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Link to original content: http://thames.me.uk/s02190.htm
Left bank small village with church
The only evidence being that there is a house: Ferry Cottage
1087: Eaton Hastings in The Domesday Book
WALTER fitzPons holds EATON HASTINGS of the king. Alwine Gyrth held it in alod [tenanted freehold?]
of King Edward.
It was then assessed 20 hides, now at 6 hides. There is land [...].
In demesne are 3 ploughs; and 13 villans and 5 bordars with 4 ploughs.
There 7 slaves did not pay geld [sic].
There are 2 fisheries rendering 16s, and 148 acres of meadow.
In the time of King Edward it was worth £10; and afterwards 100s; now £9.
Of this manor Walter fitzpons gave 3 hides to St Peter of Westminster for his soul;
and there is 1 plough with 4 bordars and3 oxen. It is worth 20s.
1859: The Thames, Mr & Mrs Hall
Eaton Hastings church is a mile and a half from the [Buscot] weir. It consists of a plain nave and chancel, without a tower, and is situated on a slight eminence. The scenery around is picturesque, and most perfectly pastoral. At Buscot [going downstream] "the river quits the open meads for a more secluded progress, and, having been from Inglesham a boundary of Berkshire, it now leaves for ever its native Gloucestershire, and begins to mark the limits of the county of Oxford."
1885: The Royal River -
After Hart's Weir [going downstream] the Thames settles down to an interval of insignificance.
There is an indescribably soothing influence exercised by a river in the soft mood which
characterizes the Thames throughout. How pleasant it is to be simply moving with the current,
which does so much and is heard so little. Loud, even, by comparison with the murmur of the waters,
is the sighing of the breezes amongst the shock heads of the willows, and the silver shiver of the poplars.
Under the spell of this influence the prosaic features of a reach like
that between Hart's Weir [now Eaton footbridge] and Radcot serve as a foil for the more lovely objects.
Besides, occasional descents from the higher platforms of admiration, to which special points of interest
are apt to summon you, give time for reflection and observation.
Thus you will not be long in discovering that in these veritably upper reaches of the Thames what of animal life is still
left may be seen without let or hindrance. The birds here are in no danger from the cockney fowler's gun.
Amongst the water-fowl the most frequent appearing is the common moor-hen, which breeds as freely as ever,
and still maintains it character as among the tamest of our wild birds.
The coot is less often seen, but the heron will be often disturbed from its busy occupation on the shallows.
Even in much-frequented reaches of the Thames the heron may still be descried at a distance, shy,
watchful, and wary. On both of the days occupied by my journey from Lechlade to Oxford I saw herons.
They may have travelled twenty miles from the heronry for their nightly or early-morning forage,
but you rarely can approach them within gunshot. The bird is most artful and shy at all times;
but I have always fancied that the herons of the Thames Valley are most wideawake of all.
They hear the thump, thump of the rowlocks half a mile off, rise from their depradations,
and wing their way slowly into the centre of a field; or perchance you may see one doing sentry on the upper boughs of a tall tree.
[ I have become fascinated by the way in which wild life differentiates between my punt and the usual launch. The punt has become rare whilst the launches are relatively frequent - and as a result the wildlife is startled by the punt in a way that does not apply with launches. In particular the sudden rising of the pole has an effect on various ducks which makes me think they are wary of a thrown net. However herons with their superior sight look down on my punt and seem to realize that I am harmless. I seem to get much closer to herons than D S MacColl did, writing this section of The Royal River in 1885. ]
Heron © John Eade 2006
1909: The Stripling Thames, Fred Thacker -
Once through [Grafton] Lock [going upstream] the River becomes very beautiful, particularly the Berkshire bank, with many charming little bends and willowed shores. The stream itself is deep and clear and strong, and here and there surprisingly broad.
1923: Walter Higgins -
In and out the "stripling Thames" winds its way, clear as crystal as it slips past
green meadows and little copses.
... There is very little to note ...
Owing to the clay bed, not a town of any sort finds a place in or near the banks.
Such villages as there are stand few and far between.
1842: In October the Rev. Richard Rice
obtained permission to remove an island in the River opposite his land.
The Vicarage was presumably one of the houses
near the church.
I think it might be possible to land from a boat to see the church - but only by
asking permission, and this might be difficult. (I visited by car)
Left bank, not visible from river. Tel: 01367 240665
1859: Mr & Mrs Hall, The Book of the Thames -
The church is a mile and a half [below] the [Eaton Hastings] weir [now footbridge].
It consists of a plain nave and chancel, without a
tower, and is situated on a slight eminence.
The scenery around is picturesque, and most perfectly pastoral.
Indeed so perfectly pastoral that by road it may be difficult to find!
St Michael & All Angels, Eaton Hastings
St Michael & All Angels, Eaton Hastings.
1909: The Stripling Thames, Fred Thacker -
...the little solitary church of Eaton Hastings looks down from its grassy hillock close beside the stream.
Its name in Domesday is "Etona". It was built when the Pointed was blending with the Norman,
and is dedicated, being upon a knoll of sorts, to St Michael and All Angels.
Its east window is said to be by William Morris. It endured restoration in 1874, and contains nothing
that leaps very suddenly to the eye, unless perhaps its ancient font with the enormously massive plinth
[said in 2000 to be on a modern base, see below] and an old carved pulpit like the one at Great Coxwell.
I call it solitary; for though there are one or two farm buildings near,
what village there is lies a long mile away inland. Someone seems to have called Eaton Hastings
"the capital of the Eaton district"; it is a greater compliment to the village than to its dependencies.
A capital should be more handsomely equipped, for example, than with a mere baking powder box
in which to post one's letters.
But that notwithstanding, it is a lovely walk I shall not forget, up the rising meadow road from the River,
faced by the hanging Eaton woods, with Lechlade spire soaring skyward in the purple valley in the west.
The font, St Michael & All Angels, Eaton Hastings
The base of this ancient font is modern.
The west window is
of 1935, by Morris and Co, to designs of the 1860s. William Morris himself
designed the Archangels Raphael and Gabriel, and Ford Maddox Brown, the
patronal saint, the Archangel Michael in the Centre.
West window, St Michael & All Angels, Eaton Hastings
On the north side of the nave in St Michael & All Angels, Eaton Hastings, is this lovely St Matthew by Burne Jones in 1872-4 installed by Morris & Co.
St Matthew, Burne Jones
I think the angel may be whispering: "Go on, you can write a better Gospel!"
There is another Burne Jones design on the north side of the chancel.
Parts of the church are 11th century.
The chancel is mainly 13th century.
The Victorian restoration was by Champion, 1870-1873.
In 1977 the roof was restored.
A new vestry was added in 1981.