St Leonard Watlington

This is one church that has been on my list for a while and I finally got to visit it after an aborted previous attempt when I found that a Christening was taking place & I thought it was rude to intrude. Watlington is a very old town dating back to at least the 6th century the church is no less so and here is the history I found on Wikipedia
"The oldest parts of the Church of England parish church of St Leonard are Norman, including a diapered tympanum that was over the north door until this was dismantled for the building of the north aisle. The church was extensively rebuilt in the 14th century, and the arcade of the south aisle survives from this period. The south chapel is 15th century, built for Maud Warner as a memorial for her husband Richard, a woolman. The tower is also Mediaeval. A few Decorated Gothic and Perpendicular Gothic windows survive, but in the 1870s some were moved to different positions within the church.
In 1763 Edward Horne, a local landowner, obtained permission to build a burial vault east of the Warner chapel and south of the chancel. In 1877 the architects H.J. Tollit and Edwin Dolby restored St Leonard's. The church is a Grade II* listed building.
The west tower had a ring of six bells until 1909, when two recently cast ones were hung and increased it to eight. Henry I Knight of Reading, Berkshire cast the fourth bell in 1587. Ellis I Knight cast the sixth bell in 1635. Henry II Knight cast the third and fifth bells in 1663. Charles and John Rudhall of Gloucester cast the seventh bell in 1785. Mears and Stainbank of the Whitechapel Bell Foundry cast the tenor bell in 1869 and the treble and second bells in 1905.
St Leonard's parish is now part of the Benefice of Icknield, along with the parishes of Britwell Salome, Pyrton and Swyncombe.^"

^{I have decided to show this in two parts as the churchyard and cemetery were quite large so I will show that next week} 

St Leonard's church from outside the Lychgate.

Left the bell tower

You can see looking at the tower the church  has both North & South Aisles

Here on the East end of  the South aisle you cans see a chapel has been added

slightly larger than the aisle

The east end of the church

Heading around to the North side

Walk along the South side and you can see some interesting Gargoyles

Do like this Dragon one

This old man looks like he is peering at something

But this fellow holding his head has to be the best. I was told to look for him after going in the church
Right the church clock showing quarter past eleven

So inside for a look around with the nave the fist part to look in

You can see the pews have been removed from the church making it a more useable space

The altar and chancel window

The altar screen with superb decoration  

Looking up at the magnificent stained glass window

Looking back out of the chancel to the nave.
Right the pulpit

and the usual view you an see from it

At the back you can see this nice font that looks a little out of place for the church and was proably added in Victorian times 

The South aisle and the Horne chapel,

The altar in the chapel and the stained glass window behind

In the north aisle you can see the Roll of honour for Watlington

It is a beautiful piece of work

with the fallen from the second world war at the bottom

If you walk around the church you can see some nice stained glass windows

This one is in the West end

The other you can see along the aisles

There are also quite a few memorials around the church

One to the Tilson family

You can also see what looks like to relics of the churches history on display

Along with the odd church brass

The Church banner and a few more memorials

Flowers on display in the Horne chapel with their memorials behind

Another church brass and memorials

Memorials to the Wiggins family

An eagle lectern  and the church organ which is in the chancel

This may well have had an effigy in it at one time

Door in the wall and some of the kneelers on one of the remaining pews

A rood hangs from the ceiling

and if you look around in the South Aisle you can see some green men











and other decoration

Floral display near the altar

I will leave you with this display from the Christening 

Do have a wonderful weekend

St Mary Adwell

I missed this church the last time I was in the area but this time I was determined to see it. The church is was not  from the last one I visited at South Weston and only along the road from St Andrew Wheatfield.
Some history from Wikipedia 
"Adwell's original parish church is believed to have been built late in the 12th century, although the earliest documentation of it is dated 1254. It had only a nave and chancel. The latter may have been enlarged in the 13th century, judging by its east window which was early Decorated Gothic. In the 14th century new windows were inserted in the nave and a new west door was added. In 1553 the building was recorded as having a bell-cot with two bells. All of the walls were repaired around 1800, but by the early 1860s the building was considered too weak to be restored.
The old church building was demolished and in 1865 it was replaced with a new Church of England parish church of Saint Mary designed by the Gothic Revival architect Arthur Blomfield. Blomfield's design replicated the early Decorated style, but the new building retained the south doorway of the old church, which is in the transitional style between Norman and Early English Gothic.The new church also retains the memorials from inside the old one, including a stone effigy of a knight from about 1300. The new building has no aisles, but has north and south chapels arranged as transepts either side of the chancel. There is no tower, but a bell-cot with one bell. The bell dates from about 1350 and so may be from the old church building.
St Mary's parish is now part of the Benefice of Thame.^"

The main entrance to the church is up these superb set of steps where you are faced with a view of the west end

The south side shows the porch and south transept chapel

Going along to the east end

The East end with South chapel

Back to the west end and a view of the church bell in it's spire

The churchyard had headstones scattered around it

And over on the south side were two Commonwealth War Graves

Flying Officer L.C.Martin 

and Leading A.C.W. Diana Marjorie Marks

Up near the West end stand three crosses  and but the side of the church a tomb

Looking towards where the entrance gate is situated

Back to the East end and a couple of Tomb chests

The second entrance which I came in a last look as I go

Unfortunately I found the church locked to could not take any photos of the inside If I get a chance to get some I will post them.

I will leave you this week with this view of St Mary.

Have a good week