Edwy, King of England, died at the premature age of 19 in 959, and thereby widowed the 16 year old Aelfgifu, a noblewoman of royal blood, to whom the manor of Wing belonged. In fact by her wealth she almost certainly caused the construction of the impressive village church, although no doubt parts of an older structure were incorporated, since evidence of 7th century work still remains. That the church was built of stone, and not timber, emphasises the lavish finance, and has indeed ensured that, despite the later styles of architecture, even today more than a vestige survives. The original design was based on the ‘basilica’ plan, as adopted by the early Christians in the style of the Roman halls of justice, or ‘basilicas’, and would have therefore comprised a long aisled rectangle, with a semi circular projection, or ‘apse’, at one end. In fact as one of only three churches in the country to retain the basilica plan, that of Wing is acknowledged to be the finest. Dating from the 7th century, beneath the apse is a crypt and here, on a central ‘confessio’, would be interred a sacred burial. Indeed the will of Lady Aelfgifu, dated 975, mentions a ‘shrine with relics’, and this she ordained should be removed with her body to Winchester, to lay beside that of her husband. During the influence of Aelfgifu both the apse and the crypt were altered to their present form, and with the north aisle of the nave being a part of the original church, at the eastern end a since blocked Saxon doorway once provided access to an external aisle. At a contemporary date the altar, possibly in the form of a square, would have been situated beneath the chancel arch, and from here staircases once descended into the underlying crypt, so providing access to the encircling passage. However, these openings were overlaid when the present chancel steps were added. After the Reformation the crypt was disused, and a church visitation duly instructed that ‘the vault under the chancel’ be filled up. In fact the chamber became a depository for bones, and many would be encountered amidst the earth and debris at a re-opening in 1881, when the crypt, ‘of a very singular and most rude construction’, was found to be three quarters full. Today three openings allow the crypt to be viewed, from the north, the east and the south, with that of the latter adapted as an entrance, complete with steps. Possibly in the 10th century came the construction of a barrel vault to strengthen the chancel floor, since by then the altar had no doubt been transferred to the eastern wall of the apse, and a reinforcement of the interior walling took place in 1881, using disharmonious stone. Apart from the crypt, evidence of the Saxon age is also to be impressively seen not only in the form of the chancel arch, (which spans a distance of 21 feet), but also in the window above which, complete with a mid baluster shaft, was revealed beneath the plasterwork in 1893. Then in 1954 two Saxon doorways were uncovered at the extreme western end of the nave, some 20 feet above the level of the floor, and these openings had possibly once been connected by a gallery, where a person of some importance could have worshipped in private, untroubled by the lower orders in the nave below. Indeed, after her death the village remained well acquainted with nobility, for by her will in 975 Aelfgifu bequeathed Wing, amongst other manors, to her brother in law, King Edgar the Peaceful.