St James the Great, Denchworth

 

I had been waiting to visit this church for a while and finally got around to going there and another church in the vicinity a few weeks ago, the only let down from my visits were neither were open.

"Denchworth had a parish church by 1086, but the oldest part of the present Church of England parish church of Saint James is 12th century. This is a small part of the south wall of the nave, which seems to have been rebuilt and extended westwards in the 13th century. The south doorway is a plain late Norman arch.

Later in the 13th century the north chapel and the north-west tower were added. The south transept was added in the 14th century and was originally Decorated Gothic. The chancel, north chapel and possibly the south transept were rebuilt in the 15th century, mostly with Perpendicular Gothic windows.The church was restored from 1852 onwards. It is a Grade II* listed building.

The Perpendicular Gothic font is also 15th-century. The Perpendicular-style pulpit is neo-Gothic and was made in 1889.

The south porch is neo-Gothic and was added during the 19th-century restoration. It replaces a two-storey south porch, in whose upper room Gregory Geering and the then vicar established an antiquarian chained library. Its contents included a 1483 edition of the Golden Legend that is now in the Bodleian Library in Oxford and other rare volumes that were transferred to Denchworth vicarage. The library also held curiosities such as a "mermaid's rib".

The church has monumental brasses to Oliver Hyde (died 1516) and his wife Agnes, to William Hyde (died 1557), his wife Margery and their children, and to another William Hyde (died 1567) and his wife Alice. One of the inscriptions for William and Margery Hyde has a commemorative plaque for the foundation of Bisham Priory in 1333 on the back. In the south transept is a memorial tablet to Gregory Geering (died 1690) and four more to members of the Geering family who died in the 18th century.

The tower has a  of four bells, but they are currently unringable.^[10] Ellis I Knight of Reading, Berkshire cast the treble bell in 1624. Henry III Bagley, who had bellfoundries at Chacombe in Northamptonshire and Witney in Oxfordshire, cast the second bell in 1733. The remaining bells are from the Whitechapel Bellfoundry: the third bell cast by Robert Stainbank in 1868 and the tenor bell by Mears and Stainbank in 1869. St James' has also a Sanctus bell cast by an unknown founder in about 1699.

St James' parish is now a member of the Vale Benefice, along with the parishes of East Challow, Grove and West Hanney."

The first view you get of the church which in this case was the pub carpark which was the only place I could see to park

Nearby is this pillar which is an is an old preaching cross from the 14th or 15th century

 On the wall of the pub you can see this Roll of honor

Open the doors an inside is a hand written Roll

Getting a reasonable view of the church is not easy until you get around to the South side of the church

The East end looking West

This impressive memorial is in the churchyard on the South side

The North East end of the church

Back to the West end looking at the bell tower

The porch on the South side is tucked up beside a chapel

The South wall of the chapel looking towards the West end

The Chancel at the East end where you can see a priest door

Another shot looking at the East end of the church

Above an eroded Gargoyle watches out from a buttress

This is the view you get after walking in the churchyard

Looking East down the churchyard from near the South chapel

Looking Est along the North side

You can see some old headstones in the churchyard

Near the far East end of the churchyard you will find the Commonwealth War grave of Lance Corporal F Haines

Looking back towards the church from the East end of the churchyard

Looking North

Couple if crosses which are under the trees

This tomb looks quite old and is quite eroded

Above on the South East corner of the chapel I spotted this circle which has been carved, wondering if it was part of a Mass Dial.

Right looking East along the North side of the churchyard from the path

I will leave you this week with this shot of a cross that has ivy encroaching on it

I will try to return when I find out the Church is open again.

Till Next time Stay Safe and have a great Weekend