Following the 2014 ceramic poppies at the Tower of London, which represented the 888,246 British and Commonwealth Service men and women who lost their lives in the First World War, this Tommy commemorates the centenary of the end of the 1914-1918 war and those who lost their lives.

“There But Not There reminds us of those who served in WW1 and did not return home. I believe that alongside each symbolic figure stands the spectre of five others who did return and found themselves so changed by what they had experienced that life for them and their families would never be the same again. There But Not There stands as a powerful symbol for us to not forget them too.”
Lt Gen Andrew Graham CB CBE

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.
Robert Laurence Binyon

The parish church of St Dionysius, begun around 1300 as a chapelry of Great Bowden, was planned to be very much part of the townscape, with a central position in its own square, opening out directly onto the street with no space for a churchyard. It was intended to be sight worthy of its setting, and few would deny the success of this scheme. Its fine tower and broach spire rising to 154 feet dominate the landscape and have done so for 700 years.*

[St Dionysius] Parish Church originally built as a Chapel of St Mary in Arden (qv) during the earlier part of the C13. Architectural features of present church mainly C14 and C15. The town is dominated by the early C14 grey ashlar tower with its fine crocketed brooch spire. Rest of church in coursed sandstone rubble with crenellated parapet. Buttresses. Nave and Chancel with Clerestory windows, Aisles and North and South Porches. Crocketed cross as finial at east end of both Nave and Chancel. South face of tower has large sundial. Inside, galleries of 1836 remain. Fine achievement of Royal Arms of 1660 at West end. Good C15 timber roof was restored, in same style, in 1954. Fragments of medieval wall painting discovered in 1959 at east end of North Aisle. The Church of St Dionysius is a prominent feature of many near and distant views of the town.

*Market Harborough Parish Church – St Dyonisus A Brief History by Geoffrey K. Brandwood and David Johnson.

A church has graced the banks of the River Thames in Hurley since Saxon times.

Formerly a Benedictine priory the monk’s traditions of hospitality, care and spiritual renewal still continue to this day. And the chime of St Mary’s bells ring out across the village, as they have for over a millennium.*

In 1545 the estates passed to John Lovelace and much of the materials from the Old Priory were used to build the first Ladye Place Mansion. At this time the east end of the church was filled in and repaired to the shape it is today. At the turn of the 17th century, Richard, 1st Baron Lovelace of Hurley, installed the bell turret and the largest bell.

A major restoration took place in 1852 when the large porch over the South West Door was removed. The east end of the church was completely rebuilt and the existing east windows and the bath stone screen behind the Altar were installed.

In 1987, after many years of planning, thought and prayer, the Priory Room extension was built and dedicated by the newly enthroned Bishop of Oxford, Richard Harries, on 2nd July 1987.

The Lovelace Memorial was erected c 1605. The left-hand figure is Richard Lovelace esquire (1542-1601), son of John Lovelace, gentleman (c1515-1558).  At his death Richard Lovelace was Lord Lieutenant of the County of Berkshire and Constable of Windosor Castle. An earlier memorial to John Lovelace was destroyed in the 19th century.

The right-hand figure is Sir Richard Lovelace, knight, (1565-1634), son and heir of the other figure. He was knighted in 1599 at Dublin “in ye wars” against the Irish. He was created 1st Lord Lovelace of Hurley by Charles I in 1627. He was High Steward of Maidenhead from 1623 until his death, and was keeper of the rolls or records for the county of Berkshire. He erected this memorial and probably composed the epitaphs.**

The ancient cross. The wooden cross, which was removed from the tower of St. Mary the Virgin, Hurley, was originally placed in the middle of the Saxon Burial Ground about 1040. It was then thought that it was erected on top of the Priory Bell Tower, and on the dissolution of the priory was re-erected on the tower of the present church, which was the nave of the original priory.

This cross must be one of the oldest wooden crosses in England, and it is now safely placed high up against the East wall of the church.**

*From a church pamphlet
**From information board within the church

The building of St-Pieterskerk (St Peter’s Church) commenced in the 1420s and continued for 200 years.

The nave and aisles were completed first, but when the twin towers of the western facade were finally added in 1507, the foundations proved inadequate and it soon began to sink. With money in short supply, it was decided to remove the top sections of the towers – hence the truncated versions of today.

Inside the church, the sweeping lines of the nave are intercepted by an impressive 1499 rood screen and Baroque wooden pulpit depicting the conversion of St Norbert. Norbert was a wealthy but irreligious German noble, who was hit by lightening while riding. His horse died, but he was unhurt and this led him to devote himself to the church.*

The church was severely damaged in both world wars. In 1914 the roof was burned off and in 1944 the north transept was bombed.  The church is currently undergoing repair work and part of it shrouded in scaffolding and inaccessible.

*From the Eyewitness Travel Guide to Belgium and Luxembourg

This theme had me scratching my head for something suitable. Then I remembered the hay bales at Flodden on top of the freshly cut field. I then realised that the site being a battle field meant their was a sadder hidden meaning for the word chopped.

More chopped can be found here.

This is the Parish Church for the villages of Great Witley and Little Witley. It is still in regular use for services, concerts and other events. It stands next to Witley court which is now in ruins following a fire that occurred in 1937.

From the church guide book:

Witley Parish Church is the only one of its kind in the country. The baroque style of its interior is one which is more usually found in southern Germany and Italy and indeed many of the craftsmen who created t came from Italy. Much of the decoration was originally in another church, the Duke of Chandos’ private chapel at Cannons Palace, near Edgware, Middlesex.

While Witley Court was inhabited the church was used regularly but, after a fire at the court in 1937, most services were held in the chapel in the village. The Parish Church was rarely heated and damp and decay set in. It is only the dedicated efforts of parishioners in recent years that the building has been restored to its former glory.

I will be posting more photos of the church and also photos of Witley Court itself.

I had a bit of a challenge on my hands to try and capture a half decent photograph without my tripod especially because I am unfamiliar with my new camera. I haven’t had time to take the camera through it’s paces yet.  The pictures are by no means perfect, but I was quite pleased with the results under the circumstances.

For more of this weeks PhotoHunt pictures check out tnchick.

I dodged the rain showers and nipped out to capture a few shots of it so that I could share them with you.