St Helen Dry Sandford

Continuing with visiting Churches near Abingdon a week or so later I went to Dry Sandford to visit St Helens Church. A little history form Wikpedia
"The Church of England parish church of Saint Helen is a 13th-century-style Gothic Revival building designed by J.B. Clacy of Reading and built in 1855. St. Helen's has lancet windows, a nave, chancel, rib-vaulted apse and a bellcote on the gable above the chancel arch. St. Helen's was made a separate ecclesiastical parish in 1867, but was united in a single benefice with St. Peter's, Wootton in 2000.^{" There is a sign out of view by the Lych Gate telling you the church was open but I was to be sadly disappointed with what I found a few moments later}

I thought the entrance was quite present with it's little Lych Gate

The church from the South side and left porch with the village war memorial in the foreground
I did wonder at the fencing around the church at the time

Above the faded poppy wreath on the memorial base

Right looking towards the West end

Going over to the North East corner to get this view of the church

Closer view showing the apse and vestry off to the right

Left/right  view of both apse and vestry

Along to the West end for a view along the south side and the porch

Above the entrance porch which is as far as I got because inside were a couple of notices one telling you that no one was allowed inside with out a approved member of the team.
  On phoning the churchwarden it transpired that the church was closed of repairs because of some structural problems in the church

After that it was a little walk around the churchyard looking at the headstones

The West end where you can see most of them

I had looked around for the War graves and found two. One of Gunner W.T.Coll and the other of Warrant  Officer H Gower RAF

On the North side looking east

And back West

Not sure how old the Yew tree was

Some older headstones

Above a mixture of old and more recent headstones
Left some of the headstone behind the fencing around the church

Two are Crosses  of people who used to go to the church

I will leave you this week with a view of the East end of the church and the board showing the restoration fund. If you visit there is a notice board with photos showing what repairs are needed and the churchyard is neat and worth looking around. As I am not sure when it will open again I can only show a link to a fellow Church Crawlers Website to see the inside of St Helen

Till Next time I wish you all a wonderful  week and stay safe

Just as a footnote with this panic over COVID 19 which people seem to be running around like headless chickens over I may find it harder to visit the inside of some churches because they are being kept locked over due to the fear of spreading the virus. One church I have to visit I have to arrange for it to be opened. I'm hoping churches will remain open and that I can visit but I do not know how it will pan out.