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St Andrew

Clewer Village, Berkshire

Parish church, built in the early and later C12, extended C14 to C15, restored 1853-62 by Henry Woodyer and in 1880-4. MATERIALS: knapped flint with Bath freestone dressings

Architectural Features

The C12 piers are of chalk blocks or clunch

PLAN: a three-bay south aisle, originally the nave, the former chancel rebuilt as a chantry chapel (Brocas Chapel) in the C14

On each face there is a single, narrow, round-headed C12 lancet light to the lower stage, and wider pointed arched lights above

The west windows of the south aisle are a pair of C12 lancets

An unmoulded arch, formerly the C12 chancel arch, leads from the south aisle to the chantry chapel

On the north side the central pier has an elaborate carved capital

the entrance to the south has a figure head boss

The rood screen has traceried panels on moulded shafts and a pair of iron gates (now gilded) with quatrefoil traceried panels

Within the sanctuary are traces of wall painting comprising a repeated pattern of an encircled cross, with radiating beams at each quadrant, on a blue St Andrew’s cross, superimposed on a grey linear grid resembling ashlar blocks

Next to it is a tomb recess with an ogival head, the apex curtailed by the C18 monument above, probably associated with Sir Bernard de Brocas (d.1396). The reredos, c.1920 by FE Howard, depicting the Crucifixion flanked unusually by St Michael, St George, St Nicholas and St Joan, is a war memorial, commemorating those fallen in the 1914-18 war

The drum font, probably C12, is decorated with a blind arcade of round arches beneath a chevron band and has a cable moulded base

The pulpit, probably also by Woodyer, is octagonal and of timber panels (now painted) on a stone base

Glass: most of the stained glass is by Clayton and Bell, the clerestory windows by Hardman, the south chancel window by Morris and Co

The south-eastern aisle window is by Kempe (1902), the south-eastern chantry chapel window by Sir Ninian Comper (1932). Monuments include: in the north aisle a neoclassical marble wall tablet to Earl Harcourt (d 1833) by Robert Sievier

a tablet to GF Henson (1918) by TG Jackson and in the chantry chapel a large mid-C18 aedicular, pedimented wall monument in marble to the Jenyns family

Above the chancel arch is 'The Risen Christ' of 1967, a wall painting by Anthony Ballantine

Photo coming soon