St Mary's Church is a medieval building, largely unspoilt by Victorian renovation, standing upon a hill overlooking the river Kennet.
Services are currently in abeyance, although the church remains open.
See an architectural history of St Mary's Church.
See a list of rectors since 1241.
Parish registers survive from the early seventeenth century. Here is a guide to where copies can be consulted.
Historically (since the thirteenth century) Hamstead Marshall was a free-standing ecclesiastical parish with its own rector. For several recent decades it has been part of a united benefice including Enborne, West Woodhay, Inkpen, Combe and Kintbury (since 2005), within the Oxford diocese.
The parish of St Mary's Hamstead has for several years been struggling financially, and is currently negotiating with the diocese of Oxford and the Church Commissioners to withdraw from the benefice and diocese, in order to be placed with the Churches Conservation Trust.
Upon being "vested" with the CCT, ownership of the church building will pass to the charity, which will ensure its upkeep. Services can still be held on request, hiring a minister, but the parish would no longer require or pay for diocesan services.
Churchwarden John Stevenson
Separate arrangements may have to be made for upkeep of the churchyard, which will not transfer automatically with the building to the recipient charity. In this case, the churchyard would remain the responsibility of the parochial church council.