Stoke Mandeville

84. STOKE MANDEVILLE.

(O.S. 6 in. ^(a)xxxiii. N.E. ^(b)xxxiii. S.E.)

Ecclesiastical

^b(1). Old Parish Church of St. Mary, ruins, about ½ mile S. of the village, has walls of loose limestone rubble, covered with cement; the N. wall of the chancel and the W. tower are of brick. The roof of the chancel is tiled; the other roofs are uncovered. The original church was built probably in the 12th century, and consisted of an aisleless Nave and a Chancel, the chancel arch being of c. 1170. The chancel was lengthened in the 13th century. The South Aisle and arcade were added c. 1340. In the 15th century the walls of the nave were heightened, and a clearstorey was added. The West Tower was built in the W. bay of the nave towards the end of the 17th century. The N. wall of the chancel was re-built late in the 18th or early in the 19th century. The fittings have been removed to the new parish church (see below), and the oak pulpit is now in the church at Little Kimble.

Architectural Description—The Chancel (24 ft. by 12 ft.), has an early 15th-century E. window of three cinque-foiled lights and tracery under a pointed head with an external label. There are no openings in the N. wall. In the S. wall are two windows; the eastern is a 13th-century lancet with splayed inner jambs and head; the western window is of the 15th century, and of two trefoiled lights with plain spandrels under a four-centred head; between the windows is a priest's doorway with a four-centred head, also of the 15th century. The chancel arch, of c. 1170, is semi-circular, and has square jambs with bead-moulded and chamfered abaci; N. of the arch is a 15th-century squint or doorway with a four-centred head; in the middle of the thickness of the wall the head is cinque-foiled; in the nave the jambs are carried down to the floor, and the opening is blocked with modern brick; in the chancel the sill is about 3 ft. above the floor: S. of the chancel arch is another squint with a two-centred drop arch. The Nave (38 ft. by 18 ft.) has, in the N. wall, near the E. end, an early 14th-century window with chamfered jambs and two-centred head; it was originally of three lights, the tracery has disappeared, and wooden mullions and transom have been inserted; the N. doorway, which is probably of the 14th century, has moulded jambs and two-centred head, with an external label, and a semi-circular rear arch. The S. arcade, of c. 1340, is of three bays, with octagonal columns and responds, which have moulded bases and bell-capitals; the two-centred arches are of two chamfered orders with stops above the capitals; some of the stops are moulded and some are carved with upturned faces; the moulded labels have head-stops. One clearstorey window with a square head remains on each side, and is probably of the 16th century. The West Tower is of one stage above the roof of the nave, and is of the 17th century, except the W. wall, which is the original W. wall of the nave, and has a 15th-century window of three cinque-foiled four-centred lights under a square head with an external label. The tower arch is of plastered brick; the jambs have shafts with moulded capitals. The upper stage has round-headed windows. The South Aisle (7½ ft. wide) has a 15th-century E. window, of two cinque-foiled ogee lights and trefoiled tracery under a square head. In the S. wall are three windows, the easternmost of c. 1340, and of two trefoiled ogee lights with a quatrefoil in a two-centred head; the second is a small single light with a plain head and a wood lintel of late 16th or early 17th-century date; the third window is probably of early 16th-century date, and is of two cinque-foiled four-centred lights; the 14th-century S. doorway is similar to the N. doorway, of one moulded order, but the label has been cut away and the opening is blocked. The North Porch is timber-framed, and has a four-centred entrance archway of late 15th or early 16th-century date. The Roof of the chancel is high-pitched, with a plastered barrel-vault ceiling. Three trusses of the low-pitched 15th-century roof of the nave remain, and have chamfered tie-beams with curved braces below them and traceried spandrels above them; the ridge remains, but the rafters and purlins have been removed; some fragments of them are in the chancel. In the aisle only a few rafters are left.

Fittings—Bracket: for image, at the E. end of the S. aisle, carved with a face, probably 14th-century. Painting: on E. wall of nave, remains of red paint. Piscina: in chancel, with shouldered arch and round basin, 13th-century.

Condition—Walls fairly substantial, overgrown with ivy outside, and some inside; wall N. of chancel arch cracked from top to bottom. Windows unglazed, except a few quarries; W. window of nave much decayed externally. Roofs of nave and aisle almost completely destroyed; tower retains a few timbers. A few attempts to prevent further destruction have been made by blocking doorways, etc.

