St John the Evangalist - Whitchurch, Buck's - This Old Church on Waymarking.com

"The present building dates from the early 13th century, and then consisted of a small chancel and a nave of the present size.

The chancel was rebuilt and the tower erected early in the next century. Later in the 14th century the aisles, which extend almost to the line of the west wall of the tower, were added; first that on the south with its nave arcade and then that on the north.

In the 15th century the south arcade of the nave was probably repaired and the clearstory added, the walls of the chancel were raised and the whole building reroofed. The 15th century also saw the erection of the south porch, the renewal of some of the windows, and probably the rebuilding of the upper part of the tower. The porch was reroofed in 1657 and the roof of the south aisle restored in 1681. The church was extensively restored in 1911.

The walls are of roughly squared and coursed masonry, with ashlar dressings. Those of the chancel show the line of the 15th-century raising and have a modern parapet of brickwork. The nave has a plain parapet covered with Roman cement, and the dressings generally have been a good deal repaired with cement. The roofs, with the exception of that of the porch, which is tiled, are covered with lead.

The chancel has a 14th-century east window, which is pointed, and has three trefoiled lights with tracery and a moulded rear arch. The north and south walls each contain three windows of early 14th-century date, of two trefoiled lights with a sexfoil in a pointed head. The first and second windows on the north and the second and third on the south contain fragments of old glass. Between those in the north wall is a blocked 14th-century doorway with continuously moulded jambs and two-centred head; the segmental head externally seems to indicate that the door formerly opened into a vestry. Beneath the eastern window in the south wall is a fine example of a conjoined piscina and sedile of early 14th-century date. The piscina has a pointed arch, from which the former tracery is missing, and the sedile a stilted segmental arch, both elaborately moulded and springing from groups of shafts with heavily moulded capitals and bases. Between the first and second windows in this wall is a 14th-century doorway with continuously moulded jambs and head. The 14th-century chancel arch is pointed and of two chamfered orders, the outer continuous, the inner springing from semi-octagonal responds having moulded capitals, the abaci of which continue on either side as a string-course. The capitals and string on the nave side have been cut away for the insertion of the former rood-beam, a corbel for which remains on either side of the arch.

In the east wall of the nave, south of the chancel arch, is a 14th-century niche with a trefoiled ogee head. The north arcade is of four bays with two-centred arches of two chamfered orders. The arches spring from octagonal columns and a semi-octagonal east respond with moulded capitals and bases, but die into the wall of the tower at the west end. The columns and respond rest on large square plinths, and cut into the upper part of the respond is a niche with a flatsided pointed arch. This arcade, which is of early 14th-century date, has a considerable outward inclination from the vertical. The south arcade is like it in all respects except that the columns are circular and the east respond semicircular, the upper parts of the capitals being octagonal. It is apparently of a slightly earlier period than the north arcade. The clearstory has in each wall three 15th-century windows, each of two cinquefoiled lights in a square head.

At the east end of the north aisle is a window of three trefoiled lights with flowing tracery in a pointed head of 14th-century date. The first window from the east of the three windows in the north wall of this aisle is of 14th-century date and of three trefoiled lights with tracery in a pointed head; it contains a fragment of old glass representing a blazing star. The second window is of the same period and of two trefoiled lights with a quatrefoil in a pointed head. The third window is of three two-centred lights with two-centred heads. It is of uncertain date and made up of a number of fragments, the heads of the two eastern lights being part of a two-light window, and the adapted segmental external label possibly of 12th-century date. Between the last two windows is a 14th-century doorway with continuously moulded jambs and two-centred head and containing an old door. The west window is of the early 14th century and of two trefoiled lights with a quatrefoil in a pointed head. On the south wall above the columns of the nave arcade are the head corbels for the struts to the former lean-to roof.

