St Peter Alvescot

 

I still have a few churches in West Oxfordshire to visit  so I decided to visit the first thee on the list leaving another three further along near Wiltshire. The second was St Peter Alvescot as I drove past the first one I meant to go to due to missing the turn off. Before I write much more I will tell you the church was locked due to I found out some repairs that had to be done inside. The good news is I can arrange a visit

"The Church of England parish church of Saint Peter is cruciform. The font is Norman and 12th- or 13th-century. The north transept and blocked north doorway are early 13th-century. The hoodmould over the south doorway is either late 13th- or early 14th-century, and the south porch was added in the 14th century. In the 15th century the nave was rebuilt and the present Perpendicular Gothic south transept and west tower were built. In the 16th century the south wall of the south transept was rebuilt and the present piscina in the south transept was inserted. St Peter's was restored in 1872 under the direction of the architects William Slater and Richard Carpenter. It is a Grade II* listed building.

The west tower has a ring of six bells.  Abraham II Rudhall of Gloucester cast the tenor, second and fifth bells in 1727. Robert and James Wells of Aldbourne, Wiltshire cast the fourth bell in 1796. George Mears of the Whitechapel Bell Foundry cast the third bell in 1859. The Whitechapel Bell Foundry also cast the treble bell in 1985. St Peter's parish is now part of the Benefice of Shill Valley and Broadshire."

 First look at the church from in the churchyard

South view

East end and window

Around the north side

Going towards the west. The one on the left is the vestry added in the 1871 works. On the right is the south transept, part of the original building

West end looking at the belltower

The porch is attached to a chapel

The gates stop birds getting in to nest

Inside the porch The massdial is on the south wall outside above that what I think is a pilgrim cross marked on the wall

East end where the chancel is and priest door

There are some pretty old headstones and chest tombs in the churchyard

In fact a lot of tombs

Going over to the south of the churchyard

Collage of graves in the wooded west side of the churchyard

Looking easterly past the church

West direction

More recent looking headstones

These are all the graves of the Neate family. The Neates were rectors throughout most of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. A Neate descendent is still a patron of the church.

Some of the chest tombs

This one the inscription is readable

A very peaceful churchyard.

 I Managed to return to the St Peter to get photos of the inside which can be seen by clicking the link

Till next time have a peaceful week

St George's Kelmscott

I wandered in to this village back in 2012 while tracing down some pillboxes along the Thames. I stopped off at St Georges church and took the time to look round it before carrying on with the task I had started out to do.

Go inside the church and it shows the church dates back a long time.

With wall paintings that date back to the 13th century

Graves up by the altar with crests on show some one of wealth was buried there.

On the wall in the chapel this memorial is hung which is to Edward Dore who it seems was well traveled.

Nearby s a war Memorial tp Frank E Hayes and Henry Hayes who were both killed in the first world war.                                                                                                 

Here we look down the nave of the church from the chancel.

The Altar is a simple one with a small chancel window behnd

That depicts St George killing the dragon.

Either side is this material called Strawberry Thief by William Morris who's influence in restoring the church can be seen.

Going back outside to wander the churchyard you can see many old graves

And some newer memorials

Along with family ones like John Wells Brain his wife and his children who are  buried in these two graves.

Not far away across the churchyard is the grave of William Morris and his family. Many people from all over the world come here to see it while visiting the Manor up the road where he lived.

Kelmscott is a peaceful and tranquil village by the Thames in Oxfordshire that is worth taking your time to visit if your in the area.