All Saints Woolstone

Before I go on I'd like to say thank you to you all for visiting my blog because on Wedensday it passed 10,0000 views, Many Thanks you make it all worth the effort.
This was the last church in my visit to West Oxfordshire and completes the list I wanted to do along the Ridgeway, there are a few more in the area I hope to be going to see in the future. The church is set in a pretty little village and can easily be missed while driving along the road but it is well worth the detour and finding. Some history from Wikipedia

"The Church of England parish church of All Saints was built in about 1195 as a dependent chapel of Uffington. The building is of chalk and clunch, with stone quoins. The north doorway is original late Norman, as are two lancet windows, one each on the north and south sides of the nave^[towards the west end.
The chancel arch looks early 13th century. There is a south transept, whose arch and south window look late 13th century. Two north windows of the chancel are Decorated Gothic and one north window in the nave also appears to be early 14th century. The font is 14th century or later and is unusual in being a lead bowl mounted on a stone pillar.
In the 18th century the east wall of the chancel was rebuilt in brick with a single-light east window, and the west window of the nave was altered. In 1914 the east window was replaced with a new one of two lights.
In 1783 the church had one bell. In the 19th or early in the 20th century the bellcote was replaced with the present one on the west gable of the nave. The church is a Grade II* listed building.
Woolstone was made an ecclesiastical parish separate from Uffington in 1846. All Saints' is now once again part of the Uffington Benefice, along with the parishes of Baulking and Shellingford"
The one think I was looking forward to seeing was another lead font.

When I got into the village I thought the road to the church seemed to go to a private house but this time there was a carpark at least nearby. You enter the church yard through this arch and walk along the path to the church

The church dates back to 1195 and looks as though it does as well.

Above the West end wall and single bell. Left the North side of the church

You can walk around the East end but not much chance of getting a good photo of it.
Right the South transept and vestry

Back around to the North side

Above the entrance to the church is through this door so no Porch to protect it or you

Above the Norman Chancel arch

Right the arch leading to the South Transept

Going through the arch it opens up into the chancel with the altar

The altar is covered and had the altar cross and candle holder in place

Here we look back along the nave to the back of the church

On either side of the chancel arch you can see the pulpit and this clerks desk or prayer desk

You also ge a good view of the nave from the pulpit

Left is the South transept  and chapel

The feature of the West wall is this panel showing the stations of the cross

The middle panel showing the Crucifixion

The top showing Christ in his Glory

Above the small plate informing you about the panel

Left the organ which is at the back of the nave

The feature I was looking forward to seeing, the Lead font with the engraving around the outside. The other thing I noticed was that the base looked original as well. I felt really privileged to have see so many of these fonts and all of them in Oxfordshire

Above a statue of the Madonna & child in a niche which used to be a doorway

Right the Roll of Honour for the village, at the cross roads where you join with the A4507 you can see the war memorial

While walking back through the church I noticed this  crook made using straw

And this beautiful Candelabra

Above some head carvings and if you look up in the roof you can see more wood carvings

Which are as old as the roof beams

In one of the window recesses I noticed a scratch dial

Above the floral display beside the altar

Outside back in the churchyard

Most of it you will see is around on the North side

With a few interesting monuments

Some of the older ones near the church

More older oned which have had the footstones moved to the headstone

Above I though it was a post but its a memorail to someone

Right looking West

I will leave you with thie view of All Saints Till nexttime

 I wish you all a wonderfull weekend 

St Nicholas Baulking

Baulking is a mile or so north of Uffington so was an easy choice to visit next. My first thoughts were it had not changed much over the years and I'm pleased to say it looked it inside. Some history from Wikipedea
"The Grade-I-listed Church of England parish church of Saint Nicholas was built at the beginning of the 13th century as a dependent chapel of Uffington. The chancel has Early English Gothic lancet windows. In the 14th century diagonal buttresses were added to the church and two Decorated Gothic windows were added in the south wall of the nave. The Perpendicular Gothic window in the north wall of the nave was added late in the 15th century. The oak pulpit is Jacobean and came from Grittleton in Wiltshire. The nave roof is also Jacobean. St. Nicholas' Communion plate includes a chalice made in 1583.
Baulking was made an ecclesiastical parish separate from Uffington in 1846. St. Nicholas' is now once again part of the Uffington Benefice, along with the parishes of Shellingford and Woolstone." 
Get a coffee and read on

St Nicholas looking over the churchyard wall

Above the West end with small bell cote

Left a view of the North side

Couple of views of the East end

Back around to the South side

and along to the entrance

Inside the church does have an old feeling to it with a small chancel arch and squints either side

Going through the arch it expands into the chancel  with the altar at the East end

The simple wooded altar cross a memorial to a former priest and his wife

Looking back at the chancel arch with the squints you cannot help notice a set of stairs on the right. They would have taken you to a rood loft in former times

The squint on the left of the chancel arch

The chancel arch looking out to the nave and right the stairs that would have taken you to the rood loft

Above the lectern and the pulpit behind

A view down the nave from the pulpit

The ghost outline of a solder it marks one who is missing from the congregation and was  killed in the First World War

Two of the memorials on the nave walls

Above memorial to Joseph and Mary Stevenson

Couple more of the impressive memorials

Memorial dedicated to Ann Frances Josselyn Wife of Rev Frances Rose

Lancet window with a dedication to Joseph O'Brian

Some of the stained glass windows in the church

Another with the ghost outline in front of it

At the back of the church is a partitioned off area containing a kitchen and some stairs that take you to an organ loft.You get a nice view down the nave from it

The walls of the Church have paintings on them which are faded

and probably uncovered during restoration work

This one along the church is quite large

It seems to show St George and slaying the dragon with the Maiden nearby


Look up at the roof joists and you can see the initials JD 1708

Flowers on the sill with an icon of St Nicholas

Flowers on the sill

The churchyard is large and headstones are sparse along the west side

They are scattered all over the place as you go North

There is one Commonwealth War Grave of Corporal G Loder


Round the North side of the church looking East there are a few more headstone sin evidence

One unusual looking one of a rock with scrolls on the outside.

Right the small grave of a youngster

More graves of people who wanted to be buried along the East end of the church

Back around to the South side and looking East showing  the churchyard

Till next time I will leave you with this shot of the Flowers and St Nicholas.

Do have a wonderful weekend