IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
Minster Way, SLOUGH, SL3 7EU

A team of strimmer operatives are at work at St. Mary's this afternoon.

Newly renovated semi-detached houses. The house on the right has got new style windows and side extension and large porch.

The central porch of these early-17th century almshouses. This is the north-facing side of the building, seen here from the churchyard. The tablet over the entrance carries an inscription, but is quite badly weathered. I could make out little other than that the language is Latin, and the date - A.D. 1617. For a general view of the almshouses see http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/2309292

This stone is built into the wall above the porch of the almshouses, and commemorates the endowment of the houses by Sir John Kederminster, giving the date, 1617. At the top are the arms of the Kederminster family - this part is in much better condition than the rest and must have been renewed. Below is a Latin inscription, badly weathered. I can make out the words 'Manerii de Langly ma . . . et Wyrardisbury' (the old form of 'Wraysbury') and - I think - 'Dachet'. The family name 'Kederminster' appears at the top. Just below it is the word 'Senescalis', which I suspect may be the word for 'almshouse'. (In Stamford, Lincolnshire, various old almshouses go by the name of 'Callis'.) At the very bottom the date is given in two forms, linked by a big curly bracket - 'A Dni 1617', and above it the so-called 'regnal date', 'Regni 15', meaning the 15th year of the reign of James I. I ought to say that this is my own attempt at deciphering the inscription, and I'm hoping that someone with local knowledge may be able to make better sense of the whole thing.

There are a number of fine old yews in this churchyard, but this one is quite remarkable. The tree is quite hollow, and has split in two and opened up. My guess was that the tree's circumference at the base was about 20 feet, but the Ancient Yew Group http://www.ancient-yew.org/ gives its girth (at ground level) as 23' 3" when measured in 1999. They classify it as 'ancient' rather than just 'veteran'. The tree stands towards the south-west corner of the churchyard.

The south transept of the church houses the Kederminster Chapel. This must date from the early 17th century: 'A grant for the Kederminster Chapel was obtained from the Dean and Chapter of Windsor in 1613', according to Pevsner ('The Buildings of England: Buckinghamshire'). But for the tombstones you would take this to be part of a domestic building. Plain rectangular windows are seldom seen in churches - of any date.

On a sunny summer's afternoon.

Viewed from the north.

Langley Marish is a village centre now entirely surrounded by suburban development. Of the old village what remains is St Mary's church, the 'Red Lion' opposite, and two rows of almshouses, to the north and south of the churchyard. The picture shows the row of four almshouses on the south side of the churchyard. The inscription on the tablet over the central porch gives the date 1617. (For more history, see: http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/en-38726-2-4-6-8-slough ). It is early spring, with Forsythia in bloom, and the upstairs casements are wide open - one of the residents spotted me in the churchyard and came to the window to natter. For the almshouses on the other side of the churchyard see: Image The shot was taken from beneath one of the extraordinary old churchyard yew trees.