Mongewell Park
It’s Oxfordshire Day today, an opportunity to shine a light on those dusty, less appreciated corners of the county in south east England.
An unplanned visit to the derelict 12th century church of St John the Baptist involved another quite unexpected experience of the Mongewell Park estate near Wallingford.
With a name that rhymes with sponge-well, finding your way there is the second challenge. Down a country lane, along a footpath, past peeling portakabins and large unfriendly signs advising visitors to keep out - unless heading to St John the Baptist church. Don’t be put off, keep going!
A perfect film set
The site has a colourful past – from ancient Grims Ditch, the Normans, a bishops estate, WW1 convalescent home and RAF station, to groundbreaking Jewish boarding school. On the side of a green lake, the faded Carmel College (1948 - 1997) added the distinctive concrete synagogue, with stained glass windows created by Israeli artist Nehemia Azaz, the dining hall, and the amphitheatre, designed by local architect Thomas Hancock. The adjoining Julius Gottlieb Gallery and Boathouse are also listed. Sadly it’s there in outline only.
Agatha Christie lived at Winterbrook House near Wallingford for 40 years and rumour has it the site was inspiration for the Mousetrap.
Come away make no delay
Partly taped off in case the roof tiles continue their downward slide, you skirt the headstones beneath the east wall of the apse to enter what remains of the chancel. The floor may be dusty, but tucked away behind a Churches Conservation Trust poster, is a pile of neatly folded clothes and a bucket and mop. It is looked after, this tiny uncluttered space, with interesting stone monuments, a large, but damaged Victorian font and pretty stained glass window behind the alter. The large wrought iron chandelier, added in the 1880’s hangs from the reconstructed 14th century wooden roof.
“Come away make no delay” The inscription on the now lost church bell from 1760
Within the chancel are two excellent 18th-century monuments. The largest and most striking is a tomb of a young man dressed in Oriental costume with a turban.
I poke about, but it suddenly got dark, huge storm clouds fluffing up overhead. It was time to go! I closed the door, making sure it wouldn’t blow open and picked my way through the weeds and leaves out across the nave into the deserted Mongewell Park.
There have been several unsuccessful attempts to develop the unique and special site, but in the meantime the buildings continue to sag and sink into the surrounding vegetation. Keep it that way!
Don’t you just love exclusivity?
I was told off by someone who explained that Oxfordshire Day is not for counties that ‘relocated’ from another due to 1970’s boundary changes…”it is meant for traditional counties don’t you know”! 🙄
Links you may need
Here are brilliant photo’s of the Israeli artist Nehemia Azaz’s work at Carmel College, then colourful and bright.
Sit on the bench with the new life-sized bronze statue of local crime novelist that was unveiled this summer in Wallingford.
Directions to the church: 2.5 miles south of Wallingford via A4074 Portway road; take right turn immediately after junction with A4130 Nosworthy Way; track leads to Mongewell Park (former Carmel College); go through grounds to church/ruin near to river. The church was restored in 1880 by Lewis Wyatt, but was made redundant in 1981 and is now in the care of the Churches Conservation Trust.