This week the Church Explorer take a trip to West Berkshire and four churches that I decided to visit near Newbury. After my trips to north Oxfordshire and churches in Oxford where I was spoiled with open churches I was really disappointed to find that not one of the churches on this trip were open.
Not a great deal of history on the church but this is what is on Wiki
"The Church of England parish church of Saint Mary the Virgin is late Saxon and is the oldest church in Berkshire. It is the burial place of Giovanni Battista Castiglione (1515–98), Elizabeth I's Italian tutor and servant, who was given the nearby Benham Valence house and park in 1570"
The south side from the path
South side looking east, getting a side view of the south was not possible
Going around the north side
A few taken with my iphone. South east end of the church
South west
North side view
Across the north side of the churchyard is this lychgate, the path will take you to a place called the Ladywell, if I go back I will see if I can get a photo
East end of the church
East view of the church again looking over the churchyard
As you walk in the churchyard there are a lot of headstones and tomb chests to see
Most the inscription has gone off them
Looking across the east of the church
Graves line ether side of the path
Headstones and tombs, the two headstones at the top still have the rough outline of the cherubs on them
Going around the west end of the church
The north side is huge, you can see the lychgate to the left in the distance
From by the lychgate, there must have been a lot of rain a few days before because a lot of soil had been washed down the path through the gate into the churchyard covering some memorials
The north side also seems to have more recent burials
Lot of crosses near the boundary north of the churchyard, the near two are wood
Commonwealth war grave of Sergent R.L.Philby who was a pilot RAF 19th October 1942
Near the fence was a lot of small crosses all similar in looks
One of the crosses
Couple of different type tombs
View down to the church
I will leave you with my favorite photo of the church. I'll see if I can get back here to see inside as I'm intrigued that the church is the oldest in Berkshire, the outside does not give that impression.
Till Next time may I wish you all a peaceful week
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