The Englefield Lecture 2026 : Elias Ashmoles Church Notes of Berkshire 1665-66

Elias Ashmole (1617-1692), antiquarian, collector, astrologer and student of alchemy, is perhaps best remembered today for his extraordinary collection of artifacts his "cabinet of curiosities" which formed the basis of the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford.

As Windsor Herald at Arms he made a visitation of Berkshire in 1665-6, noting the pedigrees and arms of the gentry; he also compiled notes on the monuments, effigies, tombs, carved badges and stained-glass windows in Berkshire churches - his other "cabinet of curiosities" - which forms an extremely valuable record of these monuments and of the appearance of the interiors of churches in the mid-seventeenth century.The Berkshire Historic Churches Trust presents a lecture on Ashmole's Church Notes by Dr Adrian Ailes FSA, formerly Head of Early Modern Records at The National Archives and currently an Honorary Research Associate at the University of Bristol.

An authority on heraldry, he has lectured widely and has an extensive list of publications to his name, most recently an acclaimed edition of the Church Notes , published by the Harleian Society in 2024.The lecture starts at 7:30 pm: wine and soft drinks will be served from 7 pm (included in the ticket price).Please note that you do not need to show a paper ticket for admission.

An eticket can be displayed on your smartphone, and we will also have a list of attendees at the door.The refund protection scheme on the booking page is provided by TicketSource, not by Berkshire Historic Churches Trust, and the Trust cannot accept responsibility for any claims under this scheme.