St Mary Magdalene's Church

St Mary Magdalene’s is a redundant Anglican church beside the Thames north bank, near Boveney in Buckinghamshire. It stands about three kilometres west of Eton College on land once used by Thames bargemen. The present building dates mainly from the 12th century, with 15th-century windows and tower added later. The church is listed Grade I and cared for by the Friends of Friendless Churches. A 360-degree Google Street View tour is available for those who cannot visit in person. The church’s flint-and-chalk walls carry small flint fragments pressed into the mortar, a technique called galletting. Inside, original 15th-century pews survive alongside 18th- and 19th-century fittings. A glass case on the north wall holds painted alabaster fragments, possibly 15th-century, showing biblical scenes. Three bells hang in the tower, the oldest cast around 1536 in Reading and the others in 1631 and 1636 by Ellis I Knight. Declared redundant in 1975, the church was saved by a local campaign and placed in the care of the Friends of Friendless Churches in 1983. After repairs costing £200,000, the tower was stabilised and won a conservation award in 2005. Occasional services still take place, and further repairs continue. The building remains consecrated and open for visitors to walk among its historic fabric.