I should have put these pictures on my last posting - George took them on Baths Island at Windsor the evening before we left...
... I know they are only fungi ...
... but don't they look wonderful?
Our mooring just a few hundred yards above Boveney Lock
The Church of St Mary Magdalene, Boveney ...
... was about 50 yards from our mooring, so we investigated ...
... the key is available from the Boveney Lock Keeper (another 50 yards away) for a refundable deposit of £20 ... so we paid up and took the keys ...
... the walls of the chapel are made of chalk rubble ...
... 'garreted' with small flint stones mainly as decoration ...
... there has been major renovation work done in the Autumn of 2010 - new roof, some strengthening of the walls and a new tower ...
... in we went - the view from the south doorway.
The site has been a place of worship since before the Norman conquest but is first mentioned in 1266, when offerings were assigned to the vicarage of Burnham.
No further reference to was found until 1508 when a parishioner Robert Aldridge left 3/4d (3 farthings) to the church in his will.
The main window is 16th century ...
... and this one probably 12the century.
The view from the pulpit towards the font and bell tower - some of the pews are the originals ...
... you can see the beams that have been fitted to keep the walls in place - modern woodwork attached to the old beams by large steel bolts.
... click to read better - it appears that there was some sort of conflict during the 17th century over the running of the parish, services, etc.
Originally the chapel served the village of Boveney and surrounding areas including bargees and other riverside folk when there was a bus wharf nearby used for transporting timber from Windsor Forest.
Evidence of past decoration ...
... good strong oak doors ...
The tower was replaced in the 2010 renovations and built at the same slightly tilting angle as the original. We met a local lady who told us that the former tower had been a haven for woodpeckers who had done their best to destroy it!
Boveney Church was declared redundant in 1975 and locals fought to save it; it was eventually leased at a peppercorn rent to the charity group in London - The Friends of Friendless Churches.
For further reading/information go to :-
http://www.friendsoffriendlesschurches.org.uk/CMSMS/index.php?page=boveny-st-mary-magdalene
On the short walk to the lock to return the church key these wild geraniums (cranebill) were shining ...
... faces to the sun - both colours so beautiful (that's Molly's nose in the corner!).
We continued our walk in the other direction ...
We continued our walk in the other direction ...
... because there's something going on here today, we can hear it ...
... intriguing view over the manicured hedge ...
... we come out of the woods to this ...
... Eton College Rowing Club - and it's Marlow's Regatta day ...
... the trophies on offer today ...
... the VIP lounge ...
... lovely bridges shaped like canoes ...
... and of course ... the rowers ...
... there are teams here from all over - Lancaster, Worcester, Liverpool, Cardiff, Norway, Manchester, Ireland, and lots from the South of the UK ...
... a close thing as they approach the finishing line ...
... the numbers at the end of the boat denote the lane they are in ..
... first through the finish - the winner in his race!
... like our narrowboat, when you see it from the side it really does long very long ...
... and are permanently fitted with shoes.
Citroen HY in great condition now working as a mobile cafe - lovely!
(http://www.francethisway.com/top10lists/frenchclassiccars.php)
We got back to Rock n Roll just in time ... the heavens opened and it bucketed down for the rest of the afternoon!
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