This time took my road warrior skills to go again to jolly England with the Le Shuttle train service (see post), and my Ford ; towing along my good boys and wonderful Rex! It was a very nice trip going into the countryside and seeing several towns of wonderul architecture and history, This one was a first, and one of our highlights of the trip, we had our encounter with High Wycombe, and it was nice! Therefore, let me tell you on the All Saints Church of High Wycombe in England !!! Hope you enjoy the post as I.
Apart from the central tower little was left of the Norman church. Only the remains of the north transept is visible today from the outside. The nave was lengthened to an enormous 113ft by 24ft, and the chancel to 50ft by 20ft. The north and south aisles, which incorporated the transepts, the north chapel and south porch were built. This rebuilding, from about 1273 was in Early English style. In medieval times the north chapel was dedicated to Saints Katherine and Nicholas. The church was dedicated to All Hallows (meaning All Saints) and in the 19C became known as All Saints .
The All Saints Church south Chapel of the Guild of St Mary aka the Bower Chapel after a 13C priest to which the leading figures in the town belonged before the Reformation, was added some time after the rebuilding of the church. A parclose, the Redehode screen of 1468 dedicated to Richard and Agnes Redehode divided the chapels and chancel from the nave. Part of it is at the entrance to the South Chapel, now known as the Lady Chapel.
In the mid 15C the nave arcades were rebuilt, 6 clerestory windows added and the nave walls and pillars heightened to allow the construction of a new flatter roof, some 48ft above the floor , By 1508 the central tower was causing concern ; demolish it, build a new chancel arch with a window above and to rework the crossing piers into the nave arcades. It was probably built between 1521-35. The west end gallery was removed in 1858. The figures of the four evangelists were placed in the niches of the porch in 1894
The window, next to the re-positioned organ in 1932. The theme is the ministry of women, depicting or naming 32 women who played prominent roles in their time. From the time of the 13C rebuilding the church had a central tower with 6 bells. These were moved to the west tower when it was built in the early 16C. An inventory of 1552 records two organs, perhaps situated on the rood lofts which then existed. In 1783 an organ in the gallery at the west end of the church, paid for by public subscription. It was repaired in 1827, and again in 1867, at the same time being moved to the north wall in front of the North Chapel. In 1931 the organ and console were rebuilt and re-positioned The last refurbishment was in 1984.
The east end of the church contains two large 18C monuments, including a 1754 memorial in memory of Henry Petty, 1st Earl of Shelburne, and a 1772 monument in memory of Sophia Carteret, the first wife of William Petty, 2nd Earl of Shelburne, who served as Prime Minister from 1782 to 1783. A nearby stained glass window, installed in 1990, commemorates the role of the Earl of Shelburne and Benjamin Franklin in arranging the Treaty of Paris in 1783, which ended the American Revolutionary War, He succeeded his father as Earl of Shelburne Following his death he was buried in the family vault in All Saints on 14 May 1805
There has been a church on this site for over 900 years. According to William of Malmsbury, St Wulfstan, Bishop of Worcester ,the last Saxon bishop, 1062-95, regularly passed through Wycombe on his way to London The Norman church was cruciform in shape with north and south transepts and a central tower. Some building materials came from the ruined Roman villa on the Rye which can still be seen in the outside walls. From the 12C the manor of Wycombe came into the possession of the Crown and in about 1176 Henry II gave the church and its valuable tithes to Godstow Convent. Thus the Abbess appointed the Vicar until the Dissolution of the Monasteries.
The official parish All Saints Church of High Wycombe : https://www.allsaintshighwycombe.org/
The National Churches Trust on the All Saints Church of High Wycombe : https://www.nationalchurchestrust.org/church/all-saints-high-wycombe
The High Wycombe Society on All Saints Church of High Wycombe : https://www.highwycombesociety.org.uk/all-saints-high-wycombe-a-short-history/#gsc.tab=0
There you go folks , do dare drive in jolly England, it’s an adventure of a lifetime, and you will be back !!! as we have lol! Until another round chasing Sherlock we will be saying elementary my dear Watson to you all. Again, hope you enjoy this post on the All Saints Church of High Wycombe in England !!! as I
And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!
