St Denny Stanford in the Vale

I admit this church has been on my list for a little while and as I drove through the village on my way to Shellingford I thought it only right to stop off on my way back. The church sits back off a green in a beautiful part of the village. I was not sure if the church was open and soon found out it was locked and unlikely would be open for a while. I will return when it is open again. one thing I did notice with out looking into the history more is that the nave roof has been lowered as is evident from the outline on the East side of the tower.
"The oldest parts of the Church of England parish church of Saint Denys are its late 12th-century south and north doorways. The west tower was built late in the 13th century, but its height was increased later. The chancel is Decorated Gothic. Later are the 14th-century north and south aisles, Perpendicular Gothic clerestory and south and north porches. Remnants of 14th-century stained glass survive in the east and south windows of the chancel. The pulpit and baptismal font are Jacobean. The pulpit is wooden; the font is stone encased with wooden panels and cover. The church is a Grade I listed building
The tower has a ring of eight bells. Abraham I Rudhall of Gloucester cast the third, fifth, seventh and tenor bells in 1700. Abel Rudhall cast the fourth bell in 1753. Mears and Stainbank of the Whitechapel Bell Foundry cast the treble and second bells in 1891.
St Denys' parish is part of the Benefice of Stanford in the Vale with Goosey and Hatford."

Looking down the path to the church

The porch looked a little on it's own compared to the rest of the church

The Porch and the bell tower

Going around the North side you come across this porch that looks rather grand

Heading down the East end and looking along the North side

I went around the Church again with my wide angle lense

It gave a different point of view

In that I could get the whole church in the frame

Above the North porch looks older than the South with the weathered stonework

Right a view of the whole North side

Across from the church on the South side you find the churchyard which is mostly overgrown

Parts near the path are trimmed and the cremation memorials for people to visit

A path is cut through the long grass around the church

Over on the North west end of the church a mown part around the more recent burials

Above a lone tomb stands away from the Tower

I found a few Commonwealth  War Graves in the long grass at the West end of the churchyard

Did not seem a good way to remember them hidden away like this and forgotten

Above over in the Far West end and left looking along the South side of the churchyard

When I turned around I looked North West across the forgotten part of the churchyard

Nearby the more recent burials in trimmed and neat cut grass

A chest tomb and headstone the family's forgotten

Here you look down the North side towards the East end

Looking back the other way through the long grass

Misplaced headstone stacked against the groundsman's hut

The Village War Memorial near the church

I will leave you with this view of the church from the green.

Till Next time I wish you all a safe weekend