Opening
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Getting here
A warm welcome to St James’ Church which is the oldest surviving building in Ashmansworth, with much of the church dating from the 12th century, with a brick porch added in 1694 and the east wall rebuilt in 1745.
It is Grade I listed.
The walls show the remains of medieval wall paintings thought to date from the 12th century onwards and the turret houses three bells dating from 1588 to 1780.
St James' church window: The church is the last resting place of Gerald Finzi the composer, who lived in the adjacent house from 1939 to 1956. The porch features an unusual etched window that displays the initials of fifty English composers with their dates of birth, all radiating from a tree’s roots. It was created by the artist Laurence Whistler, a friend of the Finzi family.
St James' church window detail:
So, they are not underground,
But as nerves and veins abound
In the growths of upper air,
And they feel the sun and rain,
And the energy again
That made them what they were!
Thomas Hardy ‘Transformations’
The North West Hampshire Benefice comprises Ashmansworth, Crux Easton, East Woodhay, Highclere and Woolton Hill Parishes.
Church Lane
Ashmansworth
Newbury
RG20 9SP
RG20 9SP
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