Waddesdon

93. WADDESDON.

(O.S. 6 in. ^(a)xxvii. N.E. ^(b)xxviii. S.W.)

Ecclesiastical

^a(1). Parish Church of St. Michael, stands at the W. end of the village. All the walls are covered with rough-cast, except those of the W. tower and the W. ends of the aisles, which are of stone. The roofs are covered with lead. The Nave and South Aisle, with a S. arcade of four bays, were built c. 1190; in the 13th century they were lengthened towards the W., an extra bay being added to the S. arcade; the original W. respond was moved further W., and a new column inserted in its place; c. 1320 the original chancel was destroyed and the present Chancel built further E., the nave, S. aisle and arcade were lengthened one bay towards the E., the original easternmost arch and E. respond being destroyed, and the other arches, and probably some of the pillars, re-built with the original material. The North Aisle, with an arcade of six bays, was built c. 1340, and late in the same century a W. tower was added and the chancel widened towards the N. In the second half of the 15th century the clearstorey was added, the E. part of the S. wall of the chancel and the W. part of the N. wall of the N. aisle were re-built, the S. aisle, E. of the doorway, was widened, and a S. porch added. In the 19th century the church was restored, the work being completed in 1877; it was subsequently again restored and the West Tower and W. walls of the aisles were re-built; the South Porch has also been re-built, and the exterior of the church was repaired in 1902.

The building is unusually interesting on account of its history and the varied detail in the S. arcade of the nave. Among the fittings the 14th-century effigy (see Plate, p. xxviii.), and the brasses are especially worthy of note.

Architectural Description—The Chancel (37 ft. by 21 ft.) has a late 14th-century E. window of three cinque-foiled lights and tracery, much restored, in a two-centred head; the rear arch is four-centred. In the N. wall, near the E. end, is a late 15th-century window of three cinque-foiled lights under a square head and a moulded external label; further W. are two windows of c. 1320, each of one trefoiled light; at the W. end of the wall is a window of two cinque-foiled lights with a pierced spandrel in a two-centred head; it is of uncertain date, and the head, which does not fit the mullion or jambs, may be of the 17th century or of later date. In the S. wall is a late 15th-century window, similar to that in the N. wall, and near the W. end is a window of two cinque-foiled lights and tracery in a two-centred head with moulded internal and external labels, chamfered rear arch and internal jambs, all of the first half of the 14th century; between the windows is a doorway with continuously moulded jambs and two-centred head, of c. 1320. The early 14th-century chancel arch is two-centred, richly moulded on the W. side and chamfered on the E. side; the semi-octagonal jambs with moulded bases and capitals have been partly restored. On the E. side of the N. respond, formerly opening into the stairs of the rood-loft, is a blocked doorway with chamfered jambs and a two-centred head, which has been lowered. The Nave (81½ ft. by 23 ft.) has a N. arcade of c. 1340, of six bays, with octagonal columns and half-octagonal responds, having moulded bases and capitals, partly restored; the two-centred arches are of three chamfered and moulded orders, with a continuously moulded label on the S. side. The S. arcade is of six bays; the two easternmost, of c. 1320, are unequal in width and both wider than the other bays; the column between them is octagonal, with a moulded base and capital; the E. respond and the two-centred drop arches are of similar detail to that of the chancel arch, with the addition of a chamfered outer order; on the N. side is a moulded label with a head-stop over the column: the third, fourth and fifth bays, of c. 1190, have circular columns with moulded bases, almost entirely modern, richly carved scalloped capitals and square abaci; on the N. side, forming part of these capitals, are projecting corbels, which rest on short attached shafts and support, except in the second column of the arcade, small shafts with moulded bases and scalloped capitals, on which the original roof was carried; the arches of these three bays were probably originally semi-circular, but were re-built in their present two-centred form in the 14th century; they are of two moulded orders and have, on the N. side, labels enriched with dog-tooth and ball ornament and, on the S. side, plain roll labels: the sixth bay, of the 13th century, has a circular column with a moulded base, almost entirely modern, and a circular moulded capital; the two-centred arch is of two chamfered orders with stops only at the W. springing; the label on the N. side is similar to that of the adjoining arch, but without the ornament, and the label on the S. side is chamfered; the semi-circular W. respond, of c. 1190, but re-used and much restored, is of similar detail to the columns of that date, but the attached shaft for supporting the original roof is continued to the base. The clearstorey has, on each side, six windows of late 15th-century date, each of two cinque-foiled lights under a square head with a moulded external label. The North Aisle (9½ ft. wide) has an E. window of two uncusped lights, with a pierced spandrel in a two-centred head; the moulded rear arch, and the internal and external labels are of c. 1340, but the tracery is modern. In the N. wall are four windows; the easternmost and the westernmost are of late 15th-century date, and each of three cinque-foiled lights under a square head with a moulded external label; the easternmost window has been much restored; the middle windows are similar to that in the E. wall, and also with modern tracery: between the two western windows is a doorway of c. 1340, with moulded jambs and pointed arch, of two orders, and a moulded external label, partly restored. The South Aisle (9 ft. wide in the E. part and 7 ft. wide at the W. end) has a late 15th-century E. window of three cinque-foiled lights under a straight-sided pointed head with a moulded external label. In the S. wall the two eastern windows are of late 15th-century date, and each of two cinque-foiled lights under a depressed head with a moulded external label; the third window is of the 16th century, and of three uncusped four-centred lights under a square head with moulded external jambs and label; the mullions are modern; close to the W. jamb of this window, but set lower in the wall, is a single cinque-foiled light with moulded external jambs and square head, all of the 15th century, but restored; between the second and third windows is a doorway of c. 1190, re-built in the 13th century when the aisle was lengthened; the moulded jambs are of two orders, and in the outer order are attached shafts, with modern capitals and much damaged moulded bases; the two-centred arch is cheveron-moulded and has a plain external label. The West Tower (15 ft. square) is of three stages and was re-built in 1891–2, but retains some old details. The late 14th-century tower arch is two-centred and has large mouldings continued from the jambs. The square heads of the four windows of the bell-chamber, and part of the external string-course below the parapet, with remains of carved heads, are of the 15th century. The South Porch has some 15th-century work in the moulded outer arch, but is otherwise modern. The Roofs are modern, but the nave has carved stone corbels of late 15th-century date, and the roof of the S. porch has some old cambered rafters, re-used.

