North Oxfordshire circuit
Yesterday's route card read as follows:
M40 to J12
Down to Burton Dasset, across Edgehill, then south to Hook Norton and the Rollrights.
Into Chipping Norton, then Churchill, Burford and home via A40.
An early start saw us driving through thick fog as we left London for Burton Dassett. The church at Burton Dasset, 'All Saints' is a quite remarkable building with a wonderful well outside of it, and the setting of the surrounding country park as the mist was rising was also quite magical.
The run across Edghill and down to Hook Norton was uneventful if picturesque, and the next stop was at Great Rollright church, St Andrew's. This has an interesting collection of corbel carvings on the outside of the porch. Also, there is a Green Man and Green Lady carving on the western end of the south aisle. The Green Man is extremely worn and urecognisable, but the Green Lady is quite distinct.
We then headed into Chipping Norton for an early lunch and a hunt in the bookshop, which took longer than anticipated.
Heading back to the Rollrights, I visited the stones, and saw the damage done by the recent fire there. All very sad.
Next on the list was the church at Little Rollright, which is supposed to have a standing stone near it. I didn't see the stone, but Little Rollright is a strange place. It looks as if attempts are being made to completely rebuild the village as a gated community. Roads are being relaid, there are security cameras at the (only) entrance to the village, and the whole area is being re-landscaped. The unassuming little church of St Phillip has a couple of incredible stone memorials for the Dixon family inside it.
After a brief stop to see the Cross base at Salford church, we moved on to Churchill Village to see the array of possible ancient stones there.
Satisfied that I'd seen everything I wanted to, we set off for Burford and the route home. Which left just one stop on the A361, to take a closer look at Lyneham Longbarrow, before finally headed directly for home.
M40 to J12
Down to Burton Dasset, across Edgehill, then south to Hook Norton and the Rollrights.
Into Chipping Norton, then Churchill, Burford and home via A40.
An early start saw us driving through thick fog as we left London for Burton Dassett. The church at Burton Dasset, 'All Saints' is a quite remarkable building with a wonderful well outside of it, and the setting of the surrounding country park as the mist was rising was also quite magical.
The run across Edghill and down to Hook Norton was uneventful if picturesque, and the next stop was at Great Rollright church, St Andrew's. This has an interesting collection of corbel carvings on the outside of the porch. Also, there is a Green Man and Green Lady carving on the western end of the south aisle. The Green Man is extremely worn and urecognisable, but the Green Lady is quite distinct.
We then headed into Chipping Norton for an early lunch and a hunt in the bookshop, which took longer than anticipated.
Heading back to the Rollrights, I visited the stones, and saw the damage done by the recent fire there. All very sad.
Next on the list was the church at Little Rollright, which is supposed to have a standing stone near it. I didn't see the stone, but Little Rollright is a strange place. It looks as if attempts are being made to completely rebuild the village as a gated community. Roads are being relaid, there are security cameras at the (only) entrance to the village, and the whole area is being re-landscaped. The unassuming little church of St Phillip has a couple of incredible stone memorials for the Dixon family inside it.
After a brief stop to see the Cross base at Salford church, we moved on to Churchill Village to see the array of possible ancient stones there.
Satisfied that I'd seen everything I wanted to, we set off for Burford and the route home. Which left just one stop on the A361, to take a closer look at Lyneham Longbarrow, before finally headed directly for home.
posted by Alan S. | 17:00
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