St. Denis, Stanford Dingley, Berkshire

Description

The church of St. Denis is an ancient and most interesting structure of flint and rubble, consisting of chancel, nave, aisles, south porch and a wooden belfry at the west end, probably of Perpendicular date, supported on wooden framework, rising from within the nave and containing 4 bells, re-hung in 1902: the chancel was rebuilt of brick about 1768 and has a Pointed arch of Transition Norman period: the arches of the nave arcades are of the same date, with the exception of the two easternmost, which are plain Norman; the south doorway displays an unusual design, its inner head being trefoiled within a moulded Pointed arch: there is a brass, dated 1444, to Margaret, wife of William Dyneley, esquire to Henry VI.; another to John Lyford, citizen and merchant tailor of London, a native of Stanford, ob. 1610, and a third to a civilian, with kneeling effigy: some highly glazed and richly designed bricks of an early date have been discovered and placed in the chancel wall; the walls of the church were originally covered with paintings, parts of which are still in good preservation: amongst other details, the scene of the Last Judgment is represented; there is also the figure of a royal personage, crowned and holding in his hand a heart, transfixed by three arrows; some of the patterns are extremely beautiful: the church was restored in 1870 and has 150 sittings.

Church Records

The register dates from the year 1538.