The south wall of the south aisle has also three windows, but these belong to the late 15th century. The first and second windows from the east are of three cinquefoiled lights under flat heads and the third of three similar lights in a four-centred head. Between the second and third is a doorway of the same period with jambs and head continuously moulded, and an external label with head-stops and a head in the apex. Internally to the east of this doorway is the segmental head of a former stoup, and beneath the easternmost window a crudely-formed piscina and recess, the former having a semicircular and the latter a flat head; the western jamb of the recess is formed of an old window mullion. Further to the west, built into the wall, is a piece of masonry carved with a foliated cross. In the east wall of the south aisle is a blocked 14th-century circular window, the tracery of which is missing. The rear arch forms the head of a recess, on either side of which is a stone corbel. The window in the west wall, the masonry of which has been re-dressed, is a single lancet possibly of 13th-century date.

The tower is of two tall stages with an embattled parapet. The ground stage communicates with the nave and aisles by three pointed arches, those to the aisles being lower and narrower than that to the nave. The western angles have square buttresses to the top of the lower stages, surmounted by diagonal buttresses in the upper stage. Square buttresses project from the eastern angles into the nave and aisles and there is a stair-turret in the south-west angle entered from the west respond of the arch to the south aisle. The arch to the nave is pointed and of three chamfered orders, the outer two of which die into the walls; the inner order is now continuous, but formerly had carved capitals at the springing line which have been cut away, a small piece of that on the north side alone remaining. The arches to the aisles are also pointed and of three chamfered orders, the chamfers on the inner face of different size from those on the outer, with a small return chamfer and hollow between the two sets. All the orders of these arches die into the walls. The west doorway is a beautiful example of 13th-century workmanship reset here. It has a pointed arch of three elaborately moulded orders with a moulded label, the jambs being similarly recessed and having attached shafts, the capitals of which are moulded and carved with stiff-leaved foliage; the shafts and bases have been repaired with Roman cement, the mouldings of the latter being obliterated. The window above was originally of the 14th century, but the arch, the centre mullion, the heads of the two trefoiled lights, and the tracery are of 15th-century date. The splayed external jambs are original and each contains a niche, having in its head a projecting cinquefoiled canopy surmounted by carved grotesque animals. The label with head-stops and the splayed sill are also original, the latter having below the centre mullion a semi-octagonal corbel carved with four-leaved flowers and resting on a grotesque head. Above the window is a niche with a straight-sided trefoiled head and a sunk traceried spandrel. On the east face of the tower the weather course of the former steep-pitched roof of the nave still remains, and on the western side, in the upper part of the lower stage, is a window with a pointed arch in a square head. The bell chamber has in each face a 15th-century window of two trefoiled lights with sunk spandrels in a square head. On the west face is a modern clock dial, and on the south face a large flat stone sundial is inserted bearing the date 1828.

The 15th-century pointed outer arch of the porch is of two plain orders springing from chamfered responds with moulded stops, and has an external label, with head-stops and a carved face in the apex. There is a stone seat along each side wall, and above the door to the south aisle is a trefoiled and crudely crocketed niche of the 14th century. The weather course of the former roof of flatter pitch remains on the south wall of the aisle, and in the outer gable is a panel bearing the date 1657.

The modern roof of the chancel incorporates some old material. The 15th-century roof of the nave has been restored; it is of five bays with moulded tiebeams, principals, purlins, ridge and wall pieces and hollow-chamfered rafters. The curved struts, several of which have flat carving, rest on wooden brackets. The roofs of the aisles are also probably of 15th-century date and have moulded timbers. Some of those in the south aisle were replaced in 1681, two of the tie-beams bearing that date. The floor of the ringing chamber retains its original timbers.

The south aisle contains two small brass tablets, one to Thomas Scott of 'Crisloe' (Creslow), and the other to Hannah Scott, his daughter, both of whom died in 1699, while the nave has a third to Avis Scott, wife of Thomas, who died in 1707.

