Description

SHELLINGFORD CHURCH STREET
SU39SW (North side)
5/202 Church of St. Faith
02/11/66
GV I

Church. C12 with porch and spire added c.1625 and late C19 vestry off nave.
Coursed and uncoursed limestone rubble, limestone ashlar dressings and spire;
metal roof, stone slate roof to porch. Chancel, nave, vestry, south porch and
west tower with recessed spire. Early C14 reticulated 3-light east window; late
C15 three-light Perpendicular and early C14 one-light window to north chancel
wall; south chancel wall has 3 early C14 one-light windows and a fine Norman
priests door (possibly reset in early C14) which is of two orders with carved
capitals and shaft rings to columns and has dogtooth ornament to arch. North
wall of nave has 3 late C15 four-light transomed windows with cusped heads; late
C19 vestry has one 2-light C14 style window and steps down to plank door in
basement. South wall of nave has one early C14 curvilinear 3-light window and
two early C15 eight-light transomed windows to left with cusped heads and human
and beasts heads to hood mould terminals. Norman south door of two orders with
shaft rings and carved capitals, dog tooth ornament to arch with beasts' head
terminal to hood mould; C17 plank double doors. South porch dated 1625 on
cartouche above doorway, which has moulded architrave and hood mould to pointed
arch and original panelled double doors; one 2-light window with cusped heads;
gabled roof with fleur-de-lys finial surmounting coping. Battlements surmounting
nave walls are probably early C17. West tower has Norman lancet windows, string
course surmounting ground floor corner buttresses and gargoyles at base of
battlemented parapet; recessed spire of c.1625 was restored 1852 and has 2-light
belfry openings. Interior: East window has C15 glass from other parts of the
church and some C20 glass placed there in 1947; some late C17 and C18 ledger
stones on chancel floor, also the Purbeck marble base for a C14 brass which has
been removed leaving only the outline; intrados of the north window arch has
quatrefoil decoration, this arch having originally framed the tomb recess or
chantry chapel of John of Bledbury, priest, d.1372; stained glass of 1930 to
north window, late C19 stained glass to south; wall tablet on north wall has
cartouche framed by Baroque decoration; over blocked door on south side is a mid
C18 wall tablet. Also on north wall of chancel is large architectural memorial
to Mrs. Mary Packer, d.1719, of grey and white marble with alternately blocked
pilasters framing inscription at the bottom; composition above has main feature
of sarcophagus and bust flanked by two putti. 3-bay late C19 roof. Engaged
columns of C12 semi-circular chancel arch have vine-scroll strapwork and ball
flower carvings to capitals. Nave has ledger stones and indent of C19 brass on
aisle floor; Jacobean pulpit; C15 octagonal font has Jacobean cover. On east
wall of nave south of chancel arch is monument by W. Tyler to second Viscount
Ashbrook, d.1780; above the white marble inscription is a grey marble obelisk
forming the background to a composition of brown and white marble; the
sarcophagus is surmounted by two putti trailing a garland of flowers around a
brown marble urn. North of chancel arch is plainer wall tablet featuring an urn
on a pedestal to the third Viscount Ashbrook, by Flaxman, 1802. On north wall of
nave is large tablet of reredos type with bust and putti (Pevsner) to Sir Edward
Homes physician to Queen Anne. Glass dated 1889 and some reset C15 glass in
south nave windows. 5-bay late C19 roof on original corbels.
(Buildings of England: Berkshire, pp.214-5; V.C.H.: Berkshire, Vol.IV,
pp.477-8).

Listing NGR: SU3195193515

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17529209

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Central Leinster: Kildare, Laois and Offaly (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)
• 
  London 1: The City of London: City of London v. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Gloucestershire 2: The Vale and The Forest of Dean: Vale and Forest of Dean Pt. 2 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Devon (Pevsner Buildings of England)
• 
  Development and Design of Heritage Sensitive Sites: Strategies for Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas
• 
  Listed Buildings: The Law and Practice of Historic Buildings, Ancient Monuments and Conservation Areas