St James the Great South Leigh

This was the last of the three churches I was visiting and one which was not on my list but a last minuet addition for me after seeing some photos of the inside. In truth I did not realise there a South Leigh let alone a church but then I had been to the North Village so should have known. I was not let down by the visit. Some history off Wikipedia
"The Church of England parish church of Saint James the Great began as a chapel of the parish of Stanton Harcourt, and remained so until 1868. The oldest parts of the church building date from the latter part of the 12th century. The present chancel arch was built about 1300, the tower arch was built during the 14th century and the south doorway of the nave dates from about 1400. The church building was extensively altered in the 15th century: the north aisle and chapel were added, the bell tower was completed, and new windows were inserted in the south and east walls of the chancel.
In 1871–72 the architect Ewan Christian restored the chancel and C. C. Rolfe began restoring the nave. Rolfe's cousin H. W. Moore completed the nave restoration in 1887-88. During the restoration extensive 15th century wall paintings were discovered. They include a Doom painting over the chancel arch, the seven deadly sins, Saint Michael weighing souls, the Virgin Mary (originally part of an Annunciation scene) and a rare painting of Saint Clement. Burlison and Grylls heavily restored the paintings, re-drawing the weighing of souls at twice its original size.
St. James' tower has a ring of eight bells, all of which were cast by Mears & Stainbank of the Whitechapel Bell Foundry in 1907. The church has also a Sanctus bell cast by an unknown founder in about 1399."

St Mary's church looking from the entrance

The bell tower with clock

The clock tells you 

"Ye Know What Hour Your Lord Doth Come"

Going around to the West end with door.

Right the North side of the Church

Another view of the North side showing the chancel end along with the North Aisle

Heading around the South side via the East end

Inside the entrance porch the 14th century doorway

where you can see this Roll of Honour

The first thing you notice on entering the church is the doom painting

It really stands out above the 13th century arch

I find it amazing how good the condition of it is

The detail is some of the best I have seen

Considering it dates back to the 15th century

and it survived all this time
 The other thing I noticed was the rood over the screen

Inside the chancel the altar is covered and has the altar cross and candle holders on it
Behind is the stained glass chancel window

Above the altar and left the pulpit on it's slender stem.
right St Michael forms the lectern

From the pulpit you look down the nave

The entrance  to the pulpit is through this doorway which I have no doubt formed part of the rood loft this church once had
Above you can see the bequests left by local benefactors to the poor of the parish

The North aisle ends in a screen where once there would have been a chapel, now it is used as a vestry, if you enter it you can see floor tombs and some reuse stained glass in the window

At the back of the church below the organ is the font and over to one side this paining of the Annunciation

Above the 

painting I think depicts Mary being taken to Heaven

Left a church brass which I could not get a good photo of because of the light coming though the window

Right a wall painting of the wall of the North aisle

The North aisle through the pillars

Above and left the organ which hides the 14th century arch leading to the tower

Keelers hang neatly on the back of the pews

These words were no doubt put there in the 19th century

Last look down the nave

Outside on your entry to the churchyard you get this view

With this memorial standing out in the churchyard

Right the headstone leaning up on the east end wall of the church

Cannot say how old the left priest door is but their seems to be what looks like Mass dials on the post

 

Outside the churchyard is quite large though most of it is on the North side

Here we look West

The Commonwealth War Grave of Fusilier J.H.Claridge

I will leave you with this photo of two headstone slowly sinking into the ground the look like early 18th century
Till next time I wish you a wonderful weekend

St Michael Stanton Harcourt

Though this was my second church to visit it is one that had been on my list for a long time and I was looking forward to seeing the inside.
"The earliest known record of the Church of England parish church of Saint Michael dates from 1135, and the Norman nave and lower parts of the bell tower are certainly 12th century. In the 13th century the chancel, chancel arch and tower arches were rebuilt and the transepts and stair turret were added. In the 15th century the upper part of the belltower was completed, the Perpendicular Gothic west window of the nave and north and south windows of the transepts were inserted and the pitch of the roof was lowered. The Harcourt chapel was added on the south side of the chancel, possibly by William Orchard.
In the chancel is the Decorated Gothic late 13th- or early 14th-century shrine of St Edburg of Bicester. It was at the Augustinian priory at Bicester until 1536, when the priory was dissolved. Sir James Harcourt had the shrine salvaged and moved to St Michael's.
St Michael's is a Grade I listed building.
The central tower has a ring of six bells. Michael Darbie, an itinerant bellfounder, cast the second, third, fourth and fifth bells in 1656, which was during the Commonwealth of England. Richard Keene of Woodstock cast the tenor bell in 1686. Abraham II Rudhall of Gloucester cast the treble bell in 1722.
St Michael's parish is part of the Benefice of Lower Windrush, along with the parishes of Northmoor, Standlake and Yelford."

