Dore Abbey

 

Next church to visit is Abbey Dore which was more or less on the way to the next church I was  going visit at St Margaret and you needed to drive past Abbey Dore to get there. The Church is Magnificent and when it was an Abbey it must have looked stunning. The reformation really did destroy some treasures of our country. There is so much to see in this church that the time I had here was short so I may well have missed some things to see 

No point in writing a short history, read Wikipedia on Dore Abbey to learn more

Lychgate off the road, there is a second to see as well

 As you go down the path the church just gets bigger

 

The nearer you get the larger it is

I could only stand in awe looking a it

This is down the east end 

Going to the south west side of the churchyard

West end, you can see the outline of the original building and the blocked archway, I would have been stood in the nave

North side with the building outline, the ruin I think was the sacristy I'm probably stood near the chapter house 

The ruins by the church

One of the columns with the south aisle arch in the distance 

Looking from by the north aisle to the south

Through the sacristy 

Part of the vestry wall

The churchyard now takes up where the nave and aisles were 

There are a fare few tomb chests in the churchyard

To think this churchyard was once an Abby nave

East from near the porch

Back along the path

Looking west

The second lychgate by the village end

The wall on the left I suspect belonged to the abbey but we are looking along where the nave was

It's a big churchyard to look around

The porch and time to go in

First look inside

First right a small chapel 

It's altar and east window

Beautiful looking font cover which has bee retired in the corner, pity I think it should be on display

Windows with fragments of medieval glass 

Wide view of the chapel 

The base of the collection box is part of the old abbey 

The transept crossover with gallery

Now I think it an odd place for a gallery and I wonder if it was made out of a rood loft

I did not go in it but I did go to the door at the top of the steps to get this view

This looks like  a blocked arch to me with a huge royal coat of arms

Looking along the north aisle

I take this is a rood screen did the gallery sit on top, now it is the partition to the nave

The present nave

Nearer the choir stalls

South wall

Looking up to the ceiling of the church, its a long way

 

Choir stalls or where you sit for a service

The altar which is sat on three column  remains if I'm right, a part of the old abbey is leaning my the center one

Altar cross and candle holder, I'd like to say it was the east window behind but it one of the windows in the east aisle. Strangely though you can see three large east windows in previous photos I did not take photos of them 

Looking back west, you can see the outline of the blocked nave arch

Organ off in one of the north aisle arches

Opposite side is the pulpit

This is the view from it

the altar as well

I noticed this painting on the west wall

Looking over to the old north priest door

Towards the south aisle

The font which looks to have been set in some medieval floor tiles 

I'm wondering if this was behind an altar

South aisle

Part of the ceiling along the south asile

There is also a stone coffin

Carved out with a space for the head

Coffin lid though I'm not sure if it is off the one above

Painting along the south aisle 

This one has been through the wars

Window with fragments of medieval glass

detail of the glass

couple of funerary hatchments

Collage of memorials in the church

East window you saw behind the altar

Other stained glass windows

One side of the east aisle is covered in parts of the old abbey

The vaulted ceiling stunning to look at

Two east aisles 

Waling along you see bosses with descriptions of what they are

This on the other has looks new

50 years of something I should have looked

Memorial to William Bailey Partridge 

Abbey Dore Roll of Honour

Memorial to Capt Richard Crawshay Bailey Partridge 

Boss showing Christ in his Majesty 

Info on the boss

Coronation of the Virgin

Information about the boss

Remains and a couple more bosses, note the green man

Abbot with the Virgin and Child 

Information about the boss

The bosses can be seen along the east aisle

There are a few tombs in the church, this was the oldest I saw

North aisle

Coffin bearer of byre with a coffin shaped piece of wood, the effigy of the knight behind has lost it's legs

North door which is old, there is a newer one behind

Memorial to Mrs Susanna Coates 

Beautifully made banner 

This gives an idea how big the abbey was compared to what is there today

Information about life at the abbey

Second one about the abbey

The Abbey church today, a shadow of what it was

What can I say I showed what I can but it is worth visiting if you are in the area.

Till next time may I wish you all a peaceful week