The Holy Cross, Sparsholt, Berkshire

Description

The church of the Holy Cross, one of the most ancient churches in the county, existed before 963, and was rebuilt in 1187, the whole being enlarged and the present chancel built in 1327: it is now chiefly of the Decorated period, and consists of chancel, nave, south transept, north porch, vestry and a western tower with wooden shingled spire, erected in 1796 and containing 4 bells, two of which date from 1578; the tenor was cast in 1603 and the fourth is a pre-Reformation ibell dedicated to St. Catherine: the east window is modern, but the side windows of the chancel are lofty and of good Decorated work: the sedilia, piscina and a sepulchral recess have feathered arches, with crockets, pinnacles and finials: on the north side of the chancel is an ogee-arched recess, similarly ornamented and probably an Easter sepulchre: the nave has good windows of two lights and an open-timbered Decorated roof; the north doorway is Late Norman, with a semi-circular arch and shafts with foliaged caps; on the south side is a similar doorway now blocked; in the south chantry, which forms part of the Sparsholt manor house estate, are two recesses very richly ornamented with ogee arches, beneath which are two altar tombs, with female effigies of wood, wearing veils and wimples and supposed to represent two wives of Robert Achard, by whom this chapel was erected c. 1330: in the transept is the wooden effigy of a knight, believed to represent either Lord Talbot or possibly Robert Achard: the transept screen dates from 1350: in the church is a monument to Sir George Hyde K.B. of Denchworth and Kingston Lisle, ob. 1625: the church was restored in 1891 at a cost of £1,500: in 1891 the south chantry was restored, and two stained windows and other gifts were presented in 1897-8 by the late Lieut.-Col, Hippisley: in 1910 an east window was presented by Mrs. Hippisley in memory of her late husband, and in the same year an organ was provided at a cost of £310: the church affords 200 sittings.

Church Records

The register dates from the year 1558 and includes entries from Kingston Lisle.

The Phillimore transcript of Marriages at Sparsholt 1559-1812, Berkshire is available to browse online.