St Birnus Dorchester

St Birnus is a small Catholic church in Dorchester Oxfordshire. I remember being taken there on some occasion by my mother when I was quite young. I remember little about it other than where it was. I had the chance to visit it a few years ago  and took a few photos. The church was originally built in the 1850s by architect William Wardell

St Birnus as you walk through the churchyard to it

It is quite a small churchyard with a few graves in it.

Round what is the front you can see this statue which I think is St Birnus, the photo on the right is stitched as at the time I did not have a wide angle lens.

The eternal architecture is worth stopping to looking at

but inside will knock your socks off. The following photos were taken freehand so could be a bit out of focus.

 A small rood screen leads to the chancel with the altar

Stained galss and a statue of St Birnus can be seen in the nave.









 

 The main entrance is through the gate here  and on Monday they say a Latin Mass but if you don't want to go then it is still worth looking round and spend some time in the church

Dorchester Abbey

This blog was fist published in 2013 and as I wasunsure what to write for this weeks blog I decided that Dorchester Abbey might make a good subject. Now I have only been in the place once but do intend to return for some better pictures. The Abbey sits beside the river Thame which lend it's name to the Thames which it joins about a Km (half a mile) away.

This was the second church I had visited this day but take this as a taster as I did not go prepared with a Tripod

This is looking down the nave to the back of the church.

Looking towards the Chancel 

The wall paintings are Medieval and shows how old the church is, I think St Brinus had somting to do with it.

The Impressive Chancel window.

 Part of the churchyard

 



On the left are the remains of an old preaching cross and the right the church.

The Abbey church.

Looking along the side of the  church

 This is looking through the Lych Gate to the church.

The churchyard with thatched cottage in the background and a memorial to a one of the clergy. As I said more of a taster I need to go back again.

Have a Wonderful weekend