St Mary Shifford

St Mary's Chapel stands in a field near a local farm not far from the river Thames. I first saw the chapel from the Thames path when I was walking along it visiting WWII pillboxes, this was back in December 2010. the first set of photos were taken then and are the only ones I have due my dropping a hard drive and loosing some of the photos I took. When I first visited the church it was locked and I always meant to return, it took over 12 years because in September 2023 I made a point of visiting during the Stride & ride event and took my photos inside. It turned out to be a really nice little church

 The chapel is off the road and accessed via a footpath , the history below comes from Wikipedia

 Shifford was never an ecclesiastical parish but in medieval times it was a dependent chapelry of Bampton. The chapel was later described as "Georgian" and became derelict by the 19th century. In 1863 it was replaced with a Gothic Revival one designed by the architect Joseph Clarke. It is a Grade II listed building.

Looking from the south west

The gravel path leading past the churchyard

The churchyard with many old graves in 

The south side of the chapel

 

The headstones here look like the are older than the church

 

 

 

 Preaching cross stump

 

 

The porch and in front the remains of the preaching cross.

 

 

Collage of tomb chests and headstones
 

 Couple of headstones sinking beside a family grave

 

Collage of headstones

 

 Old headstone 

 

South of the church

north east side

The preaching cross and church

The door open for the ride and stride event

The nave and chancel

Inside the chancel with choir stalls

Wider view

The altar and east windows

Altar with simple wooden cross and candle holder

Altar cross and candle holder with east window behind

the stained glass above the east windows

As you walk around the church each window has a stained glass insert and inscription below

 

The west windows

The windows are beautiful in their simplicity

I like coming across these old notices

Memorial to Philip Wallis

Memorial to Kathleen Amanda Thompson

Pulpit on the left of the chancel arch

View from the pulpit

Near the back is the font. 

I did visit St Lawrence Tubney after on the off chance it would be open, it was so rather than posting another blog on the church I have updated the original. If you click on the link you can see the updated blog with photos of the inside of the church.

Till next time I wish you all a wonderful weekend

A ruined Chapel

 

A number of years ago while driving along the A44 in Wales I though I spotted an old chapel off the road so one day when I got the chance I managed to find it again an stopped off for a look.

The Chapel was called Cornhill Methodist Chapel was built in 1843 in the Vernacular style of the long-wall entry type. It closed in 1949 and by 1990 the chapel had become a roofless ruin. This link shows it before the roof caved in.

 

 

 The chapel had a small gate leading into a graveyard still with gravestones

Looking at the building it was in a poor state with most of the window frames and all the roof gone

Windows faced towards the road.  

All it seemed was it needed a window.

The side looked like it has seen better days with a large crack over the window and a window from in place.

 

 

This photo was a stitch using two photos but showed inside the shell where a elderberry trees are growing .

 

 The remaining graves and grass were still well tended and looked in good condition.

I left the place to it's own wondering what would become of it. The photos were taken nearly four years ago so I often wonder if it is still there and not fallen down.

In 2016 I was nearby at a church so stopped for a look at the chapel, the graveyard was getting over grown and the church was shielded by trees

I did not venture any closer to see how it looked inside.

 

 I left the place to rest the in peace of the surrounding countryside

Take care and have a safe weekend

The Fairmile Cemetery.

Go into the new graveyard at Cholsey Church and over on the far left hand side you will see this plaque commemorating the those who were buried there.

 "This Plaque is to commemorate all those who have been laid to rest in this churchyard and cemetery from Fairmile Hospital 1870 - 2003

"The eternal God is your refuge and underneath are the everlasting arms"    

             Deuteronomy 33v27 

Underneath are two other plaques placed there in memory of who I assume were patients there. My parents would have known if they had been alive.
The original  cemetery was over on the south west side.

A few headstones can be seen in the area though there is one which watches over them.

The grave belonged to Dr James William Murdock who was the superintendent at the Hospital  His last wish was that he was buried with his patients so he could watch over them

The inscription reads
"Write me as one (who laboured for) Loved his fellow men the Angel wrote"
He died on 28th April 1917 His wife Celia who is buried with him passed away on 9th October 1962 aged 92 years.
The statue used to have a trumpet but that disappeared many years ago.
There are a few headstones left in that part of the churchyard though I think it would have been full of cast iron grave markers 

 

Like these in the photo's above, when I was young lad I used to cut the grass in the churchyard and was always coming across them.
When the churchyard ran out of room an extension was built next door  and the Fairmile cemetery went next door as well.

The is the second Fairmile cemetery with a few headstones  showing, no doubt provided by their estate and relatives. Most of them have no marker to remember them. I'm also not sure if the area was used for paupers graves as I seem to remember an open grave with planks on which I was told was for this purpose.

One of the headstones you see above is to Ronald Leslie Walker or Les as his friends knew him. He used to work with my Father  for many years
 

 Another person or persons who worked at Fairmile were Moses Nicholls and Avery Nicholls the latter who I think was the son of Moses. Both worked as Stewards of Fairmile.  Moses is buired with his Wife  Maria and Avery with his Sister Blanche who I knew as Miss Nicholls and remember her riding a bicycle round the village and visiting a lady who lived next door to  me

William or Bill Southby who is buried with is parents was another member of staff who worked at Fairmile and was a keen sportsman. He now has a close named after him New housing at Fairmile. His grave like the last is in the old Churchyard

The O'Brians were family friends and used to live in the Star Terrace before moving to the new housing built in 1960 along Papist way I went to school with the oldest son and was Friends with him for years till we lost touch. Last I heard was that he had moved to Ireland. His younger brother Paul young like his Mother.

 The name Ethel Mary Fetherstone is a name I recognise but I could not tell you any more at the moment. The cemetery here is still provided for by the NHS in maintenance costs though there are few headstones there to remind you of what the place was used for. When you walk round the cemetery you can recognise many of the staff who worked there including my parents. A few I have shown and will add more in future.
The plaque on the wall is the reminder of those who lay buried here RIP.