Dorchester Abbey Pt 2

 

 This week I'm showing you Part 2 of Dorchester abbey which features the inside. I took a couple of trips over this because on the first visit I was not happy with the photo's I took of some of the parts of the abbey. All the photo are taken on either my Canon EOS R6, Compact zoom or iPhone. My advice is get a coffee and sit back while you look at the photo's`

The way in leading to the church past some of the old original buildings on the site

If you come through the south door you are faced with this view of the church. The west door I came through is similar

Looking straight down the aisle to the chancel, the whole things disappears in the distance

Zooming in to a closer view of the seating area

 

The choir stalls which are more recent than many churches I visit

The chancel with the altar that is used for services in the foreground

Another view different camera looking along the nave

The Altar beneath the chancel window

Here we look back along the nave to the rear of the church

The pulpit stands off to the north side of the nave

After finding my way onto the pulpit you can look down to the nave

 

 

 Also back to the choir and chancel

 

Looking back at the pulpit you can see  screen separating a chapel from the rest of the church, this is St Birinus chapel
 

 It was shut off to visitors but I slipped in and got a photo of the chapel

 

Zooming in towards the altar

 

Looking through the screen you can see family memorials hanging on the north wall
 

Looking a little further down the altar in the chapel  

Going over to the south aisle you look down it with the shrine of St Birinus

 There are two chapels at the end of the south aisle the first is the Lady Chapel with this beautiful alter back

beside it on the wall is an even more beautiful mural

Above the altar you find this stained glass window

Going over to the next chapel on the right which is no less beautiful

 

Where I was pleased to see a coffin byre which looks old from the dark wood, It was not until I got home and lightened the photo I found out how old it was, check out the date inscribed on it

Over to the left where the wall partitioning off the chapels was you cannot help notice a Union Jack hanging in a protective covering

Beneath it is a plaque

Take a good look at the flag

Poppies line the wall beside the plaque

Now read the plaque. I must admit after reading it I was quiet lost for word an wondered how many lost soldiers the flag had covered for their last moments on earth. May They Rest in Peace

At the back of the chapels you can see the organ, my previous visit the loft was empty but on the way in to the church on this visit as I walked up the path I could hear the organ and for the rest of my visit I was treated to the sound of church organ music

He was quiet lost in his work

The sound was beautiful, Before I left I spoke to him and he told me he was one of the organists that played there among the other churches he played at.

Back in the south chapels the two south stained glass windows and east window

In the corner above a doorway is this carving of a head

This one looks as old if not older

Close up of a couple of the figures on it

Now to the font which is old, it's Norman, lead and one of the few lead fonts in Oxfordshire, you might have seen a few of them in my blogs. There are another two in the area, Warbrough and Long Wittenham which is the most original with it's base. You can see both in my blogs

Close up of the detail on the font

Along the side of the chapels you can see tomb effigies

They are all in good condition

A bishop of the Abbey?

A knight in repose

You can also see a great many floor tomes in various states some where you can read the inscription others just where the were

You can spend time reading them

There are also a few church brasses to see

A knight

and more tombs where the brass has gone

This tomb effigy belongs to Sir John de Stonore, he is buried in the Abbey but I could not tell you if it is here

Some of the stained glass windows. The magnificent Chancel window

The tracery and stained glass on top beneath you can see another head carving

One of the south aisle windows

and the second one

a lancet

this is in the St Birinus chapel

over on the south side of the chancel

and the north side

The carving on the tracery is superb and very old

One of the first things you see coming in the church are the wall paintings

I need to find out more about them (I know who to ask)

The altar by the main painting. What I read somewhere is that the area beneath the paintings is an old cript

A very old church chest

Floral display beside the north wall of the chancel with the stained glass reflecting on the wall behind

 

 

I will leave you with this view of the church. I hope you enjoyed my tour of the abbey church which I have tried to show though no doubt missed much of it out. If you are visiting the area it is well worth going along to visit and spend time looking around. I still have to return again sometime as I want to look around the museum

Till next Time I wish you all a peaceful weekend

Take care