I suggest you get a coffee and cake for this blog as it is quite long with quite a bit of detail

You walk out of the carpark and into the churchyard to see the church at the end of the path, on the left is a preaching cross

Over to the right you see the Popes Tower in the grounds of the Manor

Above the Pope tower built around 1470–71 and gained it's name after poet Alexander Pope stayed here in 1717–18 and used its upper room to translate the fifth volume of Homer's Iliad.

Left the North side of the church with  blocked up door to East













Heading around to the
West end and Look along the South side to the Transept

The South side looking across the churchyard

The South Transept stands

out and has a blocked off chapel door on the West end

From here you get a good view of the Pope tower and Harcourt  House

As you walk around the East end you see the Harcourt Chapel
















it is attached to the side of the chancel.
Right the East end

Finally we go back to the North side and go in the porch to visit the church

As you walk in the church and look down the nave you see a plain looking nave

An altar stands in the centre of the crossing









beyond a rood screen partitions off the chancel

Above a real treasure in the church, a pre 13th century rood screen dated 1260 the holes in are squints allowing people to see through


The altar is covered and had simple wooden cross and candel holders
On the North wall is an effigy is a niche of Maud de Grey, the paint on the wall  is 14th century

Maud laying in repose

Below the tomb with paint on the coats of arms.
Right the shrine of St Edburg dateing back to the 13th century

The top part of the shrine id Perbeck marble, the limestone base is a later addition

 

Just in front of the effigy you can see this tomb with brass showing a lady and here tow children, not good on reading the inscription but I think it says pray for the soul of Glen Famby who was the wife of John

There is little stained glass in the church but you can see a little medieval glass in a few of the windows

There are also quite a few tombs around in the chancel some partly hidden by the pews

others on display prominently, some family paid handsomely of their place here

There are also some very nice memorials on the walls and a gate leading to the Harcourt Chapel

The two prominent memorials are from some wealthy people of the time

Near the tomb effigy is this small plaque and over on the South side is this remnant of arch from the former Church still painted in the Medieval colours

On the North side a couple of Church Chests

One looks older that the other and there was no date on them

In the crossing by the chancel arch is the pulpit and a statue of St Michael

The pulpit looks to be the wine glass type on a slender stand

from it you look through the crossing to the nave and the South transept

The North transept has the organ in it and has been made into a vestry which was locked so I could not see if there were many memorials or altar in there





The South transept holds the most interest as this is where you will see the Harcourt Memorials. On ether left as you walk in a saute to
Field Marshall Earl Harcourt

One the right a statue to Sir Vernon Harcourt

You will also see this family tomb chest

The memorial on the East wall is the thing that really stands out for me

The inscription shows 1688 and I cannot find much on the person, he is dressed in Armour from the time and his wife does like to show from the look, both hold skulls

Above them is the coats of arms and a couple of cherubs

Above the Harourt chapel, this is gated off and locked so all the photos were taken with the zoom. Looking down on the left you see a tomb effigy of Robert Harcourt who was standard bearer at the battle of Bosworth. The tattered remnants hang above

on the right is Sir Robert Harcourt with is wife Margret beside him

To the East end the alter

Left looking through the gate gives you a better view of the effigies nearby

I am really amazed at the colours that you can still see on them

At the back after putting mu I phone through the gate I managed to get a photo of
George Simon Harcourt

This I think is Edward Venables Vernon Harcourt
who was an archbishop

Looking across the tow tomb effigies at the east end. The near one Robert looks to have had a nose job, maybe this is why people are not allowed in the chapel because of it being broken, though I'm sure some one could have made  better job of restoring it

Above the tombs of  George Simon Harcourt and   Edward Venables Vernon Harcourt

The font is 15th century restored in the 19th




In the nave on the South wall you can see the Roll of Honour
and a plaque to the memory of Thomas Cox

The roll is hand written and is one of the nicer ones I have seen





There is a bequest on the wall you can read and at the back of the church what I take as a plaque of arms of sorts but what ever was on it has now gone leaving indents were they were pinned to the plaque

You see a lot of George IV coats of arms in churches this one the lion looks rather fierce

Last look down the church and it is outside passing this headstop looking out

The churchyard is full of headstones and  the off cast marker

Above my favourite one, the inscription long gone but the headstone looks to be from the 1700's
Left more headstones slowly sinking

Looking further East

On the West end of the church you can see quite a few tomb chests

while going around the North side you find the area left to grow wild like in keeping with most Churches now

the whole North churchyard is covered in older headstones

all in various states of condition

 

I liked this one because of the name Nithanial, he died in 1865 aged 85 RIP

The churchyard looks like one you could spend time in

With it's tomb chests

and churchyard to explore

On the way out I pass this fenced off vault under a yew

I would like to return here to look around some more, it is one of the more interesting churches to see in Oxfordshire but most I would really like to see the tomb effigies again
Till next time have a happy Thanksgiving to my followers in the US