St John the Baptist Moulsford

There has been a church on this site since the early  part of the 12th Century though  it  first mentioned that a chapel  was here in 1220-1227. In 1508 4 shillings & eight Pence were left to the church by John Cockles (that's about 25pence in today's money) and in 1547 Thomas Benet left 3shillings & four pence. Back then that was a lot of money. It shows the church had benefactors.  In 1846 most of the medieval church was demolished and the current church was built on its foundations. It was designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott in the Gothic Revival stile and the  building retains the west wall of the original church, which includes a 13th-century Early English Gothic lancet window, and the timber frame of the bellcote. St John the Baptist is now part of the Benefice of Cholsey and Moulsford.

The church is not large in compared to others in the area 

but is typical being flint faced

it's also not far from the river Thames which could explain why there was not one here before the  12 century as Danes would have raided it after seeing it from their boats going upstream

The west end showing the Bellcote

The new part of the churchyard with recent graves

The older part

with some interesting looking cast ones

the names seem to have long gone

though this one has an outline

The odd tomb

lichen covered headstones

 more of the churchyard which has been cleared

some tombs covered in moss














I really like the cross here on the left, the one on the right is getting lost to moss  growing on it







 

which is damaging the words 

these two belong to Arthur Edwards and his Sister. Arthur was vicar of Kintbury

Looking up the more recent part of the churchyard

Robert used to live down the road from the church and if I'm right  his Sister is Anne Packer who won a gold at the Tokyo Olympics in 1964
The grave on the right are those of Peter Douglas Howard and Peter Abbots who was the churchwarden

Like to know how old these two are

I thought these were tomb slabs but realised they were headstones laid down, the far two must have stood really tall

Couple of differing stile crosses

I have visited the church in the past but since my last time here some things have changed, the two doors at the back were the fist thing I noticed

Never realised the font was on a tomb either

 These tow memorials were here and framed by the
 original bellcote frame for the tower

This was something I missed last time, box Pews on either side of the nave







Some nice work as usual by the local WI and a rather nice stained glass window 

The place names Great & Little Runsford do not exist now though there is a place named Runsford Hole along the Thames nearby.
  The place now known as Runsford Hole in Streatley was originally Runsford, misspelled sunesforda  in an early charter relating to property in 895 but surviving in a copy from the 12th century, but then as Runeford 1250-60, Runesford 1338, along with other spellings.  This plaque confirms that it was a more important place once, because it records the Great and Little distinction

Some photos of the church which I must admit I had a terrible time trying to capture, this is looking down the nave from near the font 

From the center of the church you  look back for this view where you can see the timber frame of the bellcote

looking over to the side and the North Aisle, this has changed since the last time I came here

No doubt when the church was built they made room for the organ as it sits nice in this arch

 The Chancel area with the altar and Stained Glass window

Which I have to say is very nice and must look good when the sun sines through in the morning

There are a some nice memorials in the church

 along with the Roll of Honor

This is one of the most impressive bequests I have seen yet

 Memorial to one of the former vicars

 Mother Father & Daughter, if you look at the skulls in the top two you can see they Face each other

The North Aisle has some nice stained glass

and at one end features a kitchen now, the cupboards were made  by reusing some of the wood in the old aisle

Looking the other way towards the organ, the door to the side take you to a restroom

A nice carved lectern and pulpit
grace one side

while the other has a carved pew

Someone went to a lot of trouble in this work, the detail is superb

 Floral displays are always worth looking at in a church

Crucifix on a staff and a view of the ceiling in the chancel area

 Here we look back down the nave from the Altar

and a view from the Pulpit.
That normally would have been it for this week but the next day was sunny so I went back and got thses few shots

The West end Lancet window and the sun shining through another

the church looking at he original west end wall with the window, the cross is a memorial of a former Vicar

But I'll leave you with the Lancet window with the sun shining through, 

Have a peaceful Sunday

Churches & Chapels

Something a bit different this week. Normally I post a church or cemetery  I have visited but this week it's a few churches & Chapels that I have seen while I have been out. I don't tend to get a chance to look round them as they generally tend to be locked and are so small there is very little to see inside.
I'll start with this Methodist Church in Burford which is just round the corner from the place I visited last week. It's a Grade II listed building and when I passed it to get a photo I had not clue as to what it was. It was only after I started looking on GE I noticed the board you can see on the right in the photo and saw the word church on it.

Rather a nice looking building and not one I would associate with being a church

If you follow my Daily Photo blog you will have seen the next two before
This building is along New Inn Hall Street in Oxford, does not look so much different than a lot of other buildings

Till you read the plaque on the wall. Not sure what the place is used for now as there is a Methodist church further down the street on the opposite side.

Carfax Tower in Oxford but did you now it was part of the of the Church called St Martin, tis was attached to it and would have been the bell tower on the west end. I would have been stood in the nave had it still been here. The church was rebuilt in 1820 and removed in 1896. Part of the churchyard still exists off to the right with a couple of graves in it.

St Giles Church in Oxford, not had a chance to go in there yet but I will

This is a small chapel that is on the edge of a town called Thatcham.The building was erected in 1304 as the Chapel of St Thomas and was used for worship until about 1550. After a long period of neglect, it was occupied as the Winchcombe Charity School 1707-30 and as a Blue Coat School 1794-1914. Since then it has served as a cooking depot, a classroom and as an antiques shop. It is still known as the Blue Coat School and is owned by Newbury District Council.

 Cholsey Free Church is a Baptist church, It is still used as a place of worship though it has also been let out as a hall as the local council used it for meetings now and then.

My best friend used to live next door and his garden went past the right hand side and as kids we were always poking our heads above the window sill to look at the service going on only to get shooed away for making faces

This wonderful old building is off Northbrook street in Newbury and was once the Congregationalist School

The doors are in pairs which I'm sure was to do with one for boys the other girls, normally it is carved over the entrance

There is also a church beside it

Which is quite new

 and this is the church they use now. I suspect the old church was demolished

as in the car park nearby

You can find may old head stones

I suspect the graves have been lost or moved leaving only the headstones

The Methodist  church along Norhbrook Street

I think it is a nice looking church though there is only one tomb in the churchyard that  you can see in the photo

This is the old Temperance Hall in Newbury it's not used as that any more but as a children's Nursery but it still has the

Slogans round the entrance and on the corner stones.

 

 

 

 I'll leave you with the Salvation Army Chapel which is still in use.
Have a great Sunday