Geo-Trips :: Baleful glances IV
East Cotswolds
A drive from Twyning, Sat, 5 Apr 2025 by Basher Eyre
| preceding leg | This trip is part of a series. |
Well every journey starts with a single step but, however long, has to end somewhere, in my case Quenington, where I found the final bale tombs of my 4 part quest. It all started with an article in my sister's Church Monument Society bulletin, detailing the 45 known locations for bale tombs across Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. Originally thought to be used to depict that a wealthy wool merchant was interred there, the society's Sally Badhham now thinks the bale represents half a column, adding status to the chest and the ledger.
Click the blue circles to see a photograph taken from that spot and read further information about the location. The blue lines indicate the direction of view. There is also a slideshow of this trip. ( )
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St Mary Magdalene, Twyning: early April 2025
A bit of an outlier, this is one of the 45 churches with an East Cotswolds bale tomb
SS Peter & Paul, Blockley: tower
This is one of the 45 East Cotswold churches with a bale tomb
Spring flowers in Broadwell Churchyard
One of the 45 locations with an East Cotswolds bale tomb
St Nicholas, Oddington: early April 2025
One of 45 locations in the East Cotswolds that has a bale tomb
St Leonard, Bledington: shadows in the churchyard (1)
One of 45 locations in the East Cotswolds that has a bale tomb
St Laurence, Wyck Rissington: early April 2025
One of 45 locations in the East Cotswolds that has a bale tomb
St Mary, Lower Slaughter: early April 2025
One of 45 locations in the East Cotswolds that has a bale tomb
St Andrew, Cold Aston: nave and chancel
Cold Aston has the remains of a bale tomb, one of 45 locations in the East Cotswolds
Tree in Yanworth Churchyard
One of the 45 locations with an East Cotswolds bale tomb
St Mary, Bibury: early April 2025
One of 45 East Cotswolds churches with a bale tomb
St Swithin, Quenington: early April 2025
One of 45 East Cotswolds churches with a bale tomb
St Swithin, Quenington: bale tomb (i)
Diagonally corded bale with recessed ends, skull at west. Moulded ledger. West end... more
St Swithin, Quenington: bale tomb (ii)
Diagonally corded bale with recessed flat ends with shell decoration, rounded... more
St Mary Magdalene, Twyning: bale tomb
Laterally corded bale with flat ends; winged cherub's head at west end and winged... more
SS Peter & Paul, Blockley: bale tomb
Just the top of a diagonally corded bale tomb, one end plain. Late C17 to early... more
St Michael, Yanworth: bale tomb
Plain flat-ended bale with plain recessed ends. Moulded ledger. Inscription to... more
St Laurence, Wyck Rissington: bale tomb
Double gadrooned bale. Moulded ledger. Chest has quarter balusters each side.... more
St Mary, Bibury: double tomb (Marchant family)
Double tomb with diagonally corded bales on single ledger. Flat recessed ends.... more
St Mary, Bibury: damaged bale tomb
The tomb is inscribed: William Skuse (d. 20 Sept 1774 aged 65) and wife Ann (d. 16... more
St Mary, Bibury: bale tomb (Warren family)
Banded bale with shell niche ends, moulded ledger and elaborate decoration.... more
St Mary, Bibury: bale tomb (Panckridge family)
Double tomb with twin diagonally corded bales on single ledger. Flat recessed... more
St Mary, Bibury: bale tomb (a curate's wife)
Banded bale with four curved panels, flat recessed ends, moulded ledger and... more
St. Andrew, Cold Aston: remains of a bale tomb
Covered with grass and moss, this remnant dates from the late C17 to early C18
St Nicholas, Oddington: churchyard (bale tomb)
Ribbed hipped ends, deep mouded ledger, illegible inscription: NGR listing... more
St Paul, Broadwell: bale tomb (Ann Shaylor)
Ann died in 1701. She is buried in a reversed diagonal bale with shell niche.... more
St Paul, Broadwell: bale tomb (floral motif)
St Paul, Broadwell: bale tomb (Chadwell family)
Plain hipped bale. Mouded ledger Late C17 to early C18. Family arms (a fess... more
St Paul, Broadwell: plain hipped bale tombs
St Paul, Broadwell: bale tomb (shield and lozenges)
Late C17 to early C18, plain hipped bale, moulded ledger, inscription illegible.... more
St Lawrence, Bourton-on-The-Water: Spring 2025
One of the 45 churches in the East Colswolds with a bale tomb
St Lawrence, Bourton-on-The-Water: bale tomb (Jordan family)
Gadrooned bale. Moulded ledger. Chest has two standing female figures Inscription... more
St Lawrence, Bourton-on-The-Water: Jordan bale tomb (detail)
St Lawrence, Bourton-on-The-Water: double gadrooned bale
Illegible inscription; mid C18.
NGR listing SP1672320872 GV II.
St Lawrence, Bourton-on-The-Water: diagonally corded bale tomb (two)
Both late C17 to mid C18. Deep moulded ledger No legible features or inscriptions.... more
St Mary, Lower Slaughter: bale tomb
Double gadrooned bale on a double tier moulded ledger. Chest with corner... more
St Leonard, Bledington: bale tomb (pair)
Plain flat ended bales, moulded ledgers, plain ends Inscriptions John Gayhurst... more
St Leonard, Bledington: (Gayhurst; side view)
St Edward, Stow-on-the-Wold: chancel
One of 45 churchyards with an East Cotswolds bale tomb
St Edward, Stow-on-the-Wold: bale tomb (Freeman)
A later inscription, Richard Freeman (d. 1846) , others illegible Diagonally... more
St Edward, Stow-on-the-Wold: bale tomb (plain ends)
Small double gadrooned bale, mouled ledger, quarter balusters to corners,... more
St Edward, Stow-on-the-Wold: bale tomb (second half C18)
Small double gadrooned bale on deep moulded ledger. Inscriptions illegible, eroded... more
All images © Basher Eyre and available under a
Creative Commons licence 
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