St Mary Adwell

 

 I have been to  St Marys Adwell before but at the time the church was locked and I was not sure I would come back for more photos, but after finding it was in the same benefice as Wheatfield and as it was only a few miles away the church was the next one I visited  and after contacting the churchwarden I was given access to get some photos. I took very few photos from around the churchyard so if you wish to see what it looks like the visit the link above to see more. Photos are taken with both iPhone and camera. Some history from Wikipedia :-

"Adwell's original parish church is believed to have been built late in the 12th century, although the earliest documentation of it is dated 1254. It had only a nave and chancel. The latter may have been enlarged in the 13th century, judging by its east window which was early Decorated Gothic. In the 14th century new windows were inserted in the nave and a new west door was added. In 1553 the building was recorded as having a bell-cot with two bells. All of the walls were repaired around 1800, but by the early 1860s the building was considered too weak to be restored.

The old church building was demolished and in 1865 it was replaced with a new Church of England parish church of Saint Mary designed by the Gothic Revival architect Arthur Blomfield. Blomfield's design replicated the early Decorated style, but the new building retained the south doorway of the old church, which is in the transitional style between Norman and Early English Gothic.The new church also retains the memorials from inside the old one, including a stone effigy of a knight from about 1300. The new building has no aisles, but has north and south chapels arranged as transepts either side of the chancel. There is no tower, but a bell-cot with one bell. The bell dates from about 1350 and so may be from the old church building. St Mary's parish is now part of the Benefice of Thame.^"

 

 As I mentioned I have been hear before and the church has not changed but this time I could see the outer door open

  Looking sightly to the left and the west end

Similar view to the last showing a little more, there is no access to the north side, it is a private property

The bell turret is something you do not see often

You do not see many Commonwealth war graves belonging to the Womens Auxiliary Air force who were the unsung heros of World War Two

Flying Officer L.C.Martin

Some of the tombs and crosses at the east end of the church

The door features some nice iron scroll work on it

Now though I read there was little of the old church left the entrance doorway is old and most likely Norman and over to the right you can see one of the best mass dials I've seen in a  while

Really well preserved

Inside looking from the door

along the nave aisle

Looking into the chancel

The chancel

Altar and east window

The east window is quite beautiful to look at

Choir stalls and desk

The pulpit

which is over to the left of the chancel arch

Giving a really good view of the nave and all the pews

The nave from the chancel

another view from nearer the altar

The west end with the two windows and bell rope

You can also see the font at the west end

Over near the chancel is the south transept chapel

 

which has an altar

and memorials

The Newell family

The crucifix has a set of dog tags hanging from it belonging to Lieut MS Bellow

Looking over to the north transept which is now  a vestry

I felt it rude not to have a look a look and found more memorials in here

Newell family

George Holland

In the nave more memorials

Memorial below what looks like a relic from the old church

The light was washing out this shot

I will leave you this week with a shot of this beautiful floral display

Till Next time take care and stay safe and have a peaceful weekend

St Peter Great Haseley

 

 

After visiting St Mary the Virgin in Great Milton  it was only a few miles to the next village of Great Haseley and St Peter's church. The church can be seen in the distance across the fields as you travel along the road to Thame. I have to admit I did not know what to expect with St Peter but was pleased with my first view when I parked up outside. Some history from Wikipedia

"The Church of England parish church of Saint Peter dates from about 1200. The three-bay arcades linking the nave with the north and south aisles are in a Transitional style from Norman to Early English Gothic, as is an external doorway that has been re-set on the west side of the bell-tower. The chancel and its arch were built late in the 13th century, and it retains all of its Decorated Gothic windows from that time. In the 14th century each aisle was extended eastwards with a fourth bay, and at the end of each aisle is a chapel with a squint into the chancel. The north-east chapel is Perpendicular Gothic, as are the bell-tower and the clerestory that was added to the nave. The Gothic Revival architect Thomas Garner restored the chancel in 1897. St Peter's is a Grade I listed building. The tower has a ring of six bells. Four of them — the present third, fourth, fifth and tenor bells — existed by 1552. In 1641 Ellis I Knight of Reading recast what are now the fourth and fifth bells and cast a new bell (now the second bell), increasing the ring to five. Late in the 1690s William and Robert Cor of Aldbourne, Wiltshire recast what is now the third bell. Thomas Rudhall of Gloucester recast the tenor bell in 1774 and cast a new treble bell in 1775, increasing the ring to six. In 1925 Gillett & Johnston of Croydon re-cast the treble and the third bells, an event watched by King George V and Queen Mary. Also in 1925 all six were re-hung in a new iron frame, which has capacity for the ring to be increased to eight.

St Peter's had a church clock by 1666, when it is first mentioned in the churchwardens' accounts. It was replaced by a new clock in 1759 or 1760. This in turn was replaced by the present clock, which was installed in 1865.

The churchyard contains one war grave from World War II, of Lieutenant-Colonel Anthony Muirhead, the first British Member of Parliament to die serving in the war.

St Peter's parish is now part of a single benefice with the parishes of Great Milton and Little Milton.^"

The view of the church from outside in the road

Above right the tower with the entrance to the church at the base, left a North side view showing the staircase on the side

The door wich is Norman to Early English Gothic 

The North side of the church showing the aisle

Above the North entrance door which from the look has not been used in years

Another view along the North side of the church looking West

A chapel which not doubt used as a vestry now

The East end showing the huge Chancel window

Looking across the churchyard to the South side of the church

Above the South aisle and tower

Looking East over the headstones South of the church

Above something I found very interesting the Porch on the south side of the church which is not used any more.  Right a view across the vast churchyard 

I liked the headstone of Rev Richard John Blakeway

Left pat of the churchyard where he is buried

An old chest tomb by the East end of the church which is listing over to one side and eroding

One Commonwealth War Grave of Dale Edward Gostick. When I noticed the date I felt very sad that he had lost his life in a recent conflict

Near the east end of the church are these graves

I did like this old headstone just a shame the words have eroded

An even older headstone

Above a Wooden cross the owners name gone

Lichen covered cross

Lieutenant-Colonel Anthony Muirhead, the first British Member of Parliament to die serving in the war. I missed finding his grave as I was looking for a cross, after checking on Find a Grave I noticed it was near a cross leaning which is centre in left photo after cropping it I managed a clearer picture of it, I could also make out his name on the headstone in the original

Nice headstone with a vase of flowers

belonging to Christopher Hywel Edward Issac

I will leave you with this photo of a dove that is part of a cross in the churchyard and wish you all a Wonderful weekend. 

Till Next time Stay Safe