East Garston

It seems to be not widely known that there is a gem of a painting of the Nativity at the village church of All Saints in East Garston. This subject featured on the December 2011 cover of Village Views magazine. Dating back to the late Norman period, the church was the subject of renovation and redecoration by the Victorians from 1876 to the late 1890s.

There is much conjecture as to why such a celebrated set of craftsmen should have been commissioned to work on an extremely ambitious and costly programme in a small country parish church. The Cathedral Church of Christ in Oxford held the patronage of East Garston church and still does to this day, unlike the other churches in the valley. It is said that the The Revd W O Jenkyn, Vicar from 1870 -1901, and his friends, had influence in high places - this may account for the investment.

Nathanial Westlake (1833 – 1921) an eminent artist and glass painter was responsible for the painting of the extremely high quality stained glass in every window of East Garston church, executed from 1880 – 84. Additionally in 1885 Westlake painted in the Seymour Chapel, “a beautiful Quattrocento-style Nativity, against a gold background, with prophets in exotic costumes on either side”.

Other wall paintings by Westlake at the church include “a Tree of Jesse, with a crucified Christ in the position of the medieval rood, said to be copied from a church in Florence”. It is surprising that not many people in the valley apparently are aware that the Royal County of Berkshire Churches Trust – set up in 1984 to raise funds to help repair Berkshire churches of any denomination, publish Christmas cards for sale each year. One of these cards is of the Nativity in East Garston Church, painted by Nathanial Westlake and photographed by the celebrated Eva Zielinska-Millar who was made an MVO in the 2009 New Year’s Honours List.

Should you, in December 2012, wish to purchase the Royal County of Berkshire Churches Trust Christmas Cards of the East Garston Nativity, or look at the paintings in the church, please contact Sally Wright, Churchwarden, e-mail to sally-m-wright@lineone.net - or by telephone on 01488 648 679 ....... We would be delighted to show you the treasures in the church.