Church of St Mary Aldermaston, England

Text courtesy of Historic England. © Crown Copyright, reprinted under the Open Government License.

ALDERMASTON CHURCH ROAD (south side) SU 56 SE 6/26 Church Of St. Mary 14.4.67

GV I

Church. C12 nave extended circa 1210 to form larger chancel, new nave added to west and transeptal chapel added to south; C19 vestry. Restored 1896. Pebbledashed with stone dressings; tiled roofs, shingled splayed foot spire with weathervane. West tower, nave, chancel, transeptal chapel to south and vestry. West tower: 3 stages with diagonal buttresses and newel turret. Louvred bell chamber openings on all faces, C14 window with 2 ogee lights and hoodmould to west with octagonal clock above. C12 re-set west doorway of one order, shafts with chevron ornament, carved doves on capitals, and round arch with cable moulding. Nave: south side; C15 window with 2 ogee lights under square head. North side; C14 window with 2 ogee lights to east and C12 blocked doorway to right, cusped lancet and pair of cusped lancets to west. Chancel: south side; C19 round arched window to west, C19 window with 2 ogee lights under segmental head, and roundarched doorway with impost mouldings and keystone to east. East end; diagonal buttresses and triple lancets. North side; 2 lancets to east with large buttress between; trefoil headed lancet to west and small C15 cinque foiled square headed window above, originally to light rood loft. Transeptal Chapel: cusped lancet to west, C14 window with 2 ogee lights and hoodmould to south, and cusped lancet with C19 C13-style doorway below to east. Vestry: lancet to west, 2-light window with Y-tracery to south and C19 door with lancet above to east. Interior: large unmoulded tower arch, 2 small arced recesses in wall, blind arch to south door with carved head in wall above, wagon roof to nave with carved bosses, and old king post roof to chancel. Fittings include: C16 pulpit and tester, C16 painted Flemish Triptych, C17 nave wall panelling, hatchments, Charles I coat of arms, C18 chandelier and C19 font. Wall painting: C14 St. Christopher in south transeptal chapel with C15 canopy to right, vivid C19 paintings in nave and chancel. Glass: C13 roundels of the Annunciation and the Coronation of the Virgin in north windows. Monument: large chest tomb in south transeptal chapel to Sir John Forster and his wife of circa 1530, alabaster with recumbent effigies and small figures under canopies on sides. V.C.H., Vol 3, pp. 390-394; BOE, Berkshire, pp. 61-62; Berkshire Architectual Guide, Betjeman and Piper, Murray, 1949, p.113.

Listing NGR: SU5965464976