The Rissingtons

13 August 2012

Helen was at home for the weekend as both her and Roger’s birthday fall in mid-August. On Friday we had visited Hereford, the place of her birth. On Monday 13 we had a morning looking at the Rissingtons – a small group of villages just beyond Stow. We approached via Bourton-on-the-Water, which meant we came first upon Great Rissington, the main feature of which is the church.
	The Church of St John the Baptist dates from the 13^th Century, though much of the present structure consists of later rebuilding and restoration ◄ The plan is cruciform, as indicated in the view of Helen and Roger in front of the tower Helen and Teresa en route to the south door ►
	◄ A striking feature is the deep blue rose window in the west wall above the organ A 15^th Century carved stone panel in the porch ►
Helen and Teresa in the old churchyard …	… and in a newer addition affording a splendid view over the valley
We had brought the satnav with us, and we needed it to guide us through narrow and poorly signed country roads linking the villages. We passed through Little Rissington without stopping – the church being some distance to walk from the road, and dull externally and over-restored internally, according to David Verey (Cotswold Churches, Nonsuch 2007).
	Instead we went on to Wyck Rissington, where we looked round the church of St Lawrence It was established in Norman times, but the main surviving architectural features on the tower and in the chancel are Early English. ◄ The church boasts a new roof completed in 2011 The rather squat tower ►
The organist at one time was Gustav Holst: a brass plate on the organ he played commemorates this ►
	◄ A representation of a liturgical maze which occupied the garden of the rectory until 1984. Helen’s hand holds the explanatory notes At different points in the maze, wooden carvings showed pilgrim stations – twelve of these now decorate the walls of the chancel ▼
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