All Saints' Church, Wing

The history of Wing dates back to the 7th or 8th century; the place name originally meant "The Settlement of Withun's People". The first missionaries appeared at the beginning of the second half of the 7th century and the region was Christianized from Aylesbury. The first mention of Wing comes from the period between 966 and 975. The first written mention of the church comes shortly after the Norman Conquest in 1066 and concerned a priest named Goldric, who remained in the possession of the church and his land even after the Norman Conquest.

The Reformation in England began in about 1530 when Henry VIII separated the English Church from the papacy. Significant for Wing was the abolition of the monasteries, since 1528, the Priory of St. Mary de Pre, to which Wing still belonged, was dissolved. The rights of the Priory were acquired by Robert Dormer, 1st Baron Dormer. The Dormers lived in the Manor of Ascott Hall on the outskirts of Wing, acquired the title Earl of Carnarvon in 1628 and were Wing's most important family until the beginning of the 18th century. Diverse members of the Dormer family are buried in the church, mainly at the eastern end of the northern aisle. Particularly impressive are the tombs for Sir Robert Dormer…