood loft. Over to the South side is niche where a statue would have stood once

One of the things you notice by the rood loft is this 15th century wall paining of the crusifixion

And above the chancel arch is a huge mural from the 15th century

The pulpit is some with steps leading to it. Right one side of the choir stalls with candle holders either end

Good view of the nave from the pulpit

I did like the stained glass that was in the church. Left you can see this one behind the South choir stalls

Left this one is in the back of the nave

This is part of another nave window showing the top

The bits of glass like the one in the East window look like they could be medieval glass that has been salvaged from an older window

This detail does not look so old

but this one does

Along the nave on the South wall you can also see  a couple of prayers, the Lords Prayer and the I Believe        

Memorial to Alfred Herbert Spencer

Money that had been given to the reseating and repairing of the Church in 1907

Left the font with cover and right what looks like an older font near the organ

The font again looking towards the stained glass window at the back

Outside the churchyard is quite large.
Here we look East from the path

Nearing the boundary wall with the park

Going South

Here we look West on the South side of the church

More of the older headstones at the East end

The path leads to the park and a couple of old misplaced headstones are used as a gate, mainly to stop people riding bikes through

Westerly look again

Couple of Chest Tombs on the South East end of the church

More headstone on the South boundary, some are more recent

Over to the East boundary wall and an entrance to a large house near the church

Small Celtic cross near the East boundary wall with some misplaced headstone by the wall

Above a Tomb Chest near the Porch

I tend to look out for unusual carvings on headstones, This one has a saddle tank train on it, have to wonder if the guy drove one

Michael James Oliver has a Spitfire on the headstone , I wonder as to the relevance as he would only have been a child when it was flown in anger

I will leave you with this view of the churchyard at St Laurence 

Till Next Time I wish you a pleasant weekend