St Peters Little Wittenham

I visited this church many years back in 2009 so it was the first I returned to on a road trip that took in six different churches. The Village sits beside the River Thames at the base of a hill called Witteham Clumps which dominates the area and is a local landmark. The Village was once owned by Abingdon Abbey from around 1048 and was called Abbots Wittenham as there was a  monastic grange next to the church. The Tower dates back to the 14th century and the rest of the church was rebuilt in 1862. It now sits next to Little Whittenham Manor which was built by William Dunch after he bought the estate in 1552. The Manor is now owned by Sir Martin Wood founder of Oxford Instruments. St Peter's belongs to the Bridge Group  (Clifton Hampden, Culham, Long with Little Wittenham) which I will be featuring in the coming weeks.

 Wittenham Clumps the view you get from the churchyard

As I said it was the first of Six churches I visited and unfortunately the only one I did not get to see inside because it was locked, so you will have to wait till I can go back for some internal shots.  

 The church porch on the left with the east end of the church to the right

 The 14th Century Bell Tower

Inside the porch which is as far as I got is a plaque and a coat of arms 

One of the more affluent tombs with railings round the outside

The churchyard on the east side of the path

Above the simple wooden cross of one of the ex pastors of the church.
On the right you can see some of the older graves near the east end of the church

 above one headstone that is scumming to erosion and moss. To the left is the cemetery which is on the north side of the church

Near the end of it you can see a couple of small wooden crosses

Back to the east end of the church and some of the older headstones

Above one of the more unusual memorials in that it is cast iron, the inscription would have been slotted in but is now lost

the churchyard looking towards the church

another cast memorial this time with the inscription in place. It stands beside a more conventional headstone

Two eroding headstones still with the carving on the top

Above the north side of the church looking towards the Manor. On the left is the foundation stone from when the church was rebuilt

The west side churchyard










 

 View of St Peters
 

Looking from across the road to St Peters. It was a shame the day was so miserable and was a shame I did not get inside but another time.
I have now returned and photographed the inside you can see  the pictures in this blog
Return to St Peters

Have a wonderful weekend

Magdalen Hill Cemetery Winchester

The last place I visited on my Saturday tour The cemetery opened in 1914 and took over from the privately owned West Hill cemetery which was full and in financial difficulties. Originally the cemetery was run by the Winchester Burial board but now is  run under management by the City Council

 The main entrance to Winchester cemetery

The Cemetery lodge now used as an office

 War memorial which I think is a commonwealth cross of victory

If you look left at the junction you get this view of the cemetery

This is the cemetery to the fight of the road

Walking round the right hand fork you pass these amazing looking memorials all black marble. Some one told me the belonged to Travellers

further along you come to the Commonwealth War Graves

which date back to World War One

The cemetery looking towards the Cross

The Cross of Victory

Just up from that I noticed another cross surrounded by graves

This was in memory of the fallen Newfoundlanders

From that small cemetery you could look down over the rest of the cemetery

which had lots of different memorials

One unusual memorial on the left and a wooden cross to the right

This pillar stood out and was still looking good

Further up the cemetery you come across more war graves, these I think are people who served and when they passed away were given a commonwealth headstone

The memorial on the left is one of them A W Haydon was killed in action in 1940. His wide Vera died in 1997.
On the right is the Grave of Herman Blise from Wisconsin who died in 1918

There are quite a few graves like that in this are

some with different markers to other

some a lot more recent but all brothers in arms

The one here on the left is a little different the one on the right is not a war grave but had a coat of arms on it

From the look on this headstone Jack Crowson was of the Jewish Faith

There are a few war grave headstones like the one on the left which seem to be unique. On the right B Johnson was a fireman on the SS Pagasitikos 

Two RAF graves of F.N Healey and L.J. Kight you will find around the cemetery away from the rest of the war graves














At the present time they are extending the cemetery for future burials when the present one is full

Couple of the memorials that took my eye

The lower part of the cementery  looking towards the main entrance

I liked this cross with the two angels taking the diciest into heaven looking so happy

Looking up from the lower cemetery

Celtic Cross & anchor

There were a couple of this type of arch in the cemetery

This area beside the carpark is where the cremation memorials are

I'll leave you with my two favorite meorials, the child in the snowdrops is old and the name lost to time 

The sleeping angel more recent.

RIP Little ones.

Have a peaceful weekend