The Anglican Church of the Holy Cross at Avening was built in late 11th century. It was commissioned by Queen Matilda of Flanders, wife of William the Conqueror. Outside the church is a stone coffin dating from before the Norman Conquest. It is a grade I listed building
The tower, west bay of the chancel, north aisle, and north doorway were added in the 12th century. The transepts were added in the late 13th. The top storey of the tower was added in the 14th century. From the 11th to 14th century the church was the property of the Abbey of Sainte-Trinité, Caen, although this was disputed by Tewkesbury Abbey.
The building was restored in 1902, after part of the tower had collapsed causing damage to part of the nave and north aisle. The Cotswold stone building is cruciform in layout. It has a two-bay north aisle with a porch. The nave has a 14th-century wagon roof. There are parts of the Norman architecture still intact including the doorway, arcade and chancel arch. The three-stage tower is supported by buttresses. The interior includes a table from 1657. There are several monuments and tablets along with a kneeling effigy of Henry Brydges of Avening Court. The stained glass of the East Window is by Clayton and Bell and two in the nave by Christopher Whall.
The Millennium Cross stands at the entrance to the churchyard and was sculpted and erected by Sebastian Brooke. The cross not only marks the millennium year, but also provides a focus outside the church on Remembrance Sunday.
Look for the following information on the Millennium Cross:
The total number of people you can see minus the total number of trees = A
The total number of footballers minus the total number of bees (insects with wings) = B
The number of wheels you can see on the pram = C
The total number of cricketers = D
The total number of children you can see = E
You now need to walk around the church:
The number of clock faces on the church tower plus one = F
Checksum: the sum of the six digits found = 20
The final can be found at N51 40.ABC W002 10.DEF
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See also the Church Micro Statistics and Home pages for further information about the series.
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