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At
the entrance to the church is a beautiful Victorian Lych Gate.
The lych gate opened the way for babies to be brought for
baptism and was also where the villagers would be laid out
in anticipation of their burial. It bears a memorial to those
villagers who served in the Great War.
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The Font
is Saxon, with a beautiful Victorian wooden counter-weighted
cover. During the Civil War, items such as the font were removed,
but ours managed to stay in the church. The Font is in this
position near the door to remind us of the beginnings of the
Christian journey. |
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The Millenium
Banner, designed by Kim Porter, uses different scenes
to show the work of our church in the community and throughout
the world. Members of the church took a subject and then it
was all united together. Also notice the Stone Piscina and
Wooden Eagle. The Piscina is evidence of an old chapel in
this part of the church, as this is where the priest would
prepare for Communion. The eagle is from a lectern that was
once used in the church. |
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wonderful organ, installed by his family
as a memorial to Colonel Levi, who lived in the house next
door, completed its work in 1991 and the area has now been
converted into a welcome and refreshment area. |
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A
much older Rood Screen used
to exist in the church. You can still see evidence of it by
the door that opens up at the top right. Psalms would have
been chanted from the top. Steps in the side show how the
door was reached - and also how small the villagers were then!
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The Chancel
Step is the area where God meets the people by
means of his word - the pulpit is Victorian, as is the Rood
(cross) Screen which traditionally separated the Nave (people)
from the Chancel (priests).
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The choir would sing in the
Chancel and the priest celebrate the Holy
Communion. We have many memorial tablets (particularly to
past vicars!) and the Monkston tomb, dating from the fourteenth
century. |
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The Church faces East to remind
us of the sunrise on Easter Sunday. Stained glass was used
to tell bible truths in churches before most people could
read. On the outside wall of the East Window,
the wall is slowly being eroded by an unusual predator - mortar
bees! |
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The Nave is where the people
sit. It was built between 1200-1300 around pillars that
are even older. In Medieval times, this area would have
served as market place, meeting place and worship place
in one - pews were a Victorian addition. Notice on each
pillar is a red cross.
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At the back of the church is the Ringing
Chamber. Above it, on the south side is a coat
of arms from Charles II. And either side of the doors are
tablets containing the Ten Commandments - these would have
been introduced, probably at the front of the church, during
the Commonwealth (1648-1660) when a new reverence for the
God's world came to light.
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The Tower, rises to a height
of 60 feet above the ground. Eight bells are housed in the
chamber, the earliest dating from 1743. Bell-ringing
practice is on a Thursday evening.
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Out
in the Churchyard
we have graves of the Levi family who lived next door in what
is now the Parkside Hotel and of many other village families.
From here you can get a good view of the wonderful and well-kept
churchyard that we have, with many fine images and carvings.
Please help us with the upkeep
of the Churchyard by observing the regulations |
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