Return to St Nicholas Islip

 

This week I'm jumping a week with my post and hoping I will get to visit the church I was to feature this week. After visiting the church in my blog last week the Church Warden told me St Nicholas Islip was open so after visiting the next church I went back to Islip and indeed found the church open for Prayer. More history found on their website 

" Situated at a crossing-point of the River Ray, Islip was a royal manor where Saxon kings stayed while hunting in neighbouring forests. King Edward the Confessor was born here about 1004, and when he founded Westminster Abbey he included his birthplace among the endowments of the new abbey. Hence the long connection between Islip and Westminster Abbey, which still retains the right to nominate rectors of Islip. John Islip, Abbot of Westminster 1500-32 and responsible for a major enlargement of the abbey church, probably came from Islip. Dr Robert South, Prebendary of Westminster, endowed the local school in 1710, besides rebuilding the chancel of the church and building a new rectory on a grand scale. Three deans of Westminster were also rectors of Islip, William Vincent 1802-15, John Ireland 1816-36, and William Buckland 1845-56, the last a distinguished pioneer of the science of geology and first professor of the subject at the University of Oxford.
The oldest part of the present church of St Nicholas dates from about 1200, but a major rebuilding took place in the 14th century and the tower was added in the 15th. Burnt down in the Civil War, the chancel was rebuilt and the interior refurnished by Dr South in 1680. There was a further, rather drastic, restoration in 1861.
In 1987 the five parishes of Islip, Noke, Woodeaton, Charlton-on-Otmoor and Oddington were united into a single benefice. In 2001 this benefice was combined with that of Ambrosden, Merton and Piddington to form the Ray Valley Benefice under a single rector"

 

 I parked nearby at the village hall where there is a children play area, it contains the wooden sculptures of two Saxon Warriors this one is nearer the church in the background

 

This first thing you notice on going through the door is a mural in the old blocked up north doorway, the font stands in front 

Look right and you see the south aisle

Going over to the central aisle in the nave you look down towards the chancel

Turn around and you look a this beautiful Frosted Glass screen was made by Nicholas Mynheer

Going back down the nave aisle you come closer to an altar which stands just inside the nave in front of the chancel arch

Beyond you see the chancel with the choir stalls either side and the church organ

Going into the chancel you cannot help notice the beautiful altar and carve panel behind

Above you see the east window

The carved screen panel is one of the finest I have seen

With the altar cross in the centre

Off to the right of the chancel arch is the pulpit

Where you can look down on the nave

This is a stitch shot of the nave and north aisle

In the north aisle you find the font with a mural of I assume St Peter in the original blocked off doorway. Above is what looks like a death mask and either side animal carvings which again I presume come from the original church

You can read the inscription below but it is signed by Edward the Confessor so the mural could also depict Edward himself

 

A  view down the north aisle

The wooded panel at the end contains the Roll of Honour for Islip

On it is listed a woman Nurse Mary Hombersley 

On another panel you find the lost from WWII

On the pillar beside the aisle are a couple of carvings

This one of the nativity I found particularly nice

 

The south aisle is quite plain in comparison

The windows through the church have stained glass inserts to them

Apart form a couple like this one which is all stained glass

Saints in the one with St Christopher on the right, the one on the left could be St Nicholas

The church also has some prayer panels

that are is good condition

You can also find a bequest belonging to William Augur

Memorial plaques can be seen on the walls

This one to a churchwarden  Edward Wilmot Francis Gilman

This memorial I did think at first was quite old but in reading the inscription you find it more modern. The memorial is to the  Caffyn family who died

This one dated Luke Clapham is dated 1676

This one to Robertus South dated 1680

This one is faded and quite hard to read from the photo but looks like it is dated 1610, it depicts the squire and husband wife kneeling with their children behind. It looks like 7 boys and 8 girls, not unusual in those days

This one to Edward Duwe looks dated 1606. the problem is with the inscription on all of the old ones is that the red lettering fades making them hard to read

This memorial is to James Harrackes who was a parson and died on 15th Feb 1625

A little more modern one to Thomas Wellbank Fowl who was rector of Islip and died in 1903

 Time to return to the amazing frosted glass partition at the west end

Rather than try and tell you about the detail about the glass work I suggest you visit this blog  by Victoria Emily Jones who tells you more

Last look at the church

 

I will take my leave you this week with this photo showing a floral display with the choir stalls behind

Till next time have a safe and peaceful weekend