St Peter and St Paul Church, Yattendon

The present church at Yattendon was built in about 1450 by Sir John Norreys of Ockwells Manor & Yattendon Castle. He was the Master of the Wardrobe to King Henry VI and could well afford it.He is remembered by small sculptures at the doorway and the Norreys arms in one of the windows (although this was the geometric arms adopted by his 17th century descendants, not the ravens that he used).[...]The local architect, Alfred Waterhouse, added the porch and vestry in 1881 and the spire fifteen years later. He also heavily restored the rood screen. It just about retains some of the original 15th century woodwork. The staircase to the missing rood loft is a particularly fine example.Yattendon Church is famous for the use of the Yattendon Hymnal which was edited by Waterhouse's son-in-law, Robert Bridges, the poet laureate, in 1899. It is a collection of ancient hymns designed for the use of a village choir and is considered a pioneering landmark in the history of texted English hymns.The building has an interesting array of wall monuments, most of which are not listed in the Buildings of England.Cit. berkshirehistory.com/churches/yattendon.html