St Helen Abingdon Pt2

 

 This week we pay a second visit to St Helens Church in Abingdon a church which I found to be one of the biggest I have been to in a long time. Most Churches I have been to have three bays a centre aisle flanked on either side by and a north and south aisle. St Helen has five bays which made it church with a lot to see. The church must have had a lot of wealthy benefactors in the past to pay for the work done

The entrance porch on the north side, it has a room over it not a place I could look  from what I could see

 Over to the right of the porch you can see this information panel on the church

After showing you the teaser last week here is a panoramic shot of what you see when you come in the door. The church is huge and I had to admit I did not know where to start taking photos there was so much to see. There are four aisles plus chapels to look around. It's quite daunting 

The place I should have began with was the nave which looks down towards the chancel

 

This has a rood screen across it with a rood cross above

The altar and the east wall which has a beautiful panel behind that hides the east window so there is no chance of seeing the stained glass in it

Closer view of the altar and back panel

 

 

The craftsmanship is amazing

 

 

The altar with the candle holders and altar cross

 

Look back the other way and you see the modern altar

 

Which looks a lot nice from the front with the floral display
 

 The aisles I could not tell you what they are but this is the north most one where you come in

 

going over one you come to this aisle which has a chapel at the end

 

 Skipping over the nave you see this aisle with the organ at the end

 

The finally the south aisle which may have had an altar at the end

 

This view looks back towards the west end with the north aisle over to the right
 

 

again looking to the west from the nave with the south aisle furthest away

 

At the end of the north aisle  you find the font with a counterbalanced cover

 

 

There is quite a bit of stained glass in the church this one is the west window in the north sile

 

which I have made a collage of to show, the tree at the bottom are along the south aisle

 

This window is the one next to the north aisle and nave

 

This one is the west window in the nave

 This window may be hidden behind the organ

 

This I think is the lady chapel and is quit beautify in it's simplicity

 

 Between the lady chapel and north aisle is the tomb

 

This plaque on the top, The date seems to be 1371

 

 

Eagle lectern in the chancel

 

 

Some of the memorials you find in the church

 In the comments last week Bovey Belle mentioned the tree of Jessie I did see it but failed to get a photo, this has been cropped from one of the pictures in the collage, I'll get a better one when I go back to Abingdon again

 

There are a vast number of memorials in the church which make up their own collages like this one on the north wall

 

These three are in the south aisle

 

This war memorial is on the west wall of the nave

 

The Crew family memorial is on the east wall of the south aisle

 along with a whole host of other memorials

 

The organ in the aisle beside the nave

 

 

a glass door lets you see the keyboard

 a caring of a figure playing  harp is on the side

 

Quite a few tombs in the floor as well 

 In the north aisle you can see this quite stunning memorial which is partly covered by church paraphernalia 

 

Pulpit which is on a stone plinth

 

This looks down from the pulpit to the nave

 

The over to the next aisle

 

The rood cross

 

The church has quiet a few beautiful candelabras hanging from the roof 

 

A panoramic view of the church from the back of the nave

 

Another from the pulpit

 

While looking around the north aisle I came across the roll of honour just stacked against the doorway

 

There is another panel like this as well. I had to wonder why they were not on show

 

View on the chancel

 

Carved finals on one of the pews, the royal unicorn

 

 and lion

I will take my leave of you the week with this view of a floral display in the church. 

Till next time I wish you all a Happy Easter

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