Leaving Bristol just after 6am I arrived at Hailes in dim January morning light. The interior of the small church was all still, dusty darkness and I have tried to keep some of that in the photos. Some of the early pictures I used the torch on my phone to highlight details. I spent over an hour here and the light had improved by the time I left. But it was a special half an hour or so in the chalky black silence. Thanks for the recommendation Martyn Cross. Hailes is a lovely church.

On the way to Hailes I passed a brown Historic Church sign pointing down a single track and after leaving Hailes decided to retrace my steps to see what turned out to be St Mary's Little Washburn before heading to Shipton Sollars. The graveyard is waterlogged and only one grave has been dug into that ground, that of a drowned boy who now haunts the nearby Ye Olde Hobnails Inn.

Dead blue tit (second photo). Someone had had fun with the hymn numbers.

Another tip from Martyn. This is probably the obvious choice for standout church of the day in a village stuffed with churches. There is plenty to see inside and the location with river and small stream moat around the graveyard is wonderful. St Mary's is clearly well loved and looked after. Three of the day's other churches have fallen into the care of the Churches Conservation Trust. They clearly do great work maintaining the buildings but their stewardship is always a sign that the community can't/won't support the churches anymore. which largely removes the churches from the role they have played unbroken within the community for centuries. St Mary's Ampney, which is glamourous in comparison clearly doesn't have that problem.

This is a great little church full of straightforward character. Highlights for me were the coffin lid used as a window sill (fourth photo from the end) and the chancel wagon roof.