St George’sKelmscott.

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IntroductionAerial photographs show that Romano-British settlements at Kelmscott wererepeatedly extended and changed but never had any defences, life was peacefulunder Roman rule but that changed dramatically when the Romans left in AD410.The Upper Thames basin between Burford and the Vale of the White Horsebecame disputed territory between the Saxons in Wessex to the south and theAngles in Mercia to the north, the Thames was nominally the boundary. Thesewarring factions from Germany were pagan until about AD 600 to 700, excavatedgraves nearby prove this, and became converted to Christianity from then onwardsby travelling monks and priests. The area also stabilised under Saxon rule after thebattle of Beorhford in 752 when King Cuthred of Wessex defeated King Aethelbaldof Mercia on the hill above present day Burford. At sometime during this Anglo-Saxon period a Saxon called Cenhelm built his “cott” or “cote” (a cottage orstockade) here and the name Kelmscott is attributed to him. When the shire ofOxford was formed in 1007 Kelmscott became its southwestern boundary.The “Conversion” from AD 600 onwards was achieved by a system of “minsters”,abbeys and larger churches where monks and priests lived, worshipped andchronicled events, and “chapels-of-ease” to which they travelled to preach andconvert local landowners and farmers. Dorchester, Abingdon, Bampton, Broadwelland Langford became the minsters, Kelmscott was a chapel-of-ease.

In the present building the inner porch doorway and nave are predominantlyNorman, and the Sanctus bell cote, above the chancel arch (also on the cover),has, on the north side, one of the oldest bells in England, early 13th Century. TheSanctus bell was rung in medieval times when the sacrament was administeredso that the peasants outside who were not allowed into the church building itselfcould feel involved.

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The inner porch doorway is late 12thcentury and dates the nave as ofthis same date although there areno other identifiable features of thatperiod.The most striking and interestingnave feature is the arcade throughto the north aisle. The north aislewas built by punching through theoriginal nave wall and supporting thestructure above on this high quality,four rounded arch arcade.The stout, round Norman pillars aredated at about 1210 and topped byfoliated capitals, high quality andvery finely carved .Possibly they were made in aworkshop or, maybe, journeymenstone masons would have beenemployed on site for the work.Kelmscott was a chapel-of-ease inBroadwell parish which had bothKnights Templar and courtier knightconnections.

In addition to the fine carving ofthe capitals, evidence of theoriginal wall painting in thearches themselves can be seen.This would date from the periodwhen the arches were built. Afurther “dating” feature is theface carved between arches, inthe spandrel (right), also itshows a plastered wall around it;the entire nave is plastered - asin medieval times!Victorian restorers strippedplaster from church walls in the1850s onwards during their

“restorations”, the neo Gothicrevival period. William Morris, aKelmscott resident, objectedstrongly and formed S.P.A.B (theSociety for the Preservation ofAncient Buildings) which is stillactive. This church owes him adebt for its preservation inunchanged form.

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Also in the chancel, in front of the altar, arethe 17th century black marble floormonuments to the Turner family.Kelmscott Manor is usually associated withWilliam Morris but it was built by theTurners who were squires of Kelmscott forover 200 years. One of the ThomasTurners probably built the Manor but thereis no absolute proof as the original deedshave been lost. The Turners lived at Hall Place Filkins and

The east window contains a stained glasspanel from about 1430 depicting St Georgeslaying the dragon. Few fragments ofmedieval glass remain in English churchesas they were destroyed during theReformation which followed Henry VIII’sbreak with Rome and his death in 1547.

The chancel was largely rebuilt in the mid 13thcentury but, in the south east corner, this late 12thcentury piscina, with a bowl carved with volutes,remains as a survivor from the original chancel.The corbels also survive from a 12th century roof ofincreased height and steeply pitched designcompared with the present Victorian one..

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Two blocked half arches show that, atsome time, a fully robed priest couldhave gone from the chancel to the northchapel without entering the nave. Anexternal covered way has long sincebeen demolished. The north chapel is anextension of the arcade in the north aislebut its main interest is the wall painting.

