Saturday 21 December 2019

St Mary Iffley



This will be the  last post from the Church Explorer for 2019 and is a church when I found out about it that I wanted to visit. It is Norman church that has changed little since it was built in 1160, then it was a small village beside the Rover Thames but over the years it has become absorbed into the City of Oxford. The is a little history on the church on Wikipedia
Finding the old Village let alone the church was a bit of a task but I got there in the end and found a typical English Village set in the city suburbs.
Be warned this will be  along blog so I'd get a coffee and cake while I show some Norman Architecture. The photos were taken with both my iPhone and DSLR





I found getting a photo of the North side difficult and should have used a wide angle lens




The West end with the Norman doorway




South side and another entrance















Both North and South side doorways



















The East end




Above the East end showing the window while left the top of the tower





Another North side view







Above the tower and entrance to the bell loft

Left closer shot of the West end
The West doorway is most impressive









The carvings around the outside quite outstanding
















It is hard to comprehend that all this was carved by a Norman Craftsman
The detail is incredible

Inside you look along the nave to the crossing

and see even more Norman workmanship









Here from the crossing in the tower you look to the chancel






The altar is quite beautiful to look at





Looking the other way through the arch
Left the altar screen on the West wall





The piscina (left) and sedilia














The floor of the chancel beside the altar had memorials on


you can just make out the inscriptions. I should have taken a photo of the altar rail as the gate slides inside the rails, quiet unique 















Above the West window with the North and South widow here left and right












I think one of the outstanding features is the rose window in the West end





Left looking through the Nave and chancel arches





The stone carving is just wonderful
















I think you could spend ages looking at it and finding things to look at















I laid on my back to get the last few photos.
Left some of the detail on an arch




More of the amazing detail















Taken with my iPhone

I really cannot get over what I see
Back at the Rose window and the Organ over on the left





The architecture would be at home in a cathedral





The candelabra looks a little out of place


























As you walk in to the right you can see this moder piece of stained glass by John Piper
Opposite is another modern window







Though if you look you can see older glass around the church
















Though after visiting Henley I wonder if some is Victorian made to look older









There is a lot of Victorian stained glass in the church











The Rose window again with lights above it








Couple more windows in the nave














Above a benefactors plaque from the early 1700's







Left the Pears memorial with Right you see the Roll of Honour














There are a few old memorial along with another plaque from the First World War




The memorial on the left makes sad reading as Jon died aged one month and his twin when he was 5. Richard Allin lived to the age of 71













two more memorial beside the nave arch





These memorials are beside something that puzzled me at first, there are few places like this around the church






The cleaner there told me they thought these plaques were attached to those places once
This did not take much to work out, there was a rood loft in the church once








Left the organ and right the font
The cover is quite modern
And well Worth taking a few moments to look at




Outside you can see quite a few headstones




Most are of an age





with moss growing on some others sinking in the ground



I found it a pleasant churchyard to look around












In the corner a sculpture
Outside the entrance what I can only assume is an old font




Looking East along the boundary wall





some of the graves beside the South wall of the church




moss covered tombs




Headstones and crosses




The winter day adding to the feel of the churchyard




The cross above marked a huge family plot in the churchyard



Right we are near the entrance




Looking back at some of the churchyard opposite the North side of the church





Across the road is a churchyard extension





which I must admit looked quite full up now
St Mary's church looking across the cemetery
and as I walked out a headstone that took my eye

I will leave you for this year with this Advent Wreath and will wish you all a 
Merry Christmas and Happy new year

10 comments:

  1. I visited this church many years ago to see the Norman architecture which is exceptional. I still remember it well. Thank you for sharing more beautiful and interesting churches this year. Wishing you a very special Christmas and a happy new year.

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  2. ...Bill, each side of this church has a different look, but the interiors is the best for me. Merry Christmas to you and your family.

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  3. Wow! Gorgeous images. I love the modern windows. Have a lovely Christmas!

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  4. Beautiful churchs and beautiful details!

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  5. Thanks so much for sending the link what a wonderful church and photos. West Door is amazing and reminds me of some of the work by the Herefordshire School of Romanesque Carvers. Love the Rose Window and work by John Piper. Oxford in a day from home do-able for me have been there several times for a day for various reasons.

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    Replies
    1. It is repeorted as some of the best in the UK, John Piper pops up around quite a few churches I have visited

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  6. You do a real service documenting this church, etc. I appreciate it as my sister, daughter-in-law and I just visited this remarkable spot. Thank you!

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