Finding myself in Oxfordshire with nine hours to fill while Son the Elder went roboteering, I headed over the border into Buckinghamshire. My destination was the village of Wing, where there's a Saxon Church, All Saints, which is believed to have been built between the 8th and 11th centuries, making it one of the oldest surviving churches in the country.
Parts of the Church which have survived from this time include this fully-preserved 9th century apse, the only one in the country; also, a Saxon window in the east wall, the 9th century triumphal arch between the apse and the nave, and the nave with its huge pillars.
The oldest part of the church is the 8th century crypt, although I didn't get to see that.
There are also features from later centuries, forming a fascinating palimpsest. Traces of mediaeval wall paintings, for example ...
... and a beautiful 15th century roof, carved with angels and other figures, and reminiscent of others I've seen in Somerset, Dorset and Wiltshire, the fine detail of which both my eyes and my phone failed to capture.
There's a much better photo of it on Wikipedia.
There are also some impressive tombs and memorials, many of them commemorating members of the Dormer family.
Tomb of Sir William Dormer (dd 1575)
Tomb of Robert Dormer, 1st Baron Dormer (dd 1616)
My favourite is Sir Robert Dormer's tomb, that is, the Sir Robert who died in 1552 and was buried as 'a great sheep-master in Oxfordshire'. Which must make these beautifully carved creatures sheep, I should imagine, rather than the cattle I thought they were at first.
Memorial to Lady Anna Sophia Dormer, who died of the small pox in 1695
Honest old Thomas COTES, that somtime was porter at Ascott Hall, hath now (alas) left his key, lodg, fyre, friends and all to have a roome in heaven. This is that good man's grave. Reader, prepare for thine, for none can tell but that you two may meete tonight, farewell. He dyed the 20th of November 1648
Having left Wing, I headed back over the border into Oxfordshire, making for Watlington Hill, where red kites are to be seen. On the way I stopped off in briefly in Bledlow and Crowell to photograph a couple of empty pub signs.
The former Corner House, Bledlow
The former Shepherd's Crook, Crowell
Every summer should include at least one walk on calcareous grasslands, and Watlington Hill is a lovely example.
Here are just a few of the flowers I saw:
A clootie tree in a circle of yews, which in the past were used as a natural memorial for the Esher family who once
owned the land
Looking north-west to Watlington and the horizon
It was warm so I sat on a bench and watched the red kites that had been promised and duly materialised. It was so lovely to hear their strangely haunting whistling, for the first time since we went to the kite-feeding station at Bwlch Nant yr Arian last summer.
The return route around the top of the hill took me through some yew woodland ...
... and along a pretty chalk track running parallel to a sunken and somewhat overgrown drovers' path.
Having dipped down, I laboured back up the hill, pausing and looking back every now and again, this time with views of the Vale of Oxford.
There were a couple more fairly close encounters with a red kite ...
... and two ceps which were far too elderly to be edible.
I still had an hour and a half to spare before I picked Son the Elder up, so I drove to Iffley, which is quite near his roboteering venue, to wait it out, having realised after our visit to the church in May, that I hadn't paid enough attention to its ancient yew tree, which is believed to be at least 1600 years old and stands near its south-east corner.
I still had an hour and a half to spare before I picked Son the Elder up, so I drove to Iffley, which is quite near his roboteering venue, to wait it out, having realised after our visit to the church in May, that I hadn't paid enough attention to its ancient yew tree, which is believed to be at least 1600 years old and stands near its south-east corner.
The oldest tree in Oxfordshire
Holly tree
Back in Botley, I picked up a deeply satisfied Son the Elder, whose robots had won a side competition and come second in the main event. An all-round good day.
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