Ashbury, Berkshire

St. Mary (parish church)

The church of St. Mary is an ancient cruciform structure in the Early English and Decorated styles, consisting of chancel, nave of four bays, aisles, transepts, north porch and a massive embattled western tower, with pinnacles, containing 6 bells: the late Norman doorway in the south aisle, re-opened in 1873, is a fine example of the style, with the usual zigzag mouldings: the chancel is principally Early English, and retains a piscina; the aisles and north porch are Perpendicular; the latter has a good groined and traceried roof, over which is a parvise: a few of the windows have also Decorated tracery: in the south transept is a trefoiled piscina and a large cinque-foiled arch, now enclosing an ancient stone coffin, previously lying in the churchyard; between the walls of this transept and the arch of the south aisle is a remarkable hagioscope filled with open tracery: the north aisle retains a singular open fireplace of some antiquity: in the chancel are brasses with effigies to William Skelton LL.B. prepositus of Wells Cathedral, formerly rector of this parish and of St. Vedast's, Foster lane, London, ob. March 27, 1448; another to John de Walden esq. with demi-effigy, c. 1360, and a third to Thomas de Bushbury, canon of Hertford and rector here, ob. March 29, 1409, with mutilated effigy: a stained window was erected in the south transept in 1873 to the Rev. William Chambers B.D. 36 years vicar, who died in 1860, and the stained east window to the Rev. Henry Miller, vicar, 1860-92; the carved oak brackets on the pulpit and in the chancel were executed by Mr. Heber Humfrey, of Kingstone farm: the church was restored in 1873-8, at a cost of £1,450, and in 1898 a carved oak chancel screen and choir stalls were erected by the Rev. C. J. F. Yule M.A., rector 1892-1900. In 1906 the tower was underpinned and its north-west buttress rebuilt. The ancient name of the benefice was Ashbury St. Mary-cum-Chapelwick, and there was formerly a chapel, of which nothing now remains, at the northern boundary of the parish.