Hungerford Virtual Museum

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by Hugh Pihlens

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You are in [Places] [Churches] [Avington Church]

Avington Church, lying on private land about a mile east of Hungerford, is a fine example of an unspoilt Norman church. It is not currently open to public viewing.

Simple in plan, Avington church still retains its almost completely Norman structure, the only additions being those of a 16th century porch and a 19th century vestry. The brief notes below describe just a few of the interesting features of the church.

Porch: Built of brick and flint, the initials R C, those of Richard Choke, the Lord of the Manor in 1564, can be seen in the spandrels of the doorway. It has frequently been suggested that it was moved from its original site at the old Manor House, when it burned down in about 1769, but there seems no reason to believe that it was not originally sited where it now stands.

Notice also on the outside face of the porch the remains of a mass-dial in the top left hand corner. These were used to indicate to the often illiterate parishoners the times at which mass would be held, by engraving or painting a heavier line at that hour. Evidence of other dials can be seen at the south east outside corner of the church.

There may once have been a cell of the monastery at Amesbury here, to support the church, and the quatrefoil windows are possibly taken from the old monastic buildings, when they were demolished at the time of the Reformation.
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South Door: Decorated with characteristic Norman chevron decoration, an interesting feature is that of capitals of different styles on top of the door pillars. The door itself is of oak, and is probably about 400 years old.

West End: Originally possessing a plaster and lathe partition for the bell tower, this was finally removed in 1863 by the Revd John James. The spire had been removed earlier, during the restorations of 1848-52, after being previously damaged by lightning.

He also had the lower window and stained glass installed - all other windows in the church (exept the 13th century ones in the vestry and the chancel) are of Norman origin.

Font: The font also dates from the 12th century, the cable pattern around the top being a typical decorative feature of that time. The lining and the lid, however are modern. Damage to the side of the font can be seen in the illustration in Lysons Magna Brittanica, published in 1806.

There are 13 figures in all, surrounding the entire body of the font. Some appear to be ecclesiastical personages, wearing copes, and one carries what could be a bishops staff. There may also be members of the legal profession. The character with the cloven feet is fairly obviously Satan, but further interpretation of the identity of these figures is always open to doubt, when one considers the wealth of medieval mythology and superstition depicted here, the details of which are now lost to modern man.
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In the early 1900s, there was also another font; this was a small bowl, again with a simple cable edging around the rim. It was not original to Avington however, being donated by the Rector & Churchwardens of Brimpton Church, as a 'sole relic' of their old parish church. This font is sadly no longer present.

Hatchment: The coat of arms hanging behind the font is in the form of a hatchment, a funeral decoration which was hung in front of the house of the deceased, then, perhaps a few months later, taken to the church where it was left as a permanent memorial. This one commemorates William James, who died in 1666. (See the ledger stone to his wife, Sarah, in the chancel). As William died before his wife, the left hand side of the background is coloured black. If she had died before him, this convention would have been reversed.

Ledger Stone: This previously lay beneath the pews near the spot where the pulpit now stands. It was moved to its present position in 1867 at which time investigations were made 'to a depth of three feet', but nothing was found. There is no inscription on the stone, but it has been suggested that it may be a memorial to, or even actually mark the site of the grave of the Founder of the church.
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Avington Church, possibly in the 1950s



	Avington Church, Jul 1980



	South door, Avington Church, Jul 1980 showing chevron decoration of stonework



		Interior of Avington Church, Jul 1980 showing the "cracked" chancel arch



			Part of the chancel arch (from Lysons Magna Brittanica, 1806)

Blocked Doorway: Now containing the cross stone, this doorway dates from the 13th century. Traces of paint can be seen over the archway, together with other places in the church.

This door would probably have been left open during a baptism service to 'let out the demons' or evil spirits, that were thought to be cast out of the soul when it was baptised. Notice that it is on the North side of the church - the Devils side, and that outside nobody is buried in the shadow of the church, again the area thought to belong to Satan.

Table: This is made from two sections of the altar rail - the missing sections were not replaced and the gaps can still be seen.

Pews, Pulpit and Altar Rails: These items were all installed during the restoration of the church carried out in 1848-53, by William Butterfield, although the original pulpit was installed in 1765.

Chancel Arch: A very interesting and attractive feature of the church. It is cracked', across its middle, probably due to the walls bowing out at some point, as can be clearly seen if one stands at the West end of the church. Various beasts are portrayed on one side of the arch, and birds beaks on the other - beaks from both sides meet in the midline. Stewkley church in Buckinghamshire is another that displays this type of decoration.

The capitals at the top of the arch pillars are the same as those at West Shefford church - could they possibly have been created by the same stonemason?

Again, colouring can be seen on the pillars of the arch, in a lozenge pattern, and also on the star-shaped motifs along the outer nave arch.

Vaulting: In the chancel, evidence of vaulting still remains. It may have been started and never finished - alternatively, it was finished, and then at some later time, collapsed (perhaps again as the result of the movement of the walls). Pieces of masonry are still present in the church which could have come from this vaulting, thus supporting the view that there were, at one time, vaulted arches in the chancel.

Stained Glass: Three of the stained glass windows were installed at the request of the Rev. John James, as memorials to his children. That in the West window, by Mayer of Munich, is to his missionary son, the Revd. Charles Anderson James. The one in the nave commemorates Arthur James, a naval cadet who died in Bermuda, and the one in the chancel, like that in the nave, by Powell, is to his daughter, Barbara Wilberforce James, who, the inscription tells us, was granddaughter of William Wilberforce, 'the Great Parliamentary Leader in the cause of the Abolition of the Slave Trade'.

James Ledger Stones: There were originally four stones in the chancel; that to William James, who died in 1666, is no longer present. Still remaining are those to Sarah James, his wife, Boulton James, and his wife, Francis 'the Best of Wives, the Best of Mothers and the Best of Widows'. (The James family lived at nearby Denford Park, and were apparently staunch supporters of Protestantism during the days of the Reformation).

Sedilia: Used for the seating of clergy during the performance of their daily offices, the sedilia at Avington is of a simple, round headed style.

Piscina: There are two piscinae in the church, one in the chancel and one in the nave (now partially hidden by the pulpit). This situation may have arisen due to the closing off of the church at the chancel arch at some time during its construction. The altar would then have been placed in front of the partition, and the nave piscina used for the washing of hands and vessels in Holy water. When the partition was removed, the one in the chancel would have then been used for the same purpose.

Aumbry: A simple square niche, this is where the church plate and sacramental implements would have been kept. The doors were installed in 1878, to match the style of Butterfields altar rails.

Corbels: Representing an ox and a lion, these may indicate that the patron saints of the church are Saint Luke & Saint Mark. However, there is also evidence that the church may have had another dedication - the parish clerk in the 1860's, John Poughley, said that he remembered his parents talking about going to church 'at St. Mary's at Avington' when he was a young child.

With thanks to the anonymous writer of these notes dating from 1980.