St James Winterbourn

 

Last church to visit was St James Winterbourn which I drove right past before I realised I had missed it, even as I drove back and found the entrance road I managed to drive past a second time and was well along a dirt track before managing to turn around finding the church in front of me as I came back. Sadly another locked  

 The Church of England parish church of Saint James was completely redeveloped in the 18th and 19th centuries. The north chapel was added in 1712 and the bell tower in 1759. The architect J.W. Hugall rebuilt the nave in 1854 and a Mr. Hudson restored the chancel in 1895. Hudson retained the chancel's 14th-century east window, and an earlier lancet window in the south wall. The building is Grade II* listed.

Collage of the church and churchyard

South of the church

^{Chancel end with priest door, double headstones east of the south aisle}

^{The arch over the door way caught my eye, part of the old church?}

^{East end of the church}

^{North east view showing the church has a north aisle and chapel at the end along with vestry}

^{North view where you can see the north aisle}

^{West aspect with north and south aisles, the west doorway lead to the bell tower} 

 South west view from the path

 

^{Churchyard around the north side}

^{The chest tomb looks lonely out the back in the long grass}

^{The north side of the church looks empty with a few headstones amongst the long grass}

^{This is going around the east end where most people wanted to be buried}

^{Commonwealth war grave of Driver L Appleford, the inscription on the top tells you he is buried elsewhere in the churchyard.} 

^{Three headstones looking lost in the churchyard}

 

Even these two tombs look like they were just plonked there. I have no doubt there are more graves around with no headstones.

 

I will leave you with this view out the north side of the churchyard showing the Berkshire countryside to give an idea how rural the church was.

Next weeks church is a return visit to Wantage church and you do get to look around inside 

Till next time may I wish you all a peaceful week