Avington, Berkshire

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Avington
Berkshire
St Mark and St Luke, Avington- August 2013 (geograph 3600618).jpg
Parish church of SS Mark and Luke
Location
Grid reference: SU3768
Location: 51°24’36"N, 1°27’36"W
Data
Post town: Hungerford
Postcode: RG17
Dialling code: 01488
Local Government
Council: West Berkshire
Parliamentary
constituency:
Newbury

Avington is a village and ancient parish on the River Kennet in the Kintbury Eagle hundred of Berkshire. Since 1934 it has been part of the civil parish of Kintbury.[1] The village is just under a mile north-west of Kintbury village and two miles east of the town of Hungerford. The Kennet and Avon Canal follows the river and passes the village.

Toponym

The toponym is derived from Old English and means "the enclosure (tūn) of Afa’s people". The Domesday Book of 1086 records it as Avintone and a pipe roll from 1167 records it as Avintona.[2]

Parish church

The Church of England parish church of Saints Mark and Luke is an 11th-century Norman building. It consists of only a nave, chancel and late 19th-century north transept. The font is a notable piece of Romanesque sculpture and may be Saxon.[3] The south doorway is a Norman arch. The chancel has Norman vaulting and a Norman arch, both with "beakhead" ornament.[4] A few early Gothic additions to the church were made in the 13th century, including two doorways and a "low-side" window.[4] The church is a Grade-I listed building.[3]

References

  1. "Avington Civil Parish / Ancient Parish". GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth. https://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10175392. 
  2. Ekwall 1960, Avington
  3. 3.0 3.1 National Heritage List 1319539: Church of St Mark and St Luke (Grade I listing)
  4. 4.0 4.1 Pevsner 1966, p. 75.

Bibliography

Outside links

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