2023 Review Pt2

 

 The next part of the review covers from July to the end of the year and will show more of the Welsh churches that I have been visiting in my tour of Churches of the Built Wells Area as a tribute to the Late Phil Jones

July

 An evening trip to Banbury gave the chance to visit a couple of churches, the first was St Mary which was a very impressive looking church which as turned out was locked, mind you I did get there a little late

St John the Evangelist Catholic church was open so I took the opportunity to look around and t was one of the most beautiful Catholic churches I have seen

St Giles Stanlake was a church I came across looking at the map and wondered how I missed seeing it before. It took tow visits to get the photos I wanted but it was worth the effort

 

A few miles away you find St Nicholas & St Swithun Yelford tucked away behind some houses. If you find the church is is full of charm

August

St Mary Weston on the Green was one of my Wednesday visits but provided me with a superb Georgian church to look around  

 

 

This year I was determined to finish off the Welsh churches that were on my list and this started with Llanlleonfel Church which turned out it was not named after any saint but sill a nice one to visit, it was the first of three churches I visited that day

I drove along to Beulah and |Eglwys oen duw Beulah a rather nice Victorian church

 

 From the last church I drove up into the hillside to find St Cammarch Llangammarch Wells. This was another Victorian church with a few remnants of the old church remaining.

 

A midweek visit to Oxford provided me with the chance to visit something I always wanted to see The Headington Shark. While walking there I passed All Saints Headington, on my way back I noticed it was open I felt it was rude not to look 

Septemeber 

We were back in Wales again the following week to visit St James Llanwrtyd Wells an nice enough Victorian church built to served a new spa town at the time

 

You had to drove a few miles up in the hills to find the old St David Llanwrtyd but it well with going to as it has so much more to see 

 

One of the last churches on my quest to visit the Churchs in the Builth Wells area was St David Triabad

and I was concerned if it was going to be open as I turned up a day earlier that I made the apportionment for due to a change of plans. What I found was one of the few Georgian Churches in Wales that was in need of some TLC. I hop they manage to fined the funds to do what they want with the church

 

 

St Nicholas Piddington is a church mentioned in the book Oxfordshires Best Churches which I am visiting  I had to get the church opened but I found a really nice church to visit

I drove past St James Boarstall on my way to Piddington  so stopped off on my way back only to find the church locked, It looked an interesting Georgian church and if I get the chance I will see if I can visit again

October

St Peter and St Paul Shiplake was a church I noticed alone on my map as being one not visited after seeing it was listed in Oxfordshires Best Churches I wasted no time in visiting. The church was well worth the visit fro the amazing stained glass dating back to the middle ages

For my nest post on St James Aston I tagged along on the Ride and Stride event only I drove then did  a bit of striding, mind you I had to tell them I was not in the event. After finding the first two churches closed I found the church open so was happy when I looked around

 

You may have seen St Mary Bampton on TV as it was the church used in the filming of Downton Abbey. I have to say it is quite a church to visit and a lot of people do. I had to visit a couple of time to get my photos and have yet to go back for another of something I missed. The church took two blogs to cover

 

I managed to slip St Mary Shifford  in during the week by mistake, I managed to stop of for some photos of the inside and updated an old blog it was in.

I also managed to visit St Lawrence Tubney on my way back just in case it was open, by some fluke of luck it was  so I managed to get photos inside and finish the blog

St Mary Chesterton was visited on one of my Wednesday morning trips which my son was at the JR. I have to say it turned out to be a very nice old church.

 

November

 

I arranged for St Giles Wendlebury to be opened after my visit to the last church and found another surprisingly nice little church

 

 Beili Heulog Congregational Chapel. was listed in Churches of the Builth Wells Area as Gwenddwr Chapel. The photo and description did not match up so after driving up into the hillside I found the chapel down in a valley. I was also pleased to find it was open. I stopped of in Gwenddwr on my way back and also found that chapel open so came away feeling very privileged to have been able to visit them. It is just a shame I could not talk to Phil Jones about them.

 

I had left visiting Brecon Cathedral till last, I felt if made fitting tribute to Phil Jones and his list of churches he had visited.  It was one of the highlights of my year in visiting churches and took two blogs to cover, I would still go back as there is so much to see.

December

 

St Mary the Virgin Black Bourton is listed in Oxfordshires Best Churches so was another must for me to visit. It is a church full of history and had one of the biggest Commonwealth War grave cemeteries I have seen in a village.

 

I weld along to St Mary Magdalene in Woodstock next and went along quite early as I did not know how easy it was to park in the town. I even managed to have a look around the county museum which I waited for a service to end in the church which turned out to be another beauty with a stunning Norman doorway

St Mary Magdalene Shabbington was a revisit to a church I went to a few years ago and found locked. This time I found a coffee morning about to happen and met some very friendly parishioners 

 

The last church of the year was St Peter & St Paul Worminghall a rather nice country church still loved by the local people.

 

 

I managed to visit more churches this year than I have done for a while. Hopefully next year I will be able to visit a few more churches in Wales that look interesting as well at trying to visit the rest of Oxfordshires Best Churches that are listed in the book. I may also revisit some of the local churches to me to update the photos I am not happy with.  

I hope you all enjoyed the churches that I bring you and that you will continue to read my blog

Till next time I wish you all a wonderful weekend