Eaton Hastings
Eaton Hastings is a village and civil parish beside the River Thames about two-and-a-half miles (4 km) north-west of Faringdon. It was in Berkshire until the 1974 boundary changes transferred it to Oxfordshire. Eaton Hastings was once much larger than it is today, when it is regarded as a deserted medieval village.[1] The 2001 Census gave the parish population as 81.[2]
| Eaton Hastings | |
|---|---|
 St Michael & All Angels parish church | |
  Eaton Hastings Location within Oxfordshire | |
| Population | 81 (2001 Census) |
| OS grid reference | SU260982 |
| Civil parish |
|
| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Faringdon |
| Postcode district | SN7 |
| Dialling code | 01367 |
| Police | Thames Valley |
| Fire | Oxfordshire |
| Ambulance | South Central |
| UK Parliament | |
Parish church
The Church of England parish church of Saint Michael and All Angels is the most prominent surviving building of the original settlement. The earliest parts of the church were built in the 11th century. It is built of rubblestone and consists of a simple nave, chancel and bellcote. The chancel is largely 13th century. In 1870–1873 the church underwent Victorian restoration.[3] St Michael's is a Grade II* listed building.[4]
The west window has a stained glass depicting archangels Michael, Raphael and Gabriel. The window was installed in 1935 by Morris & Co. The designs date from 1860 and were created by William Morris and Ford Madox Brown. The north side of the chancel contains another Morris & Co. stained glass window representing St Matthew. This was installed in 1872–1874, having been designed by Edward Burne-Jones.[3]
Alexander Henderson, 1st Baron Faringdon is buried in the churchyard; the angel on his tomb was sculpted by George Frampton. Next to the church is the former rectory, which was built in the 19th century.[5]
Economic and social history
The original village developed around the parish church. Today all that remains are a few scattered dwellings and the church. The population started to decline after 1349, until by the 19th century it consisted only of a few scattered farmhouses.[6] The depopulation has been attributed to bubonic plague,[7] emparking[1] and sheep farming.[5]
Late in the 19th century, a group of houses was built on the Lechlade to Faringdon road. They were designed by the architect Ernest George for Alexander Henderson, 1st Baron Faringdon, as part of a social improvement project. Many people now regard this as Eaton Hastings,[6] but the remaining buildings of the original settlement are hidden down a single-lane road.
References
- Ford, David Nash. "Deserted Medieval Villages". Royal Berkshire History.
- "Area selected: Vale of White Horse (Non-Metropolitan District)". Neighbourhood Statistics: Full Dataset View. Office for National Statistics. Archived from the original on 22 June 2011. Retrieved 30 March 2010.
- "Eaton Hastings". thames.me.uk.
- Historic England. "Church of St Michael (Grade II*) (1182735)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 7 December 2019.
- Beckwith, Ian (2001). The Badbury Parishes Trail.
- "Eaton Hastings". National Trust. Archived from the original on 21 May 2008.
- "Royal Historical Society bibliography". Archived from the original on 21 March 2007. Retrieved 1 September 2009.
Further reading
- Ditchfield, PH; Page, William, eds. (1924). "Eaton Hastings". A History of the County of Berkshire. Victoria County History. IV. assisted by John Hautenville Cope. London: The St Katherine Press. pp. 528–531.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
- Pevsner, Nikolaus (1966). Berkshire. The Buildings of England. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books. pp. 135–136.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
