This week we visit Freeland which is only a few miles from Long Handborough and Witney, this is the last of the churches I visited in West Oxfordshire. The history comes courtesy of Wikipedia
"The Gothic Revival architect John Loughborough Pearson designed the Church of England parish church of Saint Mary the Virgin, parsonage and parish school. The Taunton family paid for the church and parsonage to be built in 1869 and the school in 1871.
The church is high Victorian Gothic Revival, with stained glass and decoration by Clayton and Bell and 13th-century-style paintings of Jesus' Passion and Transfiguration. Mears and Stainbank of the Whitechapel Bell Foundry cast four bells for St. Mary's in 1896. The same foundry cast a new treble and second bells in 2010, completing the present ring of six. The church clock was made and installed by Smiths of Derby in May 1898 and was dedicated to a Sarah Percival. In May 1969 the clock was taken down, reset and regilted by Judge Brothers of Oxford, and reinstalled by the local Breakspear family.
The parish is now part of the Benefice of Hanborough and Freeland."
The entrance to St Mary's church is through this superb lychgate
The striking thing about the church is the belltower over on the North side of the church
The apse end of the church with the tower peeking over the top of the church
Near the West end looking to the porch
Going back to the East end
And a view of the East end of the church. There is no access around the North side as it boundaries on the old school
Looking along the South side to the Porch and a view of the porch which has a room over it
Inside you look along a nave with a high ceiling
From there you can see the chancel with an Arched ceiling
The altar is plane but behind is an elaborate carved screen with a depiction of the Crucifixion and twelve angels
It's a superb piece of art work
The stone pulpit has figures painted in what looks like a Greek stile
Above a view from the pulpit
Right a Sidilia also painted
You will find the organ in the chancel as well
Right along either side of the nave you can follow the Stations of the Cross
The Roll of honour in the church is had written and framed
beside it is this memorial to Basil Graham Thomas who was killed in the battle of the Somme
Just on from that in the corner is the British Legion flags with a carving of the Madonna and child in front
There is also another statue of the Madonna in the chancel arch
The font is square with paintings around it, the cover is a piece of art in itself
The West end of the church has a very nice Stained Glass Window
The chancel is covered in wall paintings, with run into the apse and the window recesses
It was easier to take photos of the Stained glass in the Apse individually
You could spend quite a while walking around the chancel looking at the wall paintings
They all show scenes from the life of Christ
It's all pure Gothic Revival
The windows in the Nave are all stained glass with round windows at the top
The sow more scenes from the life of Christ
On the way out I found the door that lead to the room over the porch
The churchyard is quite long but round from the East end behind the church
along the South side to the West end
There are quiet a few graves beside the church
Looking down the churchyard West
Behind the church on the East end
From over the wall on the roadside you get a nice view of the Church
I will leave you this week with a view of the Village War Memorial.
Till Next time I wish you a pleasant weekend
