Newtown

Attributed to Pearson and built in the Early English style, this large, red-brick church was built in 1896-7, so it was relatively new in Francis Frith’s photograph. The square crossing tower has an unexpected pyramidal roof, possibly in place of an intended spire. The Baptistry extends and projects to the south at the west end like a porch, and has two rounded angle buttresses with solid pinnacles. The main north porch has a small south porch attached to the angle between nave and transept. The brick interior, with four-bay arcades, is not emphatic; there is a rib-vaulted crossing and sexpartite rib-vaults in the chancel and the lower south chapel. The baptistry is also rib-vaulted; it is octagonal, with three open sides projecting into the south aisle. Its windows are a high three-light in the west and a broader five-light in the east.
An extract from from"Berkshire Churches Photographic Memories".

Attributed to Pearson and built in the Early English style, this large, red-brick church was built in 1896-7, so it was relatively new in Francis Frith’s photograph. The square crossing tower has an unexpected pyramidal roof, possibly in place of an intended spire. The Baptistry extends and projects to the south at the west end like a porch, and has two rounded angle buttresses with solid pinnacles. The main north porch has a small south porch attached to the angle between nave and transept. The brick interior, with four-bay arcades, is not emphatic; there is a rib-vaulted crossing and sexpartite rib-vaults in the chancel and the lower south chapel. The baptistry is also rib-vaulted; it is octagonal, with three open sides projecting into the south aisle. Its windows are a high three-light in the west and a broader five-light in the east.
An extract from from"Berkshire Churches Photographic Memories".

An angel has appeared from a former house in the south chapel; the pulpit is dated 1628, and has blank arches and arabesque decoration; the back panel upper half has caryatids and the tester has strapwork cresting. An hourglass on an elaborate iron stand carries the arms of the Farriers’ Company, London, and is a unique expression of the blacksmith’s art of the time - 17th century - with leaves and grapes, a lion, a pelican and a wolf, attributed to Hurst. Victorian iron screens are on the west, north and south of the chancel. The 15th-century stained glass shows whole figures in the south-east window; the south aisle window, in violent colours, is by O’Connor and dates from 1863. The church monuments include a 9-inch bust, and inscriptions of the mid 16th century; on the reverse part of a figure of a bishop or abbot is a tablet with relief profile in a circular wreath and another tablet with flag and sabre and various brasswork.
An extract from from"Berkshire Churches Photographic Memories".

The Hobys dominate the imposing monuments in the south chapel, remembering the deaths of Sir Philip in 1558 and Sir Thomas in 1566. They were erected after Sir Thomas's death. One is of alabaster,and is a tomb chest with the two bearded half brothers relaxed in semi-recumbent poses. Behind is a shallow arch in which is a long poem, worth reading in full. Sir Thomas’s widow Elizabeth married Lord Russell, who died in 1583; she died in 1609. She is seen kneeling in widow’s weeds under a canopy with columns. Behind her is a group of children and other figures outside the columns. This is also in alabaster, and contained in iron railings. Margaret, wife of Sir Edward who died in 1605, is also remembered among these fine, delicately and intricately-worked alabaster monuments. Other monuments in the church include a Purbeck tomb in the north chapel; this is a short tomb chest and canopy of three hanging arches on colonnettes with lozenge patterns. There is a pretty vault inside. There is also a life-size effigy by Morris Harding under a Gothic canopy. It depicts a kneeling Eton schoolboy called George Kenneth Vansittart-Neale who died aged 14, in 1904. A brass in the nave west wall, a 16inch figure dated 1517, relates to a Thomas Crekett.
An extract from from"Berkshire Churches Photographic Memories".

This splendid setting shows off St Mary’s alongside Chieveley Manor House, which is of red brick with a hipped roof. The church is unbuttressed, with a west tower and Perpendicular bell-stage and a very fine chancel all dating back to the 13th century. The east wall has three lancets with continuous roll mouldings outside and again inside, where the shafts have stiff-leaf capitals. In the roof is one tie- beam on arched braces with traceried spandrels, probably also supporting the lenten veil. Side walls have lancets. The nave is probably about 1873 by J W Hugall, and the font is octagonal, Perpendicular with quatrefoils. Blank arches and arabesques mark the Jacobean pulpit. One monument of note is the small tomb of Mrs Fincher, 1688, with its square brass plate in a stone surround of leathery or doughy forms of earlier years’ influence, say of the 1650s.
An extract from from"Berkshire Churches Photographic Memories".