St. Laurence Warborough

I visited the church a few years ago and the photos show were all had held with my DSLR  The history below is shamelessly taken from Wikipedia
In 1086 Warborough was part of the large royal estate of Benson. The Church of England parish church of Saint Laurence was originally a chapel of the parish of Benson. There is a record of the Empress Matilda giving the benefice of Benson, including chapels at Nettlebed and Warborough, to the Augustinian Abbey at nearby Dorchester in about 1140, and for most of the Middle Ages Warborough was regarded as part of the parish of Dorchester. It remained part of Dorchester peculiar until 1847, but functioned largely as an independent parish from the Middle Ages.
Perhaps the oldest item in the church is the font, which dates from late in the 12th century.The chancel has Decorated Gothic features from the early part of the 13th century, including the east window and one of the windows on the south side. The other windows of the chancel are later Perpendicular Gothic additions. The nave and south transept are Perpendicular features from the 14th century, although the transept arch and window are Decorated. The Gothic Revival architects G.F. Bodley and Thomas Garner restored the chancel in 1881. The Perpendicular Gothic windows in the nave are likewise Victorian.
The bell-tower was rebuilt in 1666. Its two oldest bells were cast in 1618, and two more date from 1675. It had a ring of six bells, but in 1955 two new bells were cast and hung increasing the ring to eight.
One other point I should say is that we are in the Village of Midsummer where all the Murders happen or at least where it is mainly filmed.

Above the Lychgate leading to the church and on the left from across the churchyard St Laurence

The bell tower is impressive and I love how the recorded the date when it was built

The path above leading to the porch and beyond to the churchyard

The north side of the church

couple of views from different ends, the east end on the left and on the right the west end

Around the west end showing the 1666 bell tower 

Inside the porch

Some views of the churchyard, I'd have to find out about the tall cross

This wall memorial dates from the 1700's but has now becoming very eroded

View across the churchyard from a family Vault

The inscription on the book you see on the vault

Alongside the huge anchor

 Inside the church and looking down the nave towards the rood screen

On the left is the chancel window while on the right one of the many stunning stained glass windows in the church

The one above shows a monk playing an organ while a bishop reads from the Bible

one left one showing two of the archangels while the left shows a scene from the Bible

This one is more modern showing the good Samaritan

Need to find out more on these two windows, one looks like it is Pre- Raphaelite 

the other could be older

The partial arch means there was something there like a window at some time but I need to check what. On the right is the window on the above right in its Chancel setting 

The church organ and the pulpit

The lectern depicting a bird feeding her young

The very rare lead font which was hidden in Cromwell's time by being buried, the base is not original

And last the chancel window recording the Victory of World War One, there are no victors only looser's in war. That is it for St Laurence which is  not quite what I was hoping to bring you for my 200th Church Explorer Blog but I will return there and update  with some new photos of the church and churchyard as well as the inside

 Please Remember I am changeling the Blog Address from my next Blog and have a great weekend

Greyfriars Reading

Greyfriars Church sits on the site of a Franciscan Friary which was built on the site in 1287 and became a church in 1311. The friars were expelled in 1538 during the dissolution of monasteries. It then became a town hall for a while followed by a hospital for the poor in 1578 and a house of correction for vagrants 1590. In the 18th century it became the towns jail and by the 19th century only the outer wall survived in a dangerous state. It was rebuilt at the present church by Reading Borough Surveyor, W H Woodman to how you see in now. I used to pass the church in the bus when I went to school in Reading during the 1960's and then it looked more like the picture you see in the Wiki link above.

When the church was rebuilt it had a garden rather than churchyard which has gone and now a car park and centre have been constructed. The part you seen here on the right was added in the 1970's

Above the three bells you can see on the east end of the church and on the left the carpark & extension

Greyfriars  church from over Friar Street

and looking down towards the centre that was built in the 1980's on the site of part of the garden

The view you get now of Greyfriars from across Friar Street in the area that was redeveloped for the Inner Distribution Road in the 1970's

I must admit I was disappointed to see the church had been reordered so much reminding me of a hall. The tables were for a women's lunch that was happening the next day

One thing I can say is the church was full of light

In place of the altar is what reminds me of a stage. The church had a table that was used in services

The North aisle

View along the nave to the altar area

Looking back towards the rear of the church at the West end

On the left is the north aisle and font
and right the memorial you can see along there

Over in the South Transept are a few memorials, the most notable and hidden is this one to Martin Hope Sutton who was one of the family who started Suttons Seeds in Reading

The other two brass memorials can be seen nearby

If you remember seeing the curtain and cross on the east end wall in the photo of the nave well this is what it hides and would have made a grand back for an altar

 

In the North transept you can see this beautiful old organ

which is now operated by this consul and can be moved any where in the church to operate the organ

In the south aisle you can see these memorials

and if you look over by this door

these wonderful old floor tiles which were most likely from the original Friary

Look up in the nave to see the roof joists and these candelabras hanging from some serious wrought iron work

The pulpit now at the back of the church  and houses some electronics to work the visual displays you see round the church

The view of the nave from the pulpit

The font is Victorian and is stood where it is thought the old medieval one would have been

Around the base of the font are winged angels and the font cover with white tulips decorating it

A panoramic view of the church from the staged altar area

I will leave you with this panoramic view of the nave and aisles from the back of the church

Have a peaceful weekend