The ancient village of Sonning and the church's pub!

13th century cottages as we leave St Andrew's Church

... and walk up Thames Street

... walking alongside the16th c boundary wall of the Deanery

Edward Hudson, the founder of the life style magazine Country Life bought a walled orchard (the Deanery Gardens) in Sonning in the 1890s and employed Edwin Lutyens to design a house and garden.  Lutyens employed Gertrude Jekyll to plan and build the garden. The house and garden were completed in 1901.

copyright Alistair Driver

The Deanery house and garden was sold by Eward Hudson in 1907 and subsequently changed hands several time and remains in private ownership.  Since 1998 it's been owned by Jimmy Page the founder and guitarist of Led Zeppelin and former member of The Yardbirds (those of you of a particular era may remember the Yardbirds!) 

We continued to follow the wall to the junction of Thames Street and High Street

... and turn right down the High Street

Robert Palmer Esq. (1793-1872) Tory MP lived at Holme Park, (now the home of the Reading Blue Coat School) who was a great benefactor of Sonning and built almshouses in Pearson Road for six elderly or infirm former employees of Holme Park as well as this hand water pump for the use of the inhabitants of Sonning in 1846.

We eventually reached The Bull pub and decided it was time to eat ...

This 16th century public house was at that time a guest house for pilgrims visiting the relics of the mysterious St Sarik at St Andrew's Church.

Jerome K Jerome of Three Men in a Boat fame, commented on The Bull as ...

"A veritable picture of an old country inn, with green, square courtyard in front, where, on seats beneath the trees, the old men group of an evening to drink their ale and gossip over village politics; with low, quaint rooms and latticed windows, with awkward stairs and winding passages."

The Bull is, and always has been, owned by the church (St Andrew's) but is now rented to Fullers.

Never done this before!

We both ordered pan fried lambs liver and crispy local bacon served with bubble and squeak and a boat of tasty gravy.

It was absolutely delicious!

Back to the Thames on Sonning Bridge which has Oxfordshire on one side and Berkshire on the other

We've cruised under this bridge on many occasions ... it needs concentration

... to get safely through to the other side.

... where we look for George Clooney's new home ... Aberlash House, a Georgian Mansion on Sonning Eye (island) ... those are the gates to the property on the left

Aberlash House stands next to The Mill, a flour mill mentioned in the Doomsday Book in 1086

Up until 1950 the mill had its own fleet of barges which brought wheat from London right up to its door. In 1962, when the business was taken over by Associated British Foods Ltd., they remodelled yet again and introduced electric engines although the main source of power was still produced by the wheels. When the mill closed in 1969, it was one of the last flour mills on the Thames driven by wheels. The new port mill at Tilbury had opened and Sonning, being much smaller could not compete economically. Also, one of Sonning's major customers, Huntley and Palmers, had stopped making biscuits in Reading. 

 The mill remained empty until 1977, and then the owners, Tim and Frank Richards, began converting The Mill to the building we see today, from an idea by Eileen Richards. 'The Mill at Sonning' Theatre opened on July 22nd 198 and continues to go from strength to strength thanks to its ever loyal staff and audience, having produced an abundance of plays and musicals. In 1984, The Mill At Sonning was given a conservation award by The Times newspaper and The Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors for the design, restoration and conversion of the derelict mill into a dinner theatre, and recently was nominated Most Welcoming Theatre by the Theatre Managers Association.

Back to the bridge ...

... we can see just a glimpse of the Clooney's house

... and call into the lock cafe for an ice-cream and a sit down.

And the best way to round off a fantastic day is always a stunning sunset.

Out for a walk in Sonning ...

After the excitement of the amphibious cars yesterday we finally set out on our walk into Sonning ...

... we pass this fun place with its rope swing and pallet sledge on quite a high bank ... and looking back can see Still Rockin' tucked into her mooring on the bend of the River Thames

We turned down a lane which took us to this rather interesting building ... possibly a church ... St Andrew's Church as it turned out to be.

This is the St Sarik Room built in 2000 as a creche for the village and to accommodate young children whilst parents attended church services. The archway which used to be at the 'other' end of the building to the left and is inscribed 'Mortuary Chapel' where from the 1700's bodies would lie before burial.  The estate gardener gave us this information, telling us that the building on the left used to be his 'shed' where inside was still the platform hung by chains from the ceiling on which bodies were laid.

This wonderful oak door took us into a new area and building ...
St Andrew's Ark and Church administration offices ...

A lovely setting

The South door and monument to Mrs Elizabeth Wilson who died in 1742

St Andrew's Parish Church, Sonning, Berkshire

A 10th century carved panel from a former ecclesiastical building has been incorporated into a buttress

Differing ceiling panels ... the red ones over the Chancel and gold ones over the Nave ...

and beamed ceilings in the North and South Aisles

click on any of the photographs to enlarge

The monument is to Canon Pearson who was a vicar here for 40 years and was responsible for restoring the church in 1852.  He died in 1882.

Beautiful carvings and tapestries around the Altar

Looking back towards the tower

Stained glass dating back to 1750

Victorian Gothic pulpit, the font was just as spectacular, but I forgot to take a picture!

Some really nice brass monuments, the oldest (left above) is that of Laurence Fyton dating from 1434 and the others mainly of the Barker family whose vault lies under the Chancel.

Chandelier dating back to 1675

Ancient woodwork screen in the South Aisle and 13th century  windows

Looking from the rear of the Southth Aisle, through the Nave into the North Aisle and there's the splendid Victorian Gothic font too!

Modern glass portraying St Andrew

An imprint under the carpet

Gravestones within the church dating as far back as 1587

So many young men from this one village.

St Andrew's Church appears to me to be rather 'high church' in a rather affluent area, having money in the coffers to build several new buildings (St Sarik Room and the new St Andrew's Ark and administration buildings) in under 17 years.  The estate gardener also told us that Theresa May lives in the village and attends services when in residence.