Fittings—Bells: modern; bell-frame old. Bracket: at E. end of S. aisle, of stone, plain. Brasses and Indents: In chancel—on S. side, (1) of Richard Huntyndon, 1543, rector of the parish, small figure of priest in Mass vestments holding chalice and Host, with inscription; (2) of Hugh Brystowe, 1548, figure in shroud with curious rhyming inscription in black-letter; (3) of Robert Pygott and Mary, his wife, c. 1555, man in plate armour with mail skirt, woman in gown with puffed sleeves and ribbon points and Tudor cap; part of brass of sons and indent for daughters, shield with arms, three picks a ring at fess point for Pigot of Colwick in Waddesdon, impaling party fessewise embattled three gates counter-coloured for Yate of Lydford, indent of another shield, inscription in blackletter, undated; also marginal inscription. In N. arcade—under E. arch, (4) to Mary, wife of Cuthbert Raynolds, 1602, inscription, with shield, quarterly 1, 2 and 3 a fesse with a slipped trefoil thereon, 4 on a canton a lion's head razed between three bulls heads couped. In nave— in S.E. corner, (5) of Sir Roger Dynham, 1490, large figure of knight wearing heraldic tabard charged on body and sleeves with a fesse indented, mail standard and plate armour with large scalloped elbow cops, large sword slung from loose belt, head rests on tilting helm with mantle, hat of estate and remains of crest, part of one leg missing, feet on stag, all within elaborate triple canopy, of which parts are missing, two shields, one of Dynham, the other of Dynham impaling a cross with five roundels thereon, marginal inscription and symbols of Evangelists, indents of two other shields; brought from Eythrope, with human remains, 1887. Font: bowl octagonal, with quatrefoil panelled sides containing sheilds, etc., late 14th or early 15th-century, repaired, base and stem re-tooled. Monuments: In chancel—on N. wall, (1) to the Rev. John Ellis, 1681, and Susan, his wife, 1700, black and white marble with broken pediment, inscription, and arms with modern colouring; (2) tablet to Guy Carleton, 1608, epitaph and arms: on S. wall, at E. end, (3) to Henry Wilkinson, rector of the parish, 1647, and his wife, Sarah, erected by their son John, d. 1664, inscription and arms; (4) to Christian Wake, 1609, daughter of Sir William Wigson of Wolston, alabaster tablet with obelisks and cartouche. Outside chancel—on S. buttress, (5) to Henry Batterson, 1682, Anne, his wife, 1689, and their sons Henry, 1680, and Michael, 1696; (6) tablet to E.B. uxor W.B.', of Warmstone in Waddesdon, 1699. In nave—on N. side, (7) large effigy of man in armour, c. 1340; pointed bascinet with aventail, close fitting surcoat slit up at hips, the skirts reaching to knee, plate arm pieces, legs apparently in mail hose, with knee cops; but this is uncertain owing to worn condition, transverse belt, large sword, misericorde and remains of heater-shaped shield; head on pillows, lion at feet; date 1330 has been cut on slab. In S. aisle—at E. end, (8) coffin slab with traces of foliated decoration and cross at end, sunk quatrefoil, in which is bust of man, apparently a priest, late 13th-century. Piscinæ: in nave, in S. wall, with chamfered jambs, trefoiled head and round basin, of c. 1320: in N. aisle, with chamfered trefoiled head, square jambs, circular basin with ribs in it, c. 1340: in S. aisle, with chamfered jambs and four-centred head, shelf at back, and circular basin, 15th-century. Recess: in S. porch, over S. doorway, rectangular, with moulded jambs, head and sill, having remains of carved leaf ornament, 14th-century. Tiles: in floor of chancel, four, with raised pattern, glazed, foreign, probably late 16th-century: in W. tower, two fragments, mediæval. Miscellanea: in S. aisle, at W. end, chest seat, of oak, with high back and coved canopy, carved entablature and moulded cornice, side arms with carved standards, probably French, early 16th-century, much restored: cut in S.E. buttress of S. aisle, three sundials: in W. tower, carved stone head, probably 15th-century.

Condition—Good.

Secular

^b(2). Beachendon Farm, 2½ miles S.E. of the church, is a house of two storeys and an attic; the walls are of flint and brick; the roof is tiled. It was built probably in the 17th century, possibly on the site of a former house, but has been much altered, restored and enlarged. The S. front has two stepped gables, of which one is modern. Inside the house there are chamfered ceiling-beams and an open fireplace, partly blocked. An internal wall, formerly external, is 4½ ft. thick. In a rockery S. of the house are several carved stones, said to have been brought from Eythrope Chapel.

Condition—Good; much altered and restored.