St Andrew
Cippenham, Berkshire
St Andrew’s is special, it is the first church in Britain specifically designed to be shared by the Anglican and Roman Catholic communities.
There has been a Christian presence in Taplow since the 7th century when a Norman church was built at the top of Berry Hill.
The old churchyard contains Teppa’s mound, a Saxon mound of archaeological significance where a rich horde of artefacts, including a gold belt buckle, were excavated and are now on display in the British Museum.
The Norman church was demolished in the 1820s and a new church built on the present site in the village a few years later. In 1865, the chancel was added at the east end, then around 1912 the rest of the church was substantially rebuilt with the copper spire added to the tower. Artefacts from the old church were brought to the new church including brass plaques and other brasses which are popular for brass rubbing. Including one of the earliest surviving brass memorials to a civilian in England, made in about 1350, which would place it during the Black Death.
The site of the original church is still accessible, in the grounds of Taplow Court, where a cross and some gravestones remain. Close to the original site is Bapsey Pool where Birinus, Bishop of Dorchester, baptised converts in the year 635.