St Mary Henley on Thames

This was not a church I planed on visiting but I had a chance to go and visit on morning so I felt it was rude not to take the opportunity. History on the church seems hard to find but here is some I came across.
"The church dates from the 13th Century (with alterations and remodelling from the 15th and 19th Centuries), it is suspected the origins of the church may date back as far 1000AD. It also had a Ghost
Mary Blandy’s ghost has “meandered around, walking beside the river, in the graveyard, and standing under an old mulberry tree in the garden of the house where she lived”. Mary Blandy, the poisoner of Henley on Thames was executed for murdering her father on Monday 6 April 1752. She was buried in the early hours of the following day at the Parish Church of St Mary the Virgin, between the graves of her parents. The burial service was conducted by Rev William Stockwood and the graves of the Blandy’s can no longer be traced after restoration work on the church."
In cannot say I am happy with the photo's I took this day as I did not take my Tripod along and a lot of the photos were taken with my compact of handheld with the DSLR but I hope the ones I took show a little of what the church is like

I came along to the church around the back way and walked through the churchyard

The tower looks as impressive which ever way you see it.
You pass by the North aisle with its disused porch

Most people will see the Church from the West end as you walk up from the market place

The South aisle is right beside the road and the East end is just an access to the Chantry house

The Main entrance is in the west end though there is an older one that would have taken you in the South aisle chapel

Inside I found the church a little dark but then it was raining outside

Looking down the nave you are drawn to the mural above the chancel arch in front of which is a rood on top of a screen















The chancel shows the choir stalls and altar














The walls are painted

along with the chancel ceiling

Looking back to the rood screen

Above the altar with it's screen and chancel window
Right is the Lady Chapel

Left is The Du Mouriez funerary monument location in the Jesus chapel

A marble pulpit which is entered through a doorway that looked like it once took you to a rood loft

gives this view down the Nave and South Aisle

Turning to the right and you look down the aisle of the Lady chapel, the North aisle is now partitioned off as a vestry

Above the rood which is not original but made no doubt in Victorian times.
Left This may hav ebeen part of an organ but looking behind you see a doorway, a sure sign the church had a rood loft in the past

Across in the lady chapel is a gate

which takes you to St Leonards Chapel, this is the oldest part of the church

It is lit by stained glass windows  that look older than they are, I was told they were Victorian

None the less the stained glass is beautiful
Right what looked like an old chest let in the wall with a safe

In the South  chapel you can see this beautiful chandelier

There are a few memorial along the walls of the wealthy people who worshipped in the church in the past

Brakspear was was a local brewing family, the brewery was near the church

Tomb of Elizabeth Bacon

Inscription on her tomb in Latin

Above the rood with mural in the background

It is well worth taking in the Stained Glass windows in the church

Most of them are along the South Aisle which you can see

This one is in the glass Creche area

along with this one on the West end of the aisle

Above in the Lady chapel on the North wall

Above the East end window with right the Lady Chapel

Looking high up

along the nave

more stained glass can be viewed on both sides

Up at the end of the Lady chapel aisle the font is in an alcove with many memorials on the walls

The top of a sarcophagus is by the West wall

with this chest on the North

The font is Victorian along with the stained glass
Right one of the embellishments in the corner

This is the ceiling of the alcove

Looking out you look towards the Lady Chapel.

Left the memorial commemorating the first world war you and also see the roll in the chancel and along the Town Hall wall

Above the font along with all the memorials on the walls

Above the shrine on the left is in the South asile along with the Lectern

Right a Squint or as I found out a Hagioscope

The children's creche in the South aisle

View across to the South aisle

The churchyard outside is a lot lager than you think, this part is near the Almshouses on the far end of the churchyard

The graves go back quite a way

and line the path on either side

intermittent in places

I always find it amusing that they built almshouses near the churchyard, these over look the nearby graves

One path here leads though the churchyard towards Church Avenue where there are a row of almshouses. Never realised there were some there, the other path takes you to the chantry house

By the path leading to the Chantry house are cremation memorials

The Chantry house is the oldest building in the town dating back to around 1500 Henry VII was on the English throne

There are more old headstones here and an unusual tomb

I found it interesting to see this simple wooden cross marking the grave of Sir Leslie Dalton Morris
which did not seem fitting of someone with that name
Right a tomb with head and footstones

These are near the Almshouses most people know near the church

Tomb fenced off with chicken wire















This one was the same only full of brambles

Unusual headstones with more conventional

Another couple of tombs with head and footstones

situated on the North East side of the church

Over towards the North West side

Tomb covered in Ivy

This marker stands out and is most visited

It belongs to Dusty Springfield

She was a singer I remember from when I was young, she lived out her final years in the town. RIP

Till next time I wish you all a wonderful weekend