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St. Agatha's Church in Brightwell consists of a chancel about 37 ft. 6 in. by 18 ft. 10 in., with a continuous nave about 39 ft. by 19 ft., a modern organ chamber, a north aisle 41 ft. 6 in. by 14 ft. 4 in., south aisle about 42 ft. 2 in. by 10 ft. 8 in., west tower about 11 ft. square, and a north porch. These measurements are all internal.

The south arcade and the west wall of the nave are of the late 12th century, and a doorway of the same date remains in the south wall of the south aisle. A west tower was added in the early 13th century, and the north aisle is an addition of the first half of the 14th century, while the chancel and south aisle appear to have been rebuilt and widened a few years later. The present west tower dates from 1797, but the 13th-century arch opening to the tower then removed was left intact. In 1815 the roof of the nave was ceiled, and in 1858 the church was restored, when the present east window was inserted. A second restoration took place in 1884, and in 1903 the organ chamber was added.

The modern east window of the chancel is of three lights designed in the style of the late 13th century. At the north-east is a pointed 14th-century window of two cinquefoiled lights. To the east of this window is a modern aumbry, and the jambs of a blocked-up doorway can be seen on the outside face of the wall. The remaining portion of the wall is chiefly occupied by the doorway to the organ chamber and the organ opening. To the west of this, high up in the wall, is a four-centred doorway to the rood-loft, inserted late in the 15th century. At the south-east is a 14th-century two-light window similar to the corresponding window in the north wall, while at the south-west is a pointed window of two trefoiled lights with tracery and a segmental rear arch. The mullion is modern. Under the eastern window of the south wall are two sedilia with cinquefoiled heads under moulded segmental labels, in range with a trefoiled piscina having a pointed label. The hood moulds intersect, and terminate on the east and west in carved head-stops. The work is mainly of original 14th-century date, but the basin of the piscina and the heads of the sedilia have been restored. There is no chancel arch, but the 15th-century rood-beam remains and carries the wall between the roofs of the chancel and nave. The walls are faced externally with dressed rubble masonry. Built into the north wall at the east end is a small piece of an early string-course. In the north wall of the organ chamber is a pointed doorway under a 14th-century moulded label with original head-stops.

The north arcade is of three bays with pointed arches of two chamfered orders, carried by octagonal piers with moulded capitals and bases and semioctagonal responds of the same detail. The bases of the two piers and that of the west respond have been slightly restored. The south arcade is of the same number of bays, and has pointed arches of two square orders, carried by circular piers having moulded capitals with octagonal abaci and moulded bases. The clearstory windows, four on either side, are of the 15th century, and each is of two cinquefoiled lights under a square head. Crowning the clearstory walls are moulded cornices, still retaining on each side two original grotesque gargoyles, under which are 18th-century lead rain-water pipes with fine heads.

In the east wall of the north aisle, now opening into the modern organ chamber, is a fine pointed 14th-century window of three trefoiled lights with tracery in the head and moulded internal jambs. To the south, against the respond of the north arcade of the nave, is a square-headed rood doorway. In the north wall are two 14th-century pointed windows, each of two cinquefoiled lights, with geometrical tracery in the head. To the west of these is a pointed doorway continuously moulded externally with two sunk quarterrounds, and having a two-centred segmental rear arch. In the west wall is a pointed window like those in the north wall. Externally the walls are covered with roughcast, and are crowned by a stone parapet with a small cornice beneath it, on which, to the east of the north porch, is carved a grotesque head.

The east window of the south aisle, which is of original 14th-century date, is of three trefoiled lights with fine reticulated tracery under a pointed head, and a moulded rear arch. The two windows in the south wall are of the same character as the east window; each is of two trefoiled lights with tracery in a pointed head, and both have been considerably restored.

Between the two windows is a reset late 12th-century semicircular-headed doorway of two orders. The inner order is continuous, but the outer was originally carried by small shafts having carved capitals with moulded abaci and bases; the shafts and bases, however, are now missing. On the east jamb of the doorway is scratched a rude sundial. Externally on the east and south-east the walls of the aisle have been refaced with yellow Bath stone; the west end is rough-casted. The wall is crowned by a cornice on which are carved three grotesque heads. The walls of the porch are plastered, and over the entrance is an oak beam, the upper part of the porch being of half-timber construction.

