St Michaels Aston Tirrold

The Aston Tirrold is the sister village to Aston Upthorp where I took you last week, here you will find the church of St Michael. Now I had been here before but this time I returned with my tripod.

The entrance St Michael up the steps, the walls is cracked from subsidence

St Michaels church taken from by the other entrance to the churchyard

which will take you to the church porch

Looking up at the bell Tower with the clock facing the churchyard. One of the few clocks I have seen not placed over the louvers. Look a little further up to the left and you can see an even older clock. A sundial

Not sure how old the porch is but it is paneled and the porch also covers and even older doorway and alcove

Inside the church you get this view down the nave from the back by the font

which stands at the back under the bell tower

Here we look past the font to the nave

Through the arches you have the North aisle though the chapel at the end now houses the church organ

Walk down the nave to the chancel arch and to the right is this chapel with it's own small rood screen

I thought it better to take the photo of the altar from this angle as the chapel is quite small

There are a few family memorials, these two of David Erskine Langmore and  his father Herbert Richard Langmore. It must have been heart breaking to have is son lost so far from home with no know grave.

On the South wall an older memorial can be see. Near the altar is the village war memorial, interesting to note the two hand written plaques listing people from the village involved in the war effort

The list of the village fallen from the First World War

Coming out of the chapel and into the Chancel 

I think I should have used some fill in flash but you can see the paneled area surrounding the altar and really giving it a rich look

Above is this beautiful stained glass window

Mind you it's not the only one you can see, this one is in the bell tower  at the end of the nave.

 
The stained glass on the left is in the Chancel and the other on the right can be seen at the back of the nave

Family memorials in the chancel

were you can also see this superb looking organ

Just in front of the  chancel arch is this carved wooden pulpit

At the back of the nave is this tomb which you can see in floor. You can also see this memorial to Thomas Curtis on the wall

Looking up by the chancel arch is this chandelier complete with candles

 
Talking of which the advent candles were also out

The chancel arch has these painted finals

Flowers are always in evidence at most churches though those of you who follow my daily blog will have seen these on Wednesday

As I was about to go I noticed this alcove above a door by the chancel arch , it was the entrance to a rood loft the church once had.

My parting shot of the inside of the church.

Back outside and a quick look round the churchyard here looking towards what may have been the manor as there is a gate leading to it

Looking towards the road with a wall on the left that also has a gate which lead to maybe the rectory

On the side of the porch is this headstone

Look round and you can see many other headstones

Some which are becoming hard to make out

Near the chancel end are family graves

Other headstones are tipping 

And you can view others which have fallen along the side of the path to the church. The churchyard is small like the sister church so a new cemetery has been opened along the road which I have yet to visit.

Have a peaceful Sunday
Taking part in Taphophile tragics & Cemetery Sunday

All Saints Aston Upthorpe

Last Saturday I popped over to a neighboring village to take some photos of a church but on getting there I found the door locked so I drove round to the next village and a church I knew was open. All Saints in Aston Upthorpe

I had been to this church before and found it one of the nicest ones in the area as it dates back to the 11th century though little remains to show this apart from the small window you see which is to the left of the porch and dates back to Norman times.

The churchyard is small being mostly at the front but you can see a few interesting headstones in it.

These graves are under the canopy of the large Yew in the churchyard

The graves here are at the other end of the churchyard

By the footpath leading to Blewburton Hill

Going round the south side of the church there is little to see apart from the blocked up Norman Doorway

Walking through the door from the porch the first thing you see is the old Norman Doorway now an alcove with a carving stood on a plinth.

 You need to walk to the back of the nave for tis view down the church

Just past the Norman doorway on the right you can see this old wall painting which was uncovered while decorating the Church

A little further along the nave brings you to the Chancel

 The altar decorated from Remembrance Sunday

We will Remember Them

One of the stained glass windows in the church and a floral display

 This windowsill was decorated also for Remembrance Sunday

Embroidered kneelers at the Altar rails

One of the family memorials to the Slade family

 

I like the simplicity of the memorials in the church.

Robert Slade is buried in the churchyard

 A sad memorial to Robert Thorpe Slade who died aged 11

A view along the nave from the chancel

The font and carved wood font cover at  the back of the nave, the bell ropes can be seen hanging either side

 The wooden spire on the church which contains the church bells

Have a peaceful Sunday
Taking part in Taphophile tragics & Cemetery Sunday