St Giles Newington

 

I hate to think how many times I have stopped of to see if St Giles Newington was open, when ever I past the church I would stop and walk along to the porch to see if the door was open but to no avail. I had made my mind up to find the churchwarden or key holder and ask if it was possible to look inside. I last weeks blog you Saw Rycote Chapel which is quiet a few miles away from St Giles and as usual I made a note to stop off quickly on the way back to check if it might be open. On the way back from Rycote I remembered it was the Ride and Stride where people could do a sponsored walk or ride around all the local churches, it made me think the church could be open. As I drew nearer the church I past a group of walkers heading in the right direction. So I stopped in the layby and walked quickly to the church to be welcomed by a couple of nice ladies who were looking after the church for the ride & stride event. They asked if I had ridden or walked and I said I walked from my car then told them why I was visiting. Funny thing was one of the ladies said she had seen my blog well your in the blog this week and I cannot say how happy I was to finally get to visit this church. Please forgive me if you appear in one of the photos shown in the church, your welcome to a copy if you want one.

  This is an old photo I took a while ago on one of my failed attempts

Again in 2020, as you can see it changed little

In September 2021 I get my first look inside St Giles

 

Chairs have replaced pews if they were there

 

The chancel with lots of memorials on the walls

 

The Altar with east window behind

Here we look back towards the nave through the rood screen

 

This would have been a chapel on the north side 

Right hand side of the chancel arch is the pulpit

 

Better view from the side

 

where you can look down to the nave

 

Or over to the chapel. The people you see are stood around an organist who is playing the harmonium he is seated at. They were part of a group who were on a pilgrimage to Dorchester Abbey

 

 

This is the other instrument which is some kind of organ 

 This is the harmonium the guy they organist was playing

 

You would think this window was just plain

 

 

Till you take a closer look and see some medieval glass in it 

There is even more in one of the North windows

 

 

Memorial to George Wroughton

These are all memorials to various members of the White Family

This is the most impressive memorial to Walter Dunch

Both of them shown in burial shrouds

 The couple head on, there tomb is in the floor nearby

 

 

Detail of the skull on the right hand side

Looking over to the left hand side

 

Memorials on the left of the altar

 

and on the right with a holy water stoup beneath

 

 

Over on the north side of the chancel is this recess which looks like it would have held an effigy once

 

The floor holds a few tombs in good condition

 

This one is of Walter Dunch who's memorial is on the wall nearby

 

Rev John Billingley and his wife Elizabeth

Small memorial to William Powell White

Tomb of Anna Dunch

 

 

Henry Dunch, I might add I come across the Dunch family quite often in churches

 

 

 Rather nice old candelabra with candles

 

The poster was behind an old church chest

 This tile square caught my eye

 

 Royal coat of arms

 

 

The painting of the angel is in the recess of the old north door

 

I will leave you this week with a photo I took of a cross made from wheat stalks and ears

Till Next time I wish you all a wonderful weekend

Take Care