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And finally… Stained Glass Window at Farnborough

The Church of All Saints is the location of a glorious stained glass window designed by John Piper in memory of his great friend the poet Sir John Betjeman.

The celebrated poet spent six years living in this pretty village after the war, during which time he published his collection New Bats in Old Belfries, and where he became friends with John Piper, an English painter, printmaker and designer of stained-glass windows and both opera and theatre sets.  The two struck up a collaborative partnership which has been described as “a marriage of minds, a perfect combination of sympathies”.  Their shared love of landscape coloured both their own work as well as the Shell Guide travel books on which they worked together from the 1930s – 1950s.

The stained glass window which Piper designed in a memorial to Betjeman and their friendship is a window on the poets work as well as a celebration of the landscape surrounding it.

Farnborough is a delightful village (the highest in Berkshire) with many footpaths to and from it and close to Saddleback Farm Shop – an excellent spot for coffee or lunch with glorious views over rolling countryside.