St James Ramsden

 

 St James Ramsden was a church I considered visiting on a previous visit to the area but it was always the last one on the list or one I had to go out of my way to get to with the churches I was visiting. This time I worked it so the church was second in a loop I intended to do while I had a loan car while my as my wife's car was being serviced

  In the Church of Englands, Ramsden used to be a dependent chapelry of the parish of Shipton-under-Wychwood. In 1848 the Anglican chapel was described as being "of recent date". The architect William Wilkinson designed Ramsden parsonage, which was built in 1862. It is now Ramsden House. In 1872 the Church of England chapel was replaced by the present parish church of St James. It was designed by the Gothic Revival architect Arthur Blomfield in an Early English Gothic style. Its bell tower has a broach spire and a set of three bells.^"

The tower on St James is offset to the main building and where you find  the entrance

^{Take from the road looking over the boundary wall to see the west end}

 

The tower with spire from over the wall

 

 

Looking from the south east 

 

 ^{South west view}

 

Back around to look at the north side

^{The churchyard on the south side is narrow}

^{Around the north side looking west}

^{North churchyard looking at the spire}

 ^{This part of the churchyard looks north towards what looks like the old village school there are a few more modern graves here}

 

Looking north along the churchyard, the building you see might have been the school. Although there are a few modern headstones in the churchyard you can find a new cemetery just outside the village which I did not get a chance to visit

 

 

Older tomb and crosses

 

 

Along by the roadside wall

 

 

Cast grave marker

 

^{Which was not the only one to be found in the churchyard}

 

Collage of headstones and grave markers

^{The  Nave looking towards the chancel}

^{Chancel arch and screen}

 

^{Inside the chancel with choir stall either side}

 

^{Going up to the altar}

Behind the altar the Reredo

^{Turning around to look back to the screen and nave}

 

Behind a choir stall in the chancel you can see an inscription dedicated to those who served in the war

^{The organ in it's own arch}

^{The inscription behind the choir stall}

The inscription is dedicated to the men who served and were lost in WWI from Ramsden

The pulpit with steps leading to it

Looking down on the pews

View back up the nave

I did not have to make a collage for these memorials to the Wynter family

The east window

These windows are in the north wall of the chancel above the roll of honor

The stained glass windows in the rest of the church are all Gothic Revival and quite stunning to look at

They all show different scenes and dedications on them

This one stood out for me

The south aisle now partitioned off in glass is used for a meeting area and kitchen

You will find some more wonderful stained glass, It may also have been the lady chapel as this window suggests

This is the other stained glass window you can see in the aisle

The font which is at the back of the church

This beautiful floral display is in front of the screen

 

I will leave you this week with this collage of the stained glass,

Till next time may I wish you all a peaceful week

St Peter Wilcote

 

After my revisits to some local churches I thought it was time I filled in a few churches that I missed when I was visiting Oxfordshire Best Churches, turns out there were three all near one I wanted to go to the first was St Peter Wilcote that turned out not so easy to locate because I drove right past the turning to it having to double back to get there

"The Church of England parish church of Saint Peter was built in the latter part of the 12th century, and the blocked Norman south doorway is the most notable feature from this period. Its jamb shafts have cushion capitals. The earliest record of a parish priest is of one Geoffrey, who was installed between 1209 and 1219.

The chancel east wall and chancel arch were rebuilt in the 13th century. The arch is Early English and is carried on head corbels. Early in the 14th century a south chapel was built onto the nave, the north doorway was rebuilt and new windows were inserted in the north and west walls. Also in the 14th century, a small three-light east window was inserted in the chancel and the present Decorated Gothic piscina, credence table and aumbry were installed. In 1545 the church had a rood screen. There is a squint between the nave and the chancel.

By 1844 the south chapel had been removed. In that year the Oxford Architectural Society surveyed the church and recommended rebuilding it in the Decorated Gothic style. Henry Woodyer supervised a restoration in 1853 but already by 1868 it was reported that only the walls were "fit to be left up" and a new restoration was begun under the supervision of Arthur Blomfield. Both the nave and chancel were re-roofed, the porch was rebuilt, a bellcote was added to the west gable of the nave and a bell was hung. The east window of the chancel was replaced by a larger one in a 13th-century style. This was glazed and the nave west windows were re-glazed with stained glass by Heaton, Butler and Bayne of London. The church doors were replaced and new pews installed.

St Peter's is a Grade II* listed building. The parish is now part of the same Benefice as Finstock, Leafield and Ramsden. Despite the very small size of the parish, St Peter's is an active church within the wider Benefice with services currently taking place every Friday (Evening Prayer) and any fifth Sunday in a calendar month (Holy Communion)"

 The church from the gate

 The west end with bellcote and a central buttress

 

 

Blocked south doorway which as you can see is of Norman origin

 

 

This blocked arch was where the south chapel used to be before it was removed

 

 

East end

 

Going back to look at the north side

North side showing the porch and priests door in the east end

 

 

 

The graves at the east end of the church the truth be known there are not that many headstones to see in the churchyard

 

Going around the east end showing the graves there

From the east end looking  over to the south side churchyard

Forgotten tomb covered in moss

 

 

Couple of headstones nearly lost in the shrubbery

 

South side looking north 

 

The porch

 

Entrance doorway

 

View down the nave to the chancel arch

 

Going in closer

The chancel arch

Inside the chancel

Altar and east window

The altar

View down on the altar showing the mosaic at the back

The east window is quite magnificent

Looking back west through the arch

The nave from the chancel arch

Some large kneelers on one of the pews

The pews and the only shot I have of the pulpit

I did not forget to get a view from it though

 

Memorials in the church

Which are all dedicated to a few families

The south east corner of the chancel

This was hanging in the corner of the nave and I m wondering if it is part of the old rood screen decoration

 

Decorated Gothic piscina

 

 

Which is near the chair on the south side of the chancel

Aumbry behind the second chair

Headstops on either side of the arch

They are quite impressive to look at

Windows at the west end

 

There is stained glass and coloured glass in the windows

 

It is nice to look at

And ads to the windows

 

Making the a  lot more interesting 

 

The nave roof (not my best photo)

 

The chancel roof

One of the bosses

Blocked south door now with converted lamp

 

This one may still run on oil

 

The font, I find it hard to age these

 

I will leave you with this photo of an oil lamp with the cross over the chancel arch in the background

Till next time may I wish you all a peaceful week