St Stephen Clanfield

 

I took the wrong road visiting St Stephen Clanfield parking along a private road by the old entrance to the church and came in what looked like the back entrance, you can read some history on the church below the photo.

"In the Church of England parish church of Saint Stephen the tympanum over the south door is Norman and both the arcade between the nave and the north aisle and the responds of the chancel arch are in the Transitional style between Norman and the Early English Gothic. These features date the church building to about 1200. St Stephen's has four lancet windows dating from late in the 12th century or early in the 13th century: two in the south wall of the chancel and two in the north wall of a chapel on the north side of the chancel. In the chancel the east window and the easternmost window in the south wall are Decorated Gothic, which dates them to between 1250 and 1350. The style of the bell tower suggests it was built either about 1300 or early in the 14th century.

In the 15th century a large statue of St Stephen was added to the outside of the tower, a squint was inserted in the south side of the chancel and the present font was made. The nave was rebuilt in 1869 and the chancel enlarged and partly rebuilt in 1870. The tower has a ring of eight bells. James Keene, who had established a bell-foundry at Woodstock, cast the fourth, fifth and seventh bells in 1653. Michael Darbie, who was an itinerant bell-founder in southeast England, cast the tenor bell in 1667. Richard Keene of Woodstock cast the sixth bell in 1696. John Taylor & Co of Loughborough cast the treble, second and third bells in 1905 to complete the current ring. St Stephen's parish is part of the Benefice of Bampton with Clanfield, which also includes the parishes of Aston, Lew and Shifford."

 East end of the church with north aisle

Looking from the south east

The entrance path from the graveyard and where I should have parked

The tower with statue of St Stephen

West end showing the bell tower

North side showing the north aisle and chapel

South side showing the porch and tower

Closer view of the Medieval statue of St Stephen

Looking across the churchyard from the path I came in on

Looking east over the churchyard

Churchyard south of the church

South west churchyard boundary

Chest tomb on the north side of the church

Collage of the churchyard

Commonwealth war grave of Private J Monk

Headstone on the north side of the church looking west

I liked the carving on this one on the north side

Old headstone around late 1600 early 1700

Porch beckoning me in

Norman arch with typanum

Which once had a sundial

The scratch marks still evident

Inside looking down the nave

Chancel arch looking in the chancel

Zooming into the east window

The chancel fills out past the arch

Altar and reredos

Closer view of the reredos

looking back through the arch to the nave

Some of the brass memorials in the church

Huge squint which was from the chapel but now from what I can see is a vestry

The orgah takes up the other part of the chapel

Choir stalls

Couple of headstones and memorials you can see in the church

Victorian pulpit

View down to the nave

Eagle lectern

Children's area at the back of the north aisle

North aisle which take you to the chapel now partitioned off for the organ

The village roll of honor

The poppy is hand knitted

The nave from the north aisle

15th century font

I will take my leave of you with this photo of a floral display from the chancel

Till next time may I wish you all a peaceful week

St George Kencot

 The second church I visited was St George Kencot which I was hoping would be open, I'm glad to say it was so it was turning out to be a day worthwhile

"The Church of England parish church of Saint George is Norman. Features from this period include the south doorway, whose tympanum contains a relief of Sagittarius shooting a monster, and a former doorway in the north wall. The openings of the chancel windows are 13th century but the windows themselves are modern. The ground stage of the bell tower was built in about 1300 and the present chancel arch was built early in the 14th century. High in the south wall of the nave are two Perpendicular Gothic windows, and the late Perpendicular upper stages of the tower were completed in about 1500. St George's is a Grade II* listed building. The parish is now part of the Benefice of Shill Valley and Broadshire."  

Nearby is the village war memorial

The south side of the church as youcwalk in the gate

Around the north side

North east view

East end with a few of the graves

 South west looking at the tower

Southwest again showing the church, the part of the tower you see with the sloping roof is the straircase to the top off the tower

South east view

Churchyard on the north side looking west

A large family plot which lays forgotten

Tombs which may be of the same family

Churchyard extension with recent burials

North side of the church

South of the church looking west

Merchants tomb the carving still evident

Older headstones

The words are still legible on this headstone which dates to around 1700, moss covers the date

Selection of headstones which I dare say date from around the late 1600's to the 1700s

This one does date to the mid to late 1600's

The Norman entrance door with typanum

The carving looks stunning

Showing Sagittarius shooting a monster

As you walk in the you are faced with the blocked north door

Turning to look down the church to the chancel arch

Through with you see the chancel

Inside the chancel

The altar table

Behind is the Reredo

Looking back through the arch to the nave

The carvings on the chancel arch

East window with the good shepherd depicted 

There is one other stained glass window along with partially colored windows

This one is in the chancel

floral display in the chancel

Piscina

Dated chest with initials

Wine glass pulpit

Looking down on the nave

Oldisworth family memorial dated 1685

This is another memorial painted on wood

This one cis older and belongs to the Westbury family dated 1649 if I read it right

Other memorials in the church

Floor tiles with the names of the person buried under them. I think they have been moved when the Victorians restored the church as the names match the ones on the wall memorials

Roll of honor in the blocked north door

Both are hand written

Coat of arms for William 4th

Carved corbels around the church, one I note still has the original paint on it

The entrance door looking out through the porch

On this side a modern  typanum

The south side pews

Norman font

Now you did not ting I would not try and find if I could get up in the organ loft did you which gives a superb view of the church

 

Led lighting in the church

Till next time may I wish you all a peaceful week