In the nave are three Purbeck marble slabs, one with the indent of the small figure of a priest; the second with indents of two figures, an inscription, groups of sons and daughters, scrolls, shields and corner pieces; and the third with indents of two figures, an inscription, a group of children and four shields. Cut into this slab are the initials G.C. and the date 1712. Another Purbeck marble slab in the north aisle contains the indent of a marginal inscription and probably of other brasses, but is much worn.

The chancel contains a tablet recording that the body of Ann Gaderen, who died in 1669, rests in the floor below. There are similar tablets to Bennett Gaudery (d. 1660) and Martha Gaudery (d. 1656), and other tablets of more modern date. In the north aisle is a tablet to John Westcar (d. 1833) and Mary his wife (d. 1781), with figures of the man, an ox, and three sheep.

In the nave are floor slabs to Lucius Smythe (d. 1694); a slab with a shield of arms to William Hedges (d. 1792), and Elizabeth his wife, the date of whose death is indecipherable; the fragment of another bears the date 1650. In the north aisle are floor slabs to Frances Bruloe, widow of Augustine Joseph Bruloe (d. 1700), and to Sir Edward Smythe (d. 1682), with a shield of his arms. A number of mediaeval tiles of various designs were found at the restoration, a few of which are now in the north aisle, but the majority have been used to form the platform for the communion table.

At the west end of the nave are some benches of about 1500, two of the standards having fleur de lis carved finials, and in the chancel are six bench ends of 16th-century date, with sunk panels and variously carved finials; on each is a shield with the initials 'RH,' probably those of Robert Hobbes, last Abbot of Woburn, who was a benefactor of the church.

The font has a small circular lead-lined stone bowl with the names of William Oliffe and Joseph Collett, churchwardens, and the date 1661; it is carried on a turned oak support, probably of the same date.

The 17th-century communion table has turned legs and a carved top rail, and the late 16th or early 17th-century pulpit is of oak and hexagonal, with panelled and carved sides and a book-rest supported on carved brackets. In the nave is a 17th-century poor box with a turned shaft and a solid hollowed-out top which has an iron lid with clasps and two locks. There is a chest in the tower of the same period with a panelled front and sides and a drawer below having three locks. The chancel contains a chair, the back of which is formed of a piece of elaborately carved 17th-century panelling, and two others, probably of 18th-century date, carved and with leather backs and seats. The west end of the north aisle, which is curtained off to form a vestry, contains a cupboard, probably of about 1700, the doors of which have moulded and painted panels.

On the centre column of the south arcade of the nave are a number of scratchings mostly in the form of crosses, and consisting of small circular sinkings joined by straight lines. Two of the buttresses on the south side of the chancel bear the remains of finger dials.

In the north aisle are two pieces of masonry with 13th-century carvings, possibly parts of an earlier font, and in the tower is a broken font cover, probably of the 17th century, and various pieces of panelling of this period.

There are six bells hung in an old bell frame, the treble of which is by Henry Bagley, 1680, inscribed 'Cantate Domino canticum novum'; the second by John Briant, 1797; the third and fourth by an unknown founder, 1619; the fifth, 1794, and the tenor, 1797, both by Thomas Mears. There is also a sanctus dated 1708.

The communion plate includes a cup of 1569; two large cups with cover patens of 1669; two large patens of 1668; and a large flagon of 1681, given by Sir Edward Smythe"

details from british history online


Unfortunately a service was ongoing so no interior shots.will add some on next visit.

Date the Church was built, dedicated or cornerstone laid: 01/01/1400 Age of Church building determined by?: Other reliable source If denomination of Church is not part of the name, please provide it here: Church of England If Church holds a weekly worship service and "all are welcome", please give the day of the week: Sunday Indicate the time that the primary worship service is held. List only one: 11:00 AM Street address of Church: St John The Evangelist Church Lane Whitchurch, Bucks United Kingdom Primary website for Church or Historic Church Building: [Web Link] Secondary Website for Church or Historic Church Building: [Web Link] If Church is open to the public, please indicate hours: Not listed

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