A church built by the people, for the people

This striking flint-and-brick 700-year-old church stands in a pretty churchyard shaded by fine trees near a beautiful stretch of the Thames.

It is filled with memorials to past parishioners and, in early spring, a host of daffodils. Jethro Tull, the father of modern farming, has a memorial here (although the whereabouts of his grave is unknown) and there is a moving marble statue of two young brothers in swimming trunks who drowned in the Thames in 1886.

The church itself is simple and serene. The nave and south door were built in the thirteenth century, while the ornate roof timbers were installed in the fifteenth century, when parishioners grew rich from the local wool and corn trade.

Inside, there are several stunning memorials, including brass effigies of John Clerk and his wife Lucie, both in medieval costume. The nineteenth-century memorial for Sir Francis Sykes has a statue of a woman weeping by John Flaxman, famous for his Wedgewood designs.

Unfortunately, the roof of St Bartholomew's has started to fail in recent years, resulting in the removal of tiles to make the building safe and a temporary felt coving has been applied until urgently needed funds are found for cover the cost of a permanent repair. More information is available on the appeal page: Roof Repair at St Bartholomew's, Lower Basildon | The Churches Conservation Trust (visitchurches.org.uk).

You can donate to the appeal here: Make a donation | The Churches Conservation Trust (visitchurches.org.uk)

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