St Laurence South Hinksey

This is a church I have wanted to visit for a while so as Lock down continues to ease I decided to visit Botley Cemetery and then go on to South Hinksey, I thought the church would be locked so when I got there I was not disappointed, I thing it may be the case with a few churches in the future so I think I will be phoning the church wardens up prior to my visits to check if I can get in. History is a little sparse on the internet and nothing on Wikipedia but I found this on the Parish Website

"South Hinksey was first recorded as a settlement when given to the Abbey at Abingdon between 685 and 688 by King Caedwalla of the West Saxons. Among the most ancient buildings in the village, the church has a thirteenth century nave and tower of some time later in the century. The chancel is noticeably different from the body of the church, having been constructed in the eighteenth century.
In many ways a ‘typical’ English village church, the interior of St Laurence contains a number of attractive features. First among these must be the visually arresting rood and its accompanying loft. Prior to the Reformation, this church would doubtless have possessed a rood and loft not unlike this one; however, the present fitting dates from 1932, having been paid for by an anonymous donor. The rood proper is a delicate handling of the crucifixion of Christ, with Our Lady Mary on his right, and his disciple John on his left. Beneath the rood, the legend on the loft is taken from the Book of Common Prayer translation of the hymn ‘Te Deum Laudamus’: ‘We praise thee, O Lord’.
Beneath the rood loft stand pulpit and reading desk, both fitted in 1936, the desk being used traditionally for the reading of the Services, and the pulpit for the sermon. Above the pulpit is a fine window depicting St Laurence, the patron of our church. His portrayal here tells his story. Laurence was an arch-deacon at Rome in the third century. When his bishop, Sixtus, was denounced to the hostile pagan authorities, Laurence was put in charge of the church’s valuables, which he in turn entrusted to the poor of his congregation. Finally arrested, and charged to disclose the whereabouts of the church assets, Laurence showed the authorities the poor and sick of the church, saying, ‘Behold, here are the treasures of Christ’s Church’. Laurence was thus martyred for his refusal to comply by being roasted on a bed of hot iron bars. So in this window, the saint bears the iron griddle in one hand, and the gospels and thurible in another – it being the duty of a deacon to proclaim the gospel at the Eucharist.
In addition, the church contains a number of pieces of attractive contemporary carving, including two wands, a fine remembrance candlestick, and processional cross. These were crafted by the brother of the present church warden."

The church was quite near the road so getting a good view from there was limited

Viewing the church from the south was worse with trees hiding the view

Though you did get a nice view of the churchyard

The entrance porch was one of the nicer ones I have seen

 The only part that was visible was the tower

Plus part of the North side which you could see from the road.

I did like the look of the stonework on the church

Another from the roadside with my iPhone

The churchyard looked to have some quite old headstones in it, some of them covered in ivy

Above the headstone of Private F W Wharton who is buried in the family grave. Looking South across the church yard

This looks towards the village

Above Private G H Cox

Left  an extension to the churchyard where recent Burials take place

Looking North

Statue of a child looking down on the grave

I will take my leave of you this week with a photo of the churchyard from the roadside. The inside from a photo I have seen looks worth going back for so I will see when I can visit again. Till then

Take Care and have a peaceful weekend