St Deny's Northmoor

This week we visit the first of three churches in West Oxfordshire near Witney. They were not on my list of churches to visit but after seening some photo's I made the the next on the list. The first church is St Denny Northmoor which is not far from the River Thames of Isis to give it the correct name.
Some history of Wikipedia
"In 1059 King Edward the Confessor granted land at Northmoor to St Denis Abbey in Paris. Northmoor was made a separate parish in the 12th century, and the parish church of Saint Denys was then built. Nothing survives of this original building except the font, which is Norman.
The earliest part of the present Church of England parish church on the same site is the Early English Gothic chancel, which was built in the 13th century. The chancel's east window is a set of three lancets and it has another lancet in its south wall. The present nave and north and south transepts were built early in the 14th century. The bell tower over the west bay of the nave was added in the 15th century. The tower has a ring of six bells. Abraham I Rudhall of Gloucester cast the fifth bell in 1714, and Thomas Rudhall cast all the others in 1764.
The Gothic Revival architect C.C. Rolfe carried out a sensitive restoration of building in 1887. St Denys' is now a Grade I listed building."
There is an indepth history on Britain Express

Left the path leading to St Denny

Walking around the West end you can see the tower integral to the church

The North side looking towards the North Transept

Couple of memorials beside one of the North windows

Right an old porch going to the church now unused

Left the East end with memorial on the wall

Looking towards the North Transept

Above the East end window with Left the South East side

South view showing the South Transept

Above the South Transept with Left the Door leading to the church

From the passage leading to the Aisle you look down the nave
Right the Nave from the back of the church

Left and Right the chancel showing the East window and Altar

Above the East window

From the chancel you look back at the Loft which is made from the old rood screen.

I took some photo's with my iPhone to see how they came out 

The idea being I could quickly take photo's in a church if I did not have my DSLR

I was quite pleased with the outcome

especially when I managed to crop this part of the loft out, it will save me returning for another photo

Left one of the two sets of choir stalls

Right the chancel towards the arch

Above the pulpit with a tasteful jug of grass in front

View of the nave from the pulpit

Above the Roll of Honour from the first and second World Wars

On the left side of the Roll is another showing three RAF personnel who died. They are buried in different cemetery's in the UK, I wonder if they were personnel from RAF Stanton Harcourt

Above the old North doorway now blocked up

The South Transept has an organ in it

Were as the North is still used




 A board with the Benefactors of the local poor and right the church banner stands in the corner

Along the East wall under the window is an altar

Beside is the Madonna and child indicating this may well be the Lady Chapel, above is a memorial with the inscription long gone

Into the South Transept and walk behind the organ to see a couple of tomb recesses with effigies

Going to see them you walk across the old tombs of people buried here

The Effigy of a knight

With his lady though their identities are unknown

One of the floor tombs dated 1687

On the West wall are a few memorials though one is partly covered by the organ

But I feel the little gem is this wall painting that dates back to the 13th century

The Sir Edmund Warcupp tomb 1712

Going around the church you can see more things of interest like this altar rail that is beautifully carved

Early English piscina (left) and sedilia

By the Altar are more floor tombs though some are covered by the altar

It hides the names of people buried here

But looking at the tombs either end I presume the others are from the Playdell family as well

Something you will miss is this old Altar behind the Altar table

Memorial to Jone Nalder and his wife Mary along with I presume his children.

Right a painting of Christ carrying the cross

Another floor tomb beside one of the pillars of the Chancel arch

Couple of the Memorial you can see in the chancel

A church chest dated 1753

Above the Norman Font which is under the Loft at the back

Outside the churchyard is a good size

which runs all the way around the church

There are a mixture of old and more modern headstones to see

Over to one side like many other churchyards part is left to nature to look after

Looking around to the North side from the East end

Grass grows long here

Not far away you can see well kept graves many here belonging to the same family

Till next time I will leave with this picture of a floral display I noticed near the entrance

May you all have  a wonderful weekend