I think I mentioned previously that the churches I am now visiting take me an hour to drive to so I try to visit at least two and today I intended to visit two I had not been to and revisit another two. Burford which I have published was one of them and Swinbrook was another which I needed a couple of photos from. Fullbrook is a stones throw from Burford so as to speak though I took a different rout to get here rather than have to put up with the Burford Traffic. On parking outside the church I met a person who I asked if the church was open to which he replied it was as he had just been practicing on the organ. If I had been ten minuets earlier I would have been treated to hearing the organ played in the church.
"The Church of England parish church of Saint James the Great is Norman. The north aisle was added about 1200, linked with the nave by a four-bay arcade in the Transitional style between Norman and Early English Gothic. In the 13th century the chancel was remodelled and the north transept were added, both in Early English Gothic. The south porch was added later in the same century. The east window of the chancel, the west window of the north aisle and one window in the south wall or the aisle are also 13th century. Later a clerestory was added to the nave and new Perpendicular Gothic windows were inserted in the south walls of the nave and chancel. In the 15th century the bell tower was built into the west end of the nave.
A wooden plaque on the south wall of the nave records that the church was completely re-roofed in 1827. A second plaque records that the church was restored in 1892, with the architects being Ewan Christian for the chancel and "Messrs Waller" for the nave and tower. This may refer to the architect and antiquarian Frederick S. Waller of Gloucester. The parish war memorial in the north aisle was lettered by Ninian Comper and dedicated in 1952. The ecclesiastical parish of St James the Great is now part of the United Benefice of Burford, Fulbrook, Taynton, Asthall, Swinbrook and Widford.
Edward Neale of Burford cast St. James' sanctus bell in 1649 and the tenor and treble bells in 1662. Henry III Bagley, who had bell-foundries at Chacombe in Northamptonshire and Witney in Oxfordshire, cast an additional bell for St James' in 1732. In 2004 the original bells were removed and a new frame was installed. The Neale sanctus bell was retained, the largest of the Neale bells was re-hung as the tenor and the Bagley bell was also re-hung. A new treble bell and two other new bells, all cast by the Whitechapel Bell Foundry in 2003 and 2004, were added. A former buoy bell that John Taylor & Co of Loughborough cast in 1968 for Trinity House was restored and added to the tower to complete the present ring of six bells. The original Neale treble bell was removed to Burford where it is now displayed in St. John the Baptist parish church, Burford".
It was overcast so some photos might appear darker.
The bell tower with sundial
North west view of the church
Lots of old headstones to look at
Even older ones alongside the path
A tomb monument you cannot miss
The tomb belongs to Joseph Collyer
More tomb chests near the church
Over to the north west you find more modern burials
Looking south across the east end
North west corner of the churchyard
Forgotten graves with headstones ant various angles
The person buried here was in the RAF
Cast iron marker and the graves of Squadron Leader Anthony W. Pickering and Lt Col H.St.G.S. MacDowel who was in the Royal Berkshire Regiment
Private L.G.Mills
View from the south east side of the churchyard
While looking at the mass dial I noticed these bale tombs
This one had some beautiful carvings on it
Some of which had eroded away
The end one was more plain
South side of the first one the face and part of a wing had gone
The other still had some of the inscription on it dated 1799
The bale tomb deaths head
The porch
Inside carvings on one of the walls and the pillar looks to have a pilgrim mark on it
Norman doorway
Inside looking down the nave
Along the aisle to the chancel arch
Looking through the chancel arch
The altar rails and altar
The east window has some very nice stained glass
Looking along the aisle to the back of the church
Memorial dated 1739
Nearby this brass which came off a tomb
Another large memorial
This one dated 1698 with cherubs on it
Seats in the chancel
The pulpit
From which you see the nave and north aisle
Royal plaque and commemoration plaques
Memorial to John Seacole dated 1720
Winged deaths head at the base
Job Lewis Charity
Sir George Fettiplace Bequeath
Blocked doorway
Where you will find the Roll of Honor Michael Burbridge was in the signals and must have lived in the village
The north aisle
Window casement
Old corbels with carved faces on them
The organ I missed being played
With the hands in prayer I will take my leave
Till next time may I wish you all a peaceful weekend
