St Helens Albury

Recently I went to collect am awning for my caravan and noticed nearby was a church, it was in a small village called Albury which is mentioned in the Domeday Book. The church dates back to the 13 century though the present one was built in after the old one was demolished in 1828. The church is along a single track road with a few houses nearby.

The church as seen from the entrance gate

The churchyard was well kept and had new and old graves 

The large chest tomb was most impressive

The older headstones were also in great condition

The churchyard on the east end of the church

Some of the older headstones 

The south side of St Helen's  looking up the footpath to the porch

Graves near the porch

 The nave looking towards the chancel

The chancel also had a rood screen

Over the top of the rood screen is a carved depiction of the crucifixion.








 
The stained glass i n the church was of a high standard
















There are also some nice memorials and a tomb in the aisle.

Small altar to the Madonna & Child

The memorial to the men from Albury & Tiddington who were killed in the first world war.






















The church font and the knealers which are the handiwork of the WI

The church seen from in the organ loft. St Helen's a pleasant unspoiled church worth a visit if you are nearby.

St Peter & Paul Aston Rowant Church

I visited this church while taking photos to show what the village like for Sharon from Strong Foundations who's relations came from the village unfortunately it was not open when I went so a return visit to the church was a must.  Before you scroll down you might want to get a coffee there are a lot of photo's

St Peter & St Paul can be found off Church lane

St Peter & St Paul.

From along Church lane

 The Village War memorial with the Malt House in the background.

The churchyard has many old graves 

Some insight and easy to see

Others becoming lost and overgrown.

At the back if you look over the wall you can see the old rectory.

Going inside you find the place is a gem.

With large plaques showing bequeaths to the parish poor

chests with the handbells  dated 1882

even the alcove has a flowers in

I will start in the nave here looking towards the chancel

which though simple has a wonderful stained glass window.

also in the chancel you can see the 12th Century tomb of a priest

Off to the side is the North Aisle which has a couple of tomb recesses

and where you can see this magnificent Memorial to Lady Cicill Hobbee who died in 1618

Quite stunning something I have not seen before.

 and at the East end of the aisle you can see some of the Medieval glass that remains

At the end you can see some steps half way up the wall, they would have gone to the floor once but came out in rood loft in the nave. You can still see where the floor joists connected to the chancel arch.

 This was to give people who were in the chapel a view of what was happening at the altar.

The church organ which is at the back of the chapel

The memorial to those who died in the wars

Memorials on the nave walls

 graves in the aisle floor 

some great kneeler's made by the WI

Looking out of the windows in the North Aisle shows the churchyard

I'll leave you with this view of the nave from the pulpit, hope you have enjoyed the look round St Peter & St Paul

War Memorials

Most places I have visited have a war Memorial to remember the dead of the two wars. Some villages have a small one others are quite elaborate but every year on remembrance day  people gather and remember those who were lost and lay poppy wreaths.  There were few villages that escaped and they are known as Thankful villages there were 52 in all and 14 of them were doubly thankful as they lost none in the second war either.

This one of a first world war soldier is in New Radnor Wales. Wales lost a lot of it's men in the first war.

Llandrindod Wells a lager market town has one as magnificen

Other villages in the UK tend to have a more simple memorials  like these at Harwell and Dorchester on Thames in Oxfordshire

 Garieston in Scotland has it's Memorial on he seafront

Reading which is now the County Town of Berkshire has two different memorials
The Lion is called the Maiwand Lion and is dedicated to men from the Berkshire Regiment who gave their lives at the Battle of Maiwand in Afghanistan  1880 The plain white one is dedicated to the dead of the two wars.

This is another memorial which is in Berinsfield near Dorchester in Oxfordshire which is dedicated to airmen from Mount Farm photo reconnaissance squadron which were based there in the second war.  

I will leave you with this one in Wallingford market place and will bring you another blog on war memorials at a later date.