St. Nicholas' Church, Rotherfield Greys

The site on which St Nicholas' Church stands was used as a burial ground by the de Greys, the first owners of the nearby Greys Court and estate. Then a church was built there in the 13th century.  Many important memorials are contained within the church. As we were in the village enjoying lunch at the pub next door it was a good opportunity to visit the church afterwards. I particularly wanted to see the Knollys Tomb because this family also had connections to my home town. They owned property there and a street is named after them.  

 

This brass memorial in front of the altar 

is c. 1387 and shows Lord Robert de Grey

clothed in a suit of armour, hands in prayer
and a lion with a raised head at his feet.

In the small chapel to the left as one faces the altar

is the Knollys Tomb with other memorials

on the surrounding walls.

William Knollys, the second, but eldest surviving son of Sir Francis Knollys together with his wife erected the chapel in memory of his parents. (Sir Francis was one of the Queen's councillors and Treasurer of the Royal Household).

The son, William, Earl of Banbury and his wife appear on the top of the canopy kneeling before a prayer desk. 

Sir Francis and Lady Katherine Knollys (Katherine Carey was the daughter of Mary Boleyn and niece of Anne Boleyn) are recumbent effigies with the figure of a wooden swan and a plaster elephant at their feet. (symbolic figures used in the Knollys' Coats of Arms)

Their children are kneeling figures on either side, Lettice comes first and is depicted in her coronet and robes as a Countess. (She was married first to Walter, Earl of Essex and secondly to Robert, Earl of Leicester and she was a lady-in waiting to Elizabeth I).  Behind Lettice are her sisters Mary, Maud, Elizabeth, Anne and Catherine. The last figure is possibly Dorothy, the first wife of William Knollys.  On the other side are the sons, Henry, William, Edward, Robert, Richard, Francis, Thomas and Dudley who died in infancy.  As the gate in the railing across the chapel was locked I could not photograph the other side of the tomb. The family continued to live at  Greys Court until 1686.

From the 18th century onwards the chapel was used by the Stapleton family, who then owned Greys Court until the late 1930s when the Brunner family bought it and lived there. There are many memorials in the church commemorating them. 

A memorial to the Fallen

In a glass case is one of the ceramic poppies from the 

Tower of London Installation of Poppies tribute done in 2014 for
the centenary remembrance of the beginning of  WW1 1914-1918,

 each one representing someone who sacrificed life

to bring about freedom for society at that time.

This was a thought-provoking way to finish a visit to this church.

On a bench in the church porch was this trug of garden produce

with an invitation to take some. I didn't, but left feeling that there

 must be some lovely people in that village community. 

Greys Court and Rotherfield Greys village, Oxfordshire

We visited Greys Court, Rotherfield Greys near Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire in May and returned to have lunch in the village during our last visit in August.

During our visit to Greys Court we saw some wonderful mature trees and shrubs set in a beautiful countryside estate.

Mr P was interested in the vine climbing up a wall adjoining the house.

In May when we visited the fruit was just beginning to appear.

There was a magnificent magnolia tree by an entrance to the house.

The trees here and the rambling roses created a shady sitting area .

On the top of the wall as you look up you can see 

some small statues.  These little helmeted figures are carrying arms and 

one has a trumpet and another has a bow and arrows.

 The wisteria that was climbing up the walls of the house was looking beautiful as were 

 the ones growing on walls and along a supporting pergola in the gardens.

The fig trees that had been espaliered (trained to grow flat against

  outer and inner garden walls) must be very old.

The shady pergolas were enjoyable to walk through.

We saw a thrush in the Pear Walk . It  was not shy and probably had

 a nest somewhere in the grounds of the estate near the kitchen garden. 

We also saw red kites circling ahead and birds of the crow family.

The latter have made their home in the old tower.

There was a weeping cherry....

 and many shrubs and climbers growing around the rocks,

  up into the old walls where there's an entrance into the Tower Garden.

It was the Cinnamon Bark Tree that interested me.

The mature tree trunk's inner bark where the outer bark had fallen off 

 was a wonderful colour and had interesting markings. 

A young Cinnamon Bark Tree which looked very healthy.

When we were in the area of Rotherfield Greys last month we went out to lunch with an old friend of the family.  

This was my choice for lunch - fish (lemon sole) with spinach, squash, puy lentils and lamb's lettuce followed by Summer fruit meringue.

There's obviously a lot going on in the village and Greys Court often hosts village events.

Next to The Malsters Arms pub is the church of St Nicholas. Ever since the de Greys first lived at Greys Court in 1086 there has been a link with the family and other families who have lived at the Court as they worshipped in the church.