St Mary the Virgin Great Milton

 

I had noticed a church in Great Milton when I drove though the village one day & added the church to my list of ones to visit. Now lockdown has eased I decided to go along and visit while I had a chance. There are no internal views as the church was locked but I will return when I can find the church is open. Some history from Wickipedia:-

"The nave and chancel of the Church of England parish church of Saint Mary were built shortly after the Norman Conquest of England. The building was damaged by fire in the 13th century. During the 14th century the chancel was enlarged and the north and south aisles were added. At this time the church served a parish including the villages of Chilworth Valery and Chilworth Muzzard, the hamlets of Combe and Little Milton, and the manor of Ascot. In 1850 St Mary's was restored at a cost of £2,000.

In 1552 St Mary's had four bells plus a Sanctus bell, and in 1631 Ellis I Knight of Reading, Berkshire cast a ring of five bells. It now has a ring of eight. Ellis II & Henry III Knight recast what are now the fifth and eighth bells in 1673. Thomas Rudhall of Gloucester cast the treble, second and third bells in 1771 and the tenor bell in 1772. In 1848 William Taylor of Loughborough, who at that time also had a foundry at Oxford, cast the sixth bell. In 1825 W & J Taylor also cast the present Sanctus bell.

St Mary's has a church clock that was made in 1699 by Nicholas Harris of Fritwell.^"

I did not know what to expect when I came to visit this church but it was a nice surprise to see one different to what I usually come across

The church looked most impressive with a tower that looked quite small in comparison to others I have Visited 

The tower was not much bigger than the rest of the church. The porch looked huge in comparison with the room over the entrance

Waling around to the North side you could see the North aisle and entrance in the side

Going down the churchyard you got a nice view  showing the tower at the West end and the staircase spire higher that the rest of the church

At the East end you could see both the South and North aisle either side

In the corners of the porch and aisle gargoyles stuck out

 

  On the West side a human looking one watched over the churchyard

  

 

 On the corners of the church you find recesses that would once have held a statue

 

 

 

 

 

 

The porch on the South side has a wonderful arched roof

 

 

 On the West wall you find a tomb slab

 

 

 

In the corner between the tower and the porch you find the village war memorial

Over to the West was the churchyard

Around the North side

Looking around you can see some interesting graves, not often you see a Head and foot-stone like this

At the far end of the churchyard near you find more graves and crosses

Above cast iron crosses lined up by a wall 

Left looking North across the East end of the churchyard

Turning West towards the Church

Above tombs and a fenced tomb chest

I spotted this headstone with a pheasant on it and below I noticed spent shotgun cartridges, made me think he used to shoot

Above an old headstone

Right looking West near the Porch

Looking back East

Looking along the path to the second entrance to the churchyard

I noticed an old headstone used as a slab over a gully by the church

The South side held a lot of old headstones

Some in better condition than others

The words carved in this one clear still today over three hundred years later

I will leave you with this view of a few of the older headstones.

Till Next time stay safe and have a wonderful weekend

Since writing the blog I have returned and taken photos inside of the three churches in the parish. I will publish the photos from St Mary the Virgin in the next blog.

St Peter Charney Bassett Return

After the disappointment of the weather in my last blog I found out that St Peter was open for Prayer on a Tuesday so as I had the chance I went back and took some more photo's, this time the weather was more pleasant and I had a look inside. The church may be small but there was a loot to see there It was well worth my time

The church looked so much different on a nice day in the sunshine

The walls much brighter though I often wonder why they get rendered over

I came out the door here on the North side so took a photo along it and walked around the back

This tie when walking in the churchyard my feet did not get wet in the grass















Over in the North East corner is an area where all the old headstones are laid flat lost from the original place

Leaning against the wall a couple of cast crosses with the names of the people who were buried under them some where in the curchyard.

The churchyard looking to the church

Couple of headstone from the same family

The tomb where you can still read the inscription on the side

Last week I did not notice the floral display in the porch

Inside the church looked bigger that outside, the cancel arch having a rood screen across it

Here you look across the nave to the North aisle

The back of the church from the centre where you come in, this area was cordoned off

Going down the front to the chancel where you can see the altar and East window

The top portion of the tracery has some stained glass, could not tell you how old this is

The East window with the altar cross below, to the right is an old candle sniffer

The back of the rood screen taken using a pano setting on the phone

This is what I had come to see the tympanum in the church which looks to be over an old North doorway, I might add there are a few in Oxfordshire but I have only seen one other at Church Hanborogh

It is really detailed though I'd love to know what the protrusion is, a Kights Head?

I read this was depicting Alexander with a griffin either side

Detail of the figures

and the scroll work around the outside

The pulpit

And looking out of it across the nave

The font stands in the North aisle it's age I could not tell you. Right looking down the North aisle

On the east wall of the North aisle is this beautiful plaque of the maddona & child

Under it a  table in memory of a person from the parish. Right a doorway forming a huge Squint

On the shelf under the madonna plaque is this lovely cross made from old buttons

In the back of the nave which is cordoned off are a couple of memorials, one is the Roll of Honour for Charney & Lyford from World War One.

On the opposite side of the nave to the pulpit is this lectern

With the carving of an Eagle on the front

The chancel window letting in lights right one of the old lights hanging from the roof

The North door my exit from the church
Till next time take care, stay safe and have a great weekend

Please remember in your thoughts and prayers those affected by those awful fires in California & Oregon.