^a(2). New Parish Church of St. Mary, was built in 1886, but contains, from the old church, the following

Fittings—Bells: six and sanctus, 3rd, 1633, 6th, 1636, both by Ellis Knight. Brass (see Monument). Chest: in S. aisle, with iron bands and strap-hinges, probably 17th-century. Communion Table: in chancel, with turned legs, carved upper rail, plain foot rail, 17th-century. Font (see Plate, p. xxvii.): octagonal bowl, small leaf ornaments round the rim, seven panels carved, one with representation of a christmatory with gabled lid, trefoiled cresting, cross finials and ornamental fastening, another panel with symbol of the Trinity, a third panel with large Tudor rose, the others with leaf ornament, 15th-century. Monument: In nave —at E. end, of Mary, Thomas, Dorothye and Richard, children of Edmund Brudenell, no date; recumbent alabaster effigies of young girl and two infants, on base with elaborately carved panels separated by pilasters, above the figures two panelled pilasters support moulded entablature with obelisks and achievement of arms, at the back, on brass, inscription in verse, traces of colour on effigies, late 16th-century, removed from the old church in 1899, and stone re-tooled. Plate: includes cup and cover paten of c. 1570, both restored and date-letters obliterated. Seat: at W. end of S. aisle, small, with moulded rail at back, plain standards, one originally having a poppy-head.

Condition—Good.

Secular

Homestead Moats

^b(3). N.W. of the old parish church.

^a(4). On the N. side of the road through Brook Farm; is not shown on the O.S. maps.

^a(5). Moat Farm, house and moat, about ³/8 of a mile W. of the modern church. The House is a rectangular building of two storeys with a projecting wing on the N.E. side, built of timber and brick late in the 16th century, restored and enlarged in the 19th century. The walls are now almost entirely covered with cement. The roofs are tiled. The large central chimney stack is of original thin bricks. Interior:— One room has two large moulded beams in the ceiling, and a wide open fireplace with brick jambs and a moulded stone four-centred head with plain spandrels; old oak seats remain in the chimney-corners.

The Moat surrounds the house on three sides, and has an entrance over the N.W. arm.

Condition—Of house and moat, fairly good.

^a(6–10). Houses and Cottages, five, including the Wool Pack Inn and Yew Tree Cottage, in the village, on both sides of the main road, S. of the modern church, are each of two storeys, built in the 17th century, and timber-framed with brick or plaster filling, restored in the 19th century. They are of the central chimney type, except the inn, which was originally of L-shaped plan. The roofs are thatched; part of the roof of the inn is tiled; the original chimney stacks remain. Inside each house there are old beams in the ceilings and three of the buildings have wide fireplaces partly blocked.

Condition—All fairly good; considerably restored.

^a(11). Yew Tree Farm, house and two barns, 250 yards S. of the modern church. The House is of two storeys and an attic, built in the 16th century, on an L-shaped plan with a staircase in the internal angle; the E. block was re-built in 1716. The original walls are of timber and brick, much restored; the roofs are tiled. One large chimney stack is original and has attached square shafts. Interior:—On the ground floor one room has a large moulded beam in the ceiling, and other rooms have plain original beams; there are two large open fireplaces with corner seats. One old door is of moulded battens, and many of the floors have old boards. The principal staircase is probably of the 17th century, and has turned balusters, plain newels and handrails. The back staircase is also old.

One Barn is of five bays, with large timbers covered with weather-boarding; the roof is thatched, and the tie-beams have curved struts. The second Barn, similar to the other, but smaller, has some original brick filling.

Condition—Good; the large barn is under repair.

^a(12). Cottages, three, forming an L-shaped block, 100 yards N. of the modern church, are of two storeys, built in the 17th century, and much restored. One wing of the block has two walls of 17th-century brick and timber, and the end wall is of late 17th-century blue and red bricks; the other wing is almost entirely modern. One rectangular chimney stack is original.

Condition—Fairly good.

^a(13). Malthouse Farm, about 150 yards N.W. of the modern church, is a rectangular house of two storeys, built early in the 17th century, but almost entirely re-built in the 19th century. Part of the N. wall retains the original timber and brick. At the E. end part of the upper storey projects, and there is a large projecting chimney stack with a rectangular shaft, restored at the top. A chimney stack on the N. side is also partly of old bricks. Interior:—Some of the ceilings have original beams, and there are two wide fireplaces, one partly blocked.

Condition—Good.

^a(14–18). Cottages, on the Lower Road to Aylesbury: one cottage, and two blocks of tenements on the W. side and two buildings, both originally two cottages, one now a single tenement, on the E. side, are all of two storeys, built in the 17th century, and timber-framed with brick and plaster filling, partly re-faced and restored with modern brick; some of the original brick filling is in herringbone pattern. The W. wall of one building on the E. side of the road is partly of stone, and on the first floor is a window of two lights with a chamfered mullion, now blocked and covered with whitewash; the central chimney stack is of 17th-century brick. The other building on the E. side of the road, and one cottage on the W. side, also have original central stacks, and two cottages, forming an L-shaped block, have three chimneys built of old thin bricks. Some of the cottages have exposed joists and beams in the ceilings, and two buildings have each two wide fireplaces, partly blocked.

Condition—Of all the buildings, fairly good.