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The church of St. Augustine of Canterbury in East Hendred consists of a chancel 31 ft. 9 in. by 19 ft. 6 in., nave 54 ft. by 18 ft. 9 in., north vestry and organ chamber, south chapel 22 ft. 3 in. by 11 ft. 6 in., north transept, north aisle and two south aisles, making a total width of 46 ft., and a west tower 15 ft. by 14 ft. The measurements are all internal.

The earliest existing work is the south arcade of the nave, which dates from the late 12th century. The north arcade was built shortly afterwards. In the 14th century the north aisle was rebuilt and the north transept added; the chancel was probably rebuilt at the same time. In the 15th century the west tower was built, the south chapel and an outer south aisle of two bays added. The church was extensively restored in the 19th century, when the east wall was rebuilt, the organ chamber and vestry added, the old south porch was taken down and the outer south aisle extended to the west end; the clearstory was also largely rebuilt.

The chancel has a modern east window and two modern arches in the north wall opening into the organ chamber. In the south wall is a 14th-century piscina with an acutely-pointed head and cinquefoiled tracery below it; it has a shelf and a semi-octagonal projecting bowl. Further west is a modern window and sedilia and two 15th-century arches opening into the south or Eyston chapel; the arches are fourcentred and have semi-octagonal responds and a modern quatrefoil column with ancient capital and base. In the east wall of the modern organ chamber is a 15th-century arched recess, probably the rear arch of a window, with small panelled buttresses at the sides terminating in carved heads which form the stops of the label. The chancel arch of wood is modern, but the semi-octagonal responds with moulded capitals and bases are of the 15th century. The Eyston chapel has a square-headed cast window of three lights with tracery of the 15th century. In the south wall are two smaller windows also of three lights and of similar character; below the eastern is a small pointed piscina. The walls have flint and stone chequerwork externally.

The nave has a late 12th or early 13th-century north arcade of four bays, considerably restored. The columns are cylindrical with handsome carved foliage capitals, all different, and square responds with modern moulded capitals; the arches are pointed and of one chamfered order and have a label on the nave side. The south arcade is similar, but of slightly earlier date. The column capitals with stiff-leaf foliage are all unrestored, and the third capital has a carved head. The arches have labels with head stops on each side. The clearstory has four almost triangular-shaped cinquefoiled windows on each side; all are modern except the western window on the north. The 14th-century north transept has a good three-light north window with flowing tracery. In the west wall is a half arch of the 14th century opening into the north aisle. The north aisle has two windows, the eastern modern and the other of the 14th century with two lights and a quatrefoil in the head; between them is the north doorway. The south aisle has an outer arcade of four bays of 15th-century character, but only the two eastern bays are original; the first column is octagonal, but has a modern capital. The outer wall is entirely modern and has a small projection to the east bay forming a south transept.

The 15th-century tower is of three stages, the two lower faced with ashlar and the upper partly of rubble; the parapet has pierced quatrefoils with pinnacles at the angles and the buttresses are diagonal. The tower arch is pointed and of three hollowchamfered orders, the inner only interrupted by moulded capitals and the others continuous. The west window is pointed and of four lights, and below it is a door with a four-centred head and a label with voluted stops. The floor of the second stage is framed round a bell way, and in three sides are single-light trefoiled windows. The bell-chamber is lighted by a two-light pointed window in each face.

The roof of the chancel is of the trussed rafter type, and over the sacrarium has a boarded soffit with moulded ribs and carved bosses at the intersections, mostly foliage, but including a lion, an eagle, the initials T.C. and shields, lozengy ermine and —and a lion. The 14th-century nave roof has heavy tie-beams and short king-posts with capitals and struts; above the former rood-loft is one bay of flat panelled boarding with ribs. The lead covering is inscribed 'J. Cowdrey, W. Beasley, churchwardens 1798.' The Eyston chapel has a 15th-century tie-beam roof with moulded main timbers and embattled wall-plates, and that over the south aisle is similar and continuous; over the outer arcade is a deep moulded and embattled beam. The north transept has a low-pitched gabled roof with moulded main timbers.

In the Eyston chapel are numerous floor slabs, mostly of early 18th-century date, to members of the Eyston family. On the south side is a brass to John Eyston, who died in 1589, and Jane (Berington) his third wife, with figures, the man in plate armour, four sons and one daughter, and two shields of arms, the first Eyston quartering Stowe, Arches and Turberville, and the second the same impaling three collared greyhounds with a crescent for difference, for Berington. A black and white marble slab commemorates William Thatcher, 1620 (or 1626), with his arms, Gules a cross moline argent and a chief argent with three grasshoppers azure therein quartering the three cheverons of Lewknor. In the north transept is a brass inscription to William Whitwey, 1479, 'pannarius et lanarius,' and a second brass to Henry and Roger Eldysley, brothers (the latter died in 1439), merof this town; only one figure is left with two merchants' marks.

The font has a plain octagonal bowl. The pulpit, a rich piece of Jacobean work, is octagonal with carved foliage and conventional panels with head bosses, and the sounding-board has enriched arches with pendants to each face and a dentilled cornice; the modern support at the back incorporates four old carved panels. The remarkable oak lectern is of the 15th century or perhaps earlier. The stem, which is terminated with a carved foot standing on three winged dragons, one partly restored, has panelled faces and two book-rests, one for kneeling and one for standing; the upper one has the spandrels carved with foliage crooks; the board is modern. The communion table is Jacobean, but has been lengthened and has massive turned legs and a carved upper rail. Incorporated in the quire stalls is some 15th-century oak tracery, probably from the original rood screen. The 15th-century screen to the Eyston chapel has a central door of two folds with four bays on each side. The heads are cinquefoiled and traceried, as are those of the close panels below the rail; the original loft remains with a plain cove on the west and an embattled cornice. In the same chapel are some fragments of ancient glass, including a shield of France and the motto 'Dieu (et) mon droit' in the east window. Another fragment remains in the west window of the tower. The old clock in the tower has been reconstructed, but part of the works are old and bear the inscription 'John Seymour Wantage 1525.'

There are six bells, the treble inscribed: 'Ellis and Henry Knight made mee 1674'; the second, 'Thomas Ellaway and John Clement, churchwardens J. Bagley, 1746'; the third, 'Feare God, 1647'; the fourth, 'Sancta Anna ora pro nobis'; the fifth is by W. Taylor of Oxford, 1853, and the tenor, 'Samuel Knight made mee Gabriel my name to bee 1689.' The bell frame is old.

The plate includes a large silver-gilt cup (London, 1632); a paten of the same date inscribed 'East Hendred 1632'; a flagon and almsdish (London, 1783) inscribed 'Ex dono Geo. Woodward Rector 1783'; and a modern chalice and paten presented in 1902.

The registers previous to 1812 are as follows: (i) baptisms 1538 to 1728, marriages and burials 1558 to 1727; (ii) baptisms and burials 1746 to 1812, marriages 1747 to 1754; (iii) marriages 1754 to 1812.

Historical information about St. Augustine's Church is provided by 'Parishes: East Hendred ', in A History of the County of Berkshire: Volume 4, ed. William Page and P H Ditchfield (London, 1924), pp. 294-302. British History Online http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/berks/vol4/pp294-302 [accessed 1 March 2023].

St. Augustine's Church is a Grade II* listed building. For more information about the listing see CHURCH OF ST AUGUSTINE OF CANTERBURY, East Hendred - 1048169 | Historic England.

For more information about St. Augustine's Church Church see Parishes: East Hendred | British History Online (british-history.ac.uk).