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Beedon is a tiny village of two parts in the centre of the Berkshire Downs. The church and very few houses are clustered near the manor house, now a farm, while about three quarters of a mile down the hill there are two or three period cottages close to the road junction of what clearly was once the old A34 and the Stanmore road.
The church is dedicated to St. Nicholas and dates almost wholly from about 1220, The plan of the church remains unaltered and most of the original windows are preserved or traceable above those inserted in the late 14th century, which are the only later ones. In 1882 the original stone altar was discovered buried under the chancel floor and repaired and incorporated into the present oak table. It was probably hidden to save it either in November 1550 when all altars were ordered to be removed from churches or else during Cromwell's time in the 17th century. The porch and bell-turret date from the 19th century. Beedon is about 6.5 miles north of Newbury and about 2.5 miles north of the M4 motorway, just off the A34. |
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Beedon