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Summary

Grade I listed early 19th century church dominating the skyline around Theale

Associated Legal Designations or Protected Status

• Listed Building (I) 1288225: CHURCH OF THE HOLY TRINITY
• Conservation Area: Holy Trinity, Theale

Other Statuses and Cross-References

• Church Heritage Record: 9607
  
• National Monuments Record No.: SU 67 SW 43
  SU 6404 7129
• Old Listed Building Ref (pre 1984) (B): Map No 21 10/1 Church of the Holy Trinity
  Built between 1820-1823 except apsidal chancel added 1892. Original design by E. Garbett. Stone. Early English. Nave and chancel with partly detached south tower. Churchyard has tall flint panelled walls with weathered stone copings.

Monument Type(s):

• PARISH CHURCH (19th century to Late 19th century - 1830 AD to 1897 AD)

Full Description

Holy Trinity in Theale is a very large church modelled on Salisbury Cathedral, paid for by Mrs Sheppard, sister of Dr Routh, President of Magdalen College, Oxford and Rector of Tilehurst <1><7>. It is of Bath stone in an Early English style, and is described as one of the most remarkable English churches of its date <10>. The church was consecrated in 1832 but the main body of the building was completed in 1830 and it seems to have been planned ten years earlier <3> <10> by the architect E W Garbett, although John Buckler designed the tower. An apse was added in 1892 by John Oldrid Scott. Constable produced a painting of the new church <2>.

Further detail about the building of the church and its predecessors was gathered together in 2003 <3>. There is uncertain evidence of a medieval chapel in Theale, although there was a short-lived early 19th century brick chapel of ease, probably located in the Old Rectory garden. Theale church contains an important medieval chantry (William of Wainfleet) <6> but this was moved here from Magdalen College chapel, Oxford <3><8>.

A detailed description of the church's external and internal architectural features and fittings was compiled by the Theale Local History Group <11>. This concluded that the concept of the church had arisen well before 1820, and predicted the gothic revival which developed in the Victorian period. It also anticipated the religious revival that began as the Oxford Movement of 1840.

Sources and further reading

Related Monuments

Associated Excavations and Fieldwork

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