Photograph of a group in the gardens of Avington Rectory, Avington
Taken about 1870
A finely dressed group is posed in rectory garden of the small village of Avington which lies just north-east of Winchester in the Itchen valley. The parish saw several changes of rector in the 1860s and '70s - William Head, Walken Temple, George Drew and William Green.
Behind them is St Mary's, a Georgian church which was built 1768-71 at the expense of Margaret, Marchioness of Carnarvan who resided at Avington Park, although she died before the building was accomplished. It escaped Victorian restoration and has an exceptionally well preserved interior with a triple decker pulpit, box pews and a gallery.
The photograph was taken by Winchester photographer William Savage (1817-87) and is found in an album entitled 'Hampshire Views of Churches, Country Houses and Public Buildings'.
See WILLIAM SAVAGE for further details of his life and work.
