Hungerford
St. Lawrence's Church

Hungerford Church is hidden away down by the Kennet & Avon Canal, some way behind the main town-centre. It is a dramatic sight when first seen peeking through the trees from the road. It appears to be a magnificent piece of medieval Perpendicular architecture, with castellations and pinnacles everywhere. However, it is Regency Gothic Revival, only  built in 1814 probably in imitation of the real thing at Newbury. Its Bath stone was brought up the canal. The previous building had unfortunately collapsed after the tower had been rebuilt.

The interior appears rather wide and open. It has been much altered in various Victorian re-orderings. The apsidal chancel is rather pleasing. The font came from the old church, but the chief ancient relic is the 14th century effigy of Robert de Hungerford and the unusual inscription which goes with it. The rest of the monuments are mural and rather disappointing, despite some of them being quite large. We have the Stonhouses from Standen Manor, the Willes from Hungerford Park and Sir Bulstrode Whitelocke's great grandaughters from Chilton Lodge which, although now in Hungerford, was then in the Berkshire part of Chilton Foliat. Also a small tablet to a young Victorian who was killed by a lightning strike in Durban, South Africa.

This is not the official Hungerford Church website. Please do NOT mail me about use of the church. Visit the C of E's Church Near You website instead.