Caring for Churches beside the Thames
Guest Blog: Dick Mayon-White
The churches beside the Thames Path are a welcome sight to walkers, offering historic interest and tranquil shelter. Some have lost their congregations but are cared for volunteers and charities. An example is St John the Baptist Church at Lower Inglesham, beside the Thames Path near Lechlade. This lovely little church became isolated when the village that it served in the Middle Ages moved to higher ground a mile away at Upper Inglesham. It has medieval wall paintings and its box pews show how many churches looked before the 19th Century fashion for rows of pews facing east. It inspired William Morris to start the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB) when he lived at Kelmscott. Today, it is cherished by the Church Conservation Trust (CCT) and is a peaceful place to pause before walking on to the comforts of cafes, pubs and loos in Lechlade.
Three churches close to the Thames at Wallingford have been adopted by the CCT: St Peters in Thames Street, St Mary’s at Newnham Murren and St John the Baptist at Mongewell. The first two are intact but the Mongewell church is partly ruined. All three depend on conservation funds. Visiting them makes a fine circular walk using the Thames Path from Wallingford Bridge and returning to Riverside Park along footpaths on the east side of the Thames.
Further downstream, St Mary Magdalene Church at Boveney, near Windsor, was used by the Thames boat people. Having lost most its congregation since commercial river traffic ended, it was rescued by the Friends of Friendless Churches.
A visit to St Margaret of Antioch Church at Binsey, near Oxford, requires short diversion from the Thames Path but attracts people as a place of pilgrimage associated with St Frideswide and because of literary connections to Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Its rich history is keeping this little church alive.
The conservation of churches is like wildlife habitats, another passion of mine. Both depend on people volunteering time and skills, in local groups and as part of larger organisations. The places offer inspiration and mental well being, so they must be open to all comers with good information. As pilgrimages continue to be popular, churches (also like nature reserves) need to be connected, something that the Thames Path does well.
