Warfield Church

[1] It is located on Church Lane, Warfield, in Berkshire, England, ¾ of a mile north-east of the modern centre of the village.

[2] The building charts its origins back to 1016 when Queen Emma, the wife of King Æthelred the Unready decided to give "the vill and chapel" of Warfield to the See of Winchester.

[3] Although it is likely that the location where Warfield Church now stands has been a place of worship from approximately 800AD when it was little more than a clearing in the middle of the Windsor Great Forest.

In 1156 Henry II signed an official charter giving the lands and church of Warfield to the Monks of Hurley.

[4] In 1272 in the reign of Edward I a new chancel was built on the site of the present day St Katherine's chapel and glass started to be used in windows.

The Black Death caused people to leave homes close to the church and relocate further afield.

In the 1500s the picture of the Church would have been one of priest with his helpers in the chancel, dressed in colourful robes, speaking hardly audible tones in Latin.

[7] There is always some item of background controversy however, in 1674 the Warfield Wardens state that the present vicar had given up teaching and had become a farmer.

In 1677 there was a yearlong lawsuit between John Brakes (a parishioner) and the Warfield Church Wardens as to the ownership of the pew by the pulpit.

The one shown to the left dates from the mid 18th century and is a memorial to a wife, husband and a child who died in infancy.

[11] By the early 19th century there was a Sunday School owing much to the model created by Robert Raikes the editor of the Gloucester Journal.

He describes box pews, whitewashed ceiling, and a gallery across the back with a barrel organ given by Lady Jane Walsh.

[16] In keeping with this journey down a more Roman Catholic path, in 1874 George Street was invited by the then Vicar to redesign the building.

[18] The then Vicar had used the years since 1860 to collect funds for such a venture, but Lord Ormathwaite was upset that his gallery was to be removed.

Towards the end of the 20th Century red carpets were fitted in the church, the choir pews removed, and a balcony added - although no additional stairs were added, so access to the balcony was still via the stone bell tower steps and through the ringing chamber.

The red carpet added at the end of the 20th century was removed, as was the existing floor, balcony and remaining pews.

The font was moved to stand near the south door and the pulpit relocated to the edge of St Katherine's chapel.