Ewelme

51.618888888889 - 1.0708333333333Koordinaten: 51 ° 37 ' N, 1 ° 4' W

Ewelme is a village and "civil parish" (municipality ) in the south of the British county of Oxfordshire, with 1,103 inhabitants ( 2001).

Location

The town is located 80 to 100 meters above sea level in a narrow valley of the Chiltern foothills, a ridge northwest of London, about four kilometers northeast of Wallingford, south of the B 4009, north and east of the A 4130 A 4074th

Parish Church of St Mary the Virgin

The " Church of St. Virgin Mary " was the reign of King Edward III. built around 1436 by masons and craftsmen who in the service of William de la Pole, Duke of Suffolk, and his wife Alice, granddaughter of the poet Geoffrey Chaucer, were. It is a typical example of the light-filled space of worship of the Perpendicular style. As the style is very uniform, the construction period will be only a few years. The outer walls to the east of the church are patterned by the use of light and dark stones. The standing in the west bell tower is still the predecessor of the Early English style. The roof of the church is not graduated from East to West, a chancel arch is absent; only a rood screen marks the dividing line to the choir room. The main entrance is located in the north of the church.

Equipment

• The carved oak canopy of the baptismal font is one of the most beautiful in England - a gift of John de la Pole, Duke of Suffolk, from 1513 1823 was a partial restoration..
• In the nave are found at the rearmost two pillars next to the tower, two small stone heads, which probably symbolize church and state. The head on the pillar next to the baptismal font to King Edward III. Representing promoters of Geoffrey Chaucer. The arches of the north side of the nave are decorated richer than the south side.
• The rood screen ( 15th century ) consists of iron bars on oak wood panels and is rare in this form; originally there, as evidenced by wall openings on both sides, one rood - loft was.
• The mounted to the right of the rood screen wooden pulpit has carvings of Arms of the noble families Roet and Burghersh, in the Chaucer married into it.
• On the north side of the choir recalls a baroque plaque to Francis Martyn († 1682), who came from Ewelme as a parliamentarian and was able to preserve during the Civil War the church from predation.
• The colored east window of the nave is a modern work of Clayton and Bell. Shown is the crucifixion scene.
• The St. John 's Chapel (John the Baptist ) on the south side of the choir is a fine example of the Perpendicular style. It has a carved ceiling. The east window of the chapel contains glass fragments from the 15th century. The walls are painted the Christ monogram " IHS " in Gothic letters. The floor tiles in the chancel of the chapel are the remains of the original floor of the 15th century.
• The tomb of Thomas Chaucer († 1434 ) and his wife Matilda Burghersh was 1438th It consists of gray Purbeck marble. The inscriptions and the reproduced here many of Arms were restored in 1848.
• The late Gothic tomb of Alice de la Pole († 1475 ), was built by her son, the 2nd Duke of Suffolk. The tomb and the figures are made ​​of alabaster; the deceased is shown lying twice, once on top and once on the ground beneath the sarcophagus, there as partially decomposed form. The tomb has obviously been cut before it was placed right between the choir and the St. John 's Chapel. Are located on the bottom of the sarcophagus frescoes that are only seen when the observer lies on the ground; they show the hl. John the Baptist, the Annunciation and St.. Mary Magdalene. On small stone pillars stand at the upper edge of the tomb four angels and archangels of wood.

Nave to the east with an iron rood screen

Alice Tomb with a View to St John 's Chapel

Alice tomb, detail

The Jerome - graves in the church cemetery, left the grave of Jerome K. Jerome

Jerome Tombs

On the southern part of the church cemetery, right next to the path to the so-called old Rector, there are three grave stones of the Jerome family. The left is that of the writer Jerome K. Jerome, author of " Three Men in a Boat".

Almshouses and school

Immediately west of the church and connected with it by a covered walkway are in a square almshouses ( almshouses ), formerly known as St John 's Hospital, 1437 by Alice de la Pole for 12 or 13 old and poor male residents founded and red brick built. The inhabitants lived monastery similar to strict, written down 1448-1450 rules, but these were mitigated over time. They were obliged to regularly pray in the church for the founding family. From the same period, a school building, has one of the oldest in England, obtained, which is still used as such. Together with the poor-houses, which are now rated for eight residents, the school is managed by a foundation.