Chalfont St. Peter

17. CHALFONT ST. PETER.

(O.S. 6 in. ^(a)xlviii. N.E. ^(b)xlviii. S.W. ^(c)xlviii. S.E.)

Ecclesiastical

^a(1). Parish Church of St. Peter, stands in the middle of the village. It was re-built in the 18th and 19th centuries, but contains, from the old church, the following:—

Fittings—Brasses and Indents. Brasses: In chancel—on N. wall, (1) to Rose Edgeworth, 1529, mother of Roger and John Edgeworth, vicars of the parish, inscription only; (2) to Robert Drury, 1592, inscription only; (3) of William Whappelode, steward to Henry [Beaufort] Cardinal of England and Bishop of Winchester, 1446, and Margery, his wife, figures of man in plate armour, and woman in horned head-dress and veil, with inscription; (4) of priest in Mass vestments, late 15th or early 16th-century, figure slightly altered at later date, probably to suit inscription below it, to Robert Hanson, vicar of the parish and of Little Missenden, 1545; (5) to George Brudenell, 1522, inscription only; (6) of William Whappelode, senior, 1398, and Elizabeth, his wife, figures evidently of same date (1446) and workmanship as brass (3); (7) to William Wheytte (date of death not given) and Alice, his wife, 1525. Indents: In S. chapel—in slab under communion table, of two shields. Chests: in the vestry, two, one panelled, the other small, with three locks, probably 17th-century. Communion Table: in S. chapel, small, of oak, 17th-century. Floor-slabs: in S. chapel—(1) to Henry Gould, 1671; (2) to Deborah, wife of Henry Gould, 1695, and Thomas, their youngest son, 1699; (3) to Henry and Samuel Aldridge, infant sons of Henry Gould, 1677 and 1679; (4) to Thomas Whitchurch, 1691, and Richard, his son, 1709; partly hidden by organ platform, (5) slab dated 161—. Plate: includes two flagons and patens, 1693, two patens or salvers, 1661, bowl and a flagon with spout, probably 17th-century, all of pewter.

Condition—Good.

Secular

^c(2). Homestead Moat, N.W. of Chalfont Lodge, a very small example.

The London Road, W. side

^a(3). The Greyhound Inn, about 60 yards N.E. of the church, is a 17th-century building of two storeys, much restored in the 19th century. The S. front is of late 17th-century brick, with a brick string-course between the storeys, and a wood cornice; the other walls are of brick except at the back, where they are partly timber-framed with brick filling. The roofs are tiled. Two original chimney stacks are of thin bricks. One room has a wide fireplace, and two old ceiling-beams remain, one with a curved bracket.

Condition—Good.

^a(4). Cottage, about 60 yards S. of the church, was built probably in the 16th century, but the lower storey is of modern brick; the projecting upper storey retains old timber-framing with brick filling; the roof is tiled. In front is a gable with an ornamental barge board, of which the N. half is probably original.

Condition—Fairly good.

^a(5). Cottage, now a shop, at the corner of Goldhill Lane, is of two storeys and an attic, built probably in the 17th century, of timber with brick filling, re-fronted with modern brick. The roof is tiled. At the back is an original chimney stack of thin bricks.

Condition—Not very good.

E. side

^a(6). The George Inn, opposite the church, is a two-storeyed building, probably of the 17th century. The walls are plastered; the roof is covered with slate. Two plain chimney stacks are built of 17th-century bricks.

Condition—Good.

^a(7). Cottage, about 75 yards S. of the church, built probably in the 17th century, is of two storeys. The walls are plastered, except the gabled N. end, which is timber-framed with brick filling; the gable in front also shews old timbers. The roof is covered with slates. An original chimney stack is built of brick.

Condition—Not very good.

^a(8). The Bakers' Arms Inn, is of two storeys, built probably in the 17th century, but re-fronted in the 19th century; the gabled ends are timber-framed and covered with plaster. The roof is tiled.

Condition—Fairly good.

^a(9). House, opposite the White Hart Inn, is a two-storeyed building, probably of early 17th-century date. The lower storey is of brick; the upper storey is timber-framed, with brick filling. The roofs are tiled. In front the upper storey projects above a large gateway leading to a yard, and is supported on a heavy beam. Inside the house on the ground floor is a 17th-century panelled door and a small leaded window in an inner wall; on the second floor part of a partition is of 17th-century panelling.

Condition—Poor.

^a(10). Ashwells Farm, about 1½ miles N. of the church, is a 17th-century house of two storeys, timber-framed, with brick filling, except the E. wall, which is partly faced with modern brick. The roofs are tiled. The