St Peter Alvescot

 

I still have a few churches in West Oxfordshire to visit  so I decided to visit the first thee on the list leaving another three further along near Wiltshire. The second was St Peter Alvescot as I drove past the first one I meant to go to due to missing the turn off. Before I write much more I will tell you the church was locked due to I found out some repairs that had to be done inside. The good news is I can arrange a visit

"The Church of England parish church of Saint Peter is cruciform. The font is Norman and 12th- or 13th-century. The north transept and blocked north doorway are early 13th-century. The hoodmould over the south doorway is either late 13th- or early 14th-century, and the south porch was added in the 14th century. In the 15th century the nave was rebuilt and the present Perpendicular Gothic south transept and west tower were built. In the 16th century the south wall of the south transept was rebuilt and the present piscina in the south transept was inserted. St Peter's was restored in 1872 under the direction of the architects William Slater and Richard Carpenter. It is a Grade II* listed building.

The west tower has a ring of six bells.  Abraham II Rudhall of Gloucester cast the tenor, second and fifth bells in 1727. Robert and James Wells of Aldbourne, Wiltshire cast the fourth bell in 1796. George Mears of the Whitechapel Bell Foundry cast the third bell in 1859. The Whitechapel Bell Foundry also cast the treble bell in 1985. St Peter's parish is now part of the Benefice of Shill Valley and Broadshire."

 First look at the church from in the churchyard

South view

East end and window

Around the north side

Going towards the west. The one on the left is the vestry added in the 1871 works. On the right is the south transept, part of the original building

West end looking at the belltower

The porch is attached to a chapel

The gates stop birds getting in to nest

Inside the porch The massdial is on the south wall outside above that what I think is a pilgrim cross marked on the wall

East end where the chancel is and priest door

There are some pretty old headstones and chest tombs in the churchyard

In fact a lot of tombs

Going over to the south of the churchyard

Collage of graves in the wooded west side of the churchyard

Looking easterly past the church

West direction

More recent looking headstones

These are all the graves of the Neate family. The Neates were rectors throughout most of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. A Neate descendent is still a patron of the church.

Some of the chest tombs

This one the inscription is readable

A very peaceful churchyard.

 I Managed to return to the St Peter to get photos of the inside which can be seen by clicking the link

Till next time have a peaceful week

St Gwendoline Talgarth

 

I have seen the church tower many times as we drive though the town on our way to Builth Wells and I have been wanting to visit for a while so as I drove past on my way to last weeks church it only seemed prudent to visit on my way back

 Not much history to be found on Wikipedia about the church other than the church dates back to the 14th century

 

The church as you come in the gate

 

Looking across an older part of the churchyard towards the tower

 

View up the tower

 

The north side of the church with more recent graves in the foreground

 

East end of the church

 South east view of the church

 Wide angle view of the north side

 

 

Churchyard as you walk in the gate

 

Unusual wrought iron cross

 

Commonwealth war grave of Saper J.R. Power

 

Couple of table tombs among the headstones

 Collage of headstones

 

 

General view of the churchyard on the south of the church

 

Path leading though to the more recent part of the churchyard

 

The churchyard is is full of headstone on he south side of the church

 

Looking east over  the churchyard

 

Turning left towards the church

 

South east side of the church

 

Porch leading to the church

Inside you will find the Roll of Honour

also the Welsh flag proudly displayed

View as you walk in the church

View of the nave

The chancel and choir stalls

The altar with east window

 

 

The altar with oak panel behind

The Stained glass east window

 

Organ with painted organ pipes

The arch leads off to the vestry

View through the arches to the south aisle

The south aisle

This I presume is the lady chapel

Looking back to the west end of the south aisle

Though I did not take a photo of the pulpit I did take this wide view of both south and main aisle

Some of the memorials in the church

Memorial to John Bowen

 

 

Triple stained glass windows

South aisle east window

Memorial to Stanley G Powell

The lectern holds the roll of honour book

I've not really seen many models made using used matchsticks but some one made one of St Mary's church

I will leave you with a view of the font.

Till next time I will wish you all a peaceful week