Broughton Poggs before that. There were five families of Turners in BroughtonPoggs between 1576 and 1596. Turners were also a stabilising influence in the CivilWar and a Thomas Turner was churchwarden for Filkins between 1632 and 1660.A Richard Turner probably lived in two ancient houses in Kelmscott from about 1568to the end of the century then a line of 5 father/son Thomas’s followed. The 3rd,1620 - 1682, probably built the present manor, a grant of arms 1665 enabled hiscoat-of-arms to be displayed over the hearth in the manor. We also know that threeTurners in Kelmscott paid “Hearth Tax” in 1665 in Charles II’s reign.

Kelmscott Manor’s most famousresident was William Morris from 1871until his death in 1896. He rented it and68 acres from the executors of JamesTurner who died in 1870 and then thenephew, Charles Hobbs, who inherited itin 1873.A famous motif of Morris’ Arts & Craftsdays hangs behind the altar (left), and a17th century Turkish brocade given byhis widow, Jane, is the present altarcloth (below).

All the church wall paintings are entirelyin red ochre. The formal rolling scrolldesigns in the arcade of the nave ........

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A Victorian plan indicates thatthe “Victorian restorers” didsome repair work on thechurch in the 1800s. Maybebefore William Morris arrivedin Kelmscott. He would haveobjected to further “restoration”work so, here, they are only toblame for the present, ratherpoor quality, chancel roof.

NorthChapel

Chancel TurnerMonuments

Nave

The Arcade

Piscina

St George Window

South Chapel

............and the wall paintings in the north chapel aredifferent in concept but contemporary with oneanother. Their style indicates a painting date ofabout 1280 at the latest.

Although the paintings in the chapel are damaged,those on the west wall are Old Testament scenes,e.g. Cain and Abel, while those on the east wall areNew Testament subjects including the Massacre ofthe Innocents and the Presentation at the Temple.Adam and Eve appear in the north window westernreveal and remnants of the Last Judgement areover an arch.

Some faces are similar to those in Black Bourtonchurch so, maybe, the artists travelled from churchto church.

The south chapel has a robust, cusped, rear arch toits south window which has been dated as 1320.This dates the building of the chapel although itsheight was increased in Tudor times and the Tudorcorbels, the angel reading etc, still support the laterroof now existing.The rear arch cusped design appears in otherchurches in the neighbourhood and was probably alocal design by a stone mason’s lodge.

13th Ctub font

Wall paintings

Rear arched window

Delicate tracery inSW window

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In the south-east corner of thechurchyard is the simple copedgravestone designed by Philip Webbfor his old friend William Morris whodied in 1896.It also commemorates his wife, Jane,and his two daughters Jenny and Maywho lived on in Kelmscott Manor.In total the Morris family wereresidents from 1871 until 1938.

The sources of information for this guide have been variousbut mainly include the local histories written by A.S.T.Fisher,John Blair's Anglo-Saxon Oxfordshire, information from theVictoria County History and the local guides which have beenplaced in the church.Photographed and produced by Derek Cotterill, 2008.

The building of the South Chapel in about 1320completed the church plan. The addition ofclerestory windows (upper ones) in the nave in1430 was the last medieval alteration andhappened at about the time the churchyard wasconsecrated. Prior to 1430 the church was achapel-at-ease of Broadwell parish and thedeceased had to be carried to Broadwell forburial. From 1430 burial locally was sanctioned.

The south porch was added in Tudor times, about1550, and from then to today the church hasremained unaltered. Outside, an earlier, higher

The tracery and cusp work inthis Early English window(1150 - 1250) in the southwest wall of the nave,internally above andexternally left, is worthy ofnote for the skill of themedieval stone mason.

Note the door crosses on the eastjamb; they may have been crusadersand pilgrims leaving an outward andreturn mark, or...?

pitch, porch roof linecan be seen above thepresent one.