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St. Faith's Church in Shellingford consists of a chancel 24 ft. by 14 ft. 3 in., nave 54 ft. by 19 ft. 4 in., west tower about 10 ft. square, south porch and north vestry. These measurements are all internal.

The nave and chancel appear to have been built late in the 12th century, but both have been considerably altered, while preserving their original proportions. The west tower was added in the first half of the 13th century, and in the 14th century the chancel was largely rebuilt. About 1400 a chapel was apparently added on the north of the chancel, but this was subsequently destroyed at some uncertain date. The tower arch was rebuilt in the 15th century. In 1625 the church underwent an extensive restoration, much of the nave walls being rebuilt, the south porch added and a spire built. The building has been again restored in modern times, and in 1848 the spire was destroyed by lightning and rebuilt.

The chancel has a 14th-century east window of three lights with net tracery in a pointed head. Towards the east end of the north wall is a moulded and pointed arch of about 1400; the soffit is ornamented with quatrefoils in circles, each with a grotesque face or flower in the centre. The arch is now blocked and filled with a late three-light window, partly restored. Further west is a 14th-century singlelight window. There are three similar windows in the south wall, the sill of the first being carried down to form a sedile; further east is a trefoil-headed piscina, recut. The priest's doorway, between the two western windows, is 12th-century work reset; it is of two orders, the outer ornamented with cheverons, and the jambs have each two banded shafts with moulded abaci. The late 12th-century chancel arch is of two plain round orders; the responds have each one semicircular and one detached shaft with foliated capitals, square abaci and circular bases. The flat tie-beam roof is probably of 17th-century date.

The nave has in the north wall three windows, each of two lights, cusped, transomed and squareheaded; they probably date from 1625. Between the two western is the late 12th-century north door of two orders, the inner continuously moulded and the outer resting on side shafts with simple voluted foliage capitals; the arch is enriched with a series of plain beak heads. In the south wall is a 14thcentury window of three lights with net tracery in a pointed head. Further west are two early 16thcentury windows, each of four lights, with depressed heads and transoms. Between them is the good late 12th-century south doorway of two orders, the outer with a double cheveron and the inner with a roll moulding; the label has dog-tooth ornament with grotesque animal head-stops, and the jambs have each one detached and one engaged shaft, the former banded, and both with square moulded abaci, foliated capitals and bases with spur ornaments. The nave roof, probably of the 17th century, has moulded tie-beams with curved braces and moulded stone corbels. The walls are embattled, and high up on the south side is a shield inscribed 1625.

The 13th-century west tower is three stages high and finished with an embattled parapet. The 15thcentury tower arch is four-centred with moulded imposts. In the west wall is a single lancet window. Above it, in the second stage, is a second lancet, and the bell-chamber has a very tall lancet window in the north and south walls. The tower is surmounted by an octagonal stone spire, with rolls at the angles and four spire lights near the base, each of two lights set in a stone frame.

The south porch has a pointed outer archway and a two-light window in the west wall. Set in the gable is a modern stone inscribed 'Carol. rex 1625.' The panelled half doors to the entrance are of this date.

On the north wall of the chancel is an elaborate marble monument to Mary wife of Robert Packer (d. 1719), and on the south wall is a tablet to Edward Neville (d. 1632), with the Neville arms with a rose on the saltire. To the north of the altar is a tablet to John Packer (d. 1682), with two shields, one Packer impaling Stephens, and the other Packer. On the floor, partly covered by the altar step, is a large slab with the indent of a canopied brass and a marginal inscription. On the north wall of the nave is a large 18th-century monument to Sir Edward Hannes, and south of the chancel arch is one to William Viscount Ashbrook (d. 1780). There is also a brass inscription to Mary Knappe (d. 1621). In the churchyard, south of the chancel, is a good altar tomb to Alicia wife of Richard Clayton, rector (d. 1643), with a shield of Clayton impaling a lion and a chief with three roundels therein.

In the second window on the south of the nave the lower lights are filled with fragments of ancient glass, including the heads of four saints, the tops of four canopies, grisaille, &c.

There are four bells: the treble is inscribed 'When I am tolled with speed prepare both young and old God's word to heare, Robert Tompson Churchwarden, Edward Neale of Burford made mee 1653'; the second is uninscribed; the third is by H. Bagley, 1738, with the names of the churchwardens; the tenor is inscribed in black letter 'Gloria in excelciuc (sic) deo W.K. 1586.' There is also a ting-tang, dated 1668.

The plate includes a cup and cover paten (London, 1597) of silver gilt, with an incised pattern round the rim of the cup, a stand paten (London, 1624), inscribed 'P.P. 1641,' with a shield of Packer impaling Mills of Bitterne, a modern flagon and a chalice and paten given by E. M. Goodlake in 1850.

The registers previous to 1812 are as follows: (i) baptisms 1579 to 1781, marriages 1582 to 1754, burials 1581 to 1781; (ii) mixed entries 1678 to 1782; (iii) marriages 1755 to 1812; (iv) baptisms and burials 1782 to 1812.

Historical information about St. Faith's Church is provided by 'Parishes: Shellingford', in A History of the County of Berkshire: Volume 4, ed. William Page and P H Ditchfield (London, 1924), pp. 475-478. British History Online http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/berks/vol4/pp475-478 [accessed 9 March 2023].

St. Faith's Church is a Grade I listed building. For more information about the listing see CHURCH OF ST FAITH, Shellingford - 1368447 | Historic England.

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