The tower, which is of two stages, stands on a stone base, and is built of purple-coloured bricks with red brick quoins and dressings to the doorway and windows, and a brick parapet. The 13th-century tower arch is pointed and of two chamfered orders. The inner order is carried on plain corbels, and the outer order by responds with moulded abaci and chamfered angles. The 18th-century west doorway of the ground stage, originally round-headed with a stone keystone and springing blocks, has been 'gothicized.' The ringing stage is lighted on the north and south by small square-headed openings, and the bell-chamber by a round-headed brick opening with a stone keystone and springing blocks in each face.

Over the chancel is a steep-pitched trussed rafter roof of 14th-century date with a moulded tie-beam in the centre. The rood-beam between the roof of the chancel and nave is moulded, and is supported by slightly curved braces carried on semi-octagonal moulded corbels. The nave roof is ceiled, and that of the south aisle is modern, but over the north aisle is an original lean-to roof. All the roofs are slated except those of the vestry, north aisle, and tower, which are covered with lead.

The pulpit and font are both modern. In the north-east window of the north aisle are some fragments of 14th-century glass removed from the window in the east wall of the aisle. These include the head of a crowned female saint with the inscription 'S[ancta] Margareta' and pieces of leaf pattern in red, black, and white. Similar fragments are also preserved in the north-west window of the same aisle. There is suspended from the ceiling of the nave a very fine 18th-century brass candelabrum.

In the floor of the south aisle is a brass with the following black letter inscription: 'Hic jacet corpora (sic) m[agister]i Joh[ann]is Scolffyld | qui obiit xvo die mē maii ao dñi millmo VcVIIo cui9 aīe [pro]picietur Deus Amē.' Above the inscription is the figure of a priest in eucharistic vestments, holding a chalice and wafer. In the floor of the nave is a brass inscribed, 'Pray for the soules of Robert Court sumtyme Auditor to prynce | Artour and Jane his wyfe the whiche Robt decessyd the XXVIIJ day of | June the yere of or lord MVcIX on whose soules ihũ have mercy Amen.' Over the inscription are the brass figures of Robert and his wife, the former with his hands in prayer, wearing a gown with ermine facings and having a purse suspended from his belt. At the west end of the nave is another brass, with the figures of a man and his wife inscribed as follows: 'Pray for the sowlles of Rychard hampden and Jane his wyfe | the whych Jane decesyd the XXIIJ day of februarius the yere of our | lord MoCCCCCXII on whos' sowllis jhū have mercy AMEN.'

There is a ring of six bells: the first five are by Thomas Mears, 1808, but the tenor was recast in 1908 by Mears & Stainbank; there is also a sanctus bell, which bears no date or inscription.

The plate consists of a silver cup of 1599 inscribed, 'The Communion Cwp of the Parish of Britwell gathered and made by the payns of John Goodday William Perrey and James Leirpin June 12 1600,' a paten of 1633, a small paten of 1752 inscribed 'Brightwell Berks 1841,' and a larger paten of 1771–2.

The registers previous to 1812 are as follows: (i) baptisms 1564 to 1690, burials 1615 to 1690, marriages 1615 to 1689; (ii) baptisms from 1691, burials from 1690, both to 1812, marriages 1691 to 1754; (iii) marriages 1754 to 1812.

Historical information about St. Agatha's Church is provided by 'Parishes: Brightwell', in A History of the County of Berkshire: Volume 3, ed. P H Ditchfield and William Page (London, 1923), pp. 464-471. British History Online http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/berks/vol3/pp464-471 [accessed 14 March 2023].

St. Agatha's Church is a Grade II* listed building. For more information about the listing see CHURCH OF ST AGATHA, Brightwell-cum-Sotwell - 1181581 | Historic England.

For more information about St. Agatha's Church see Parishes: Brightwell | British History Online (british-history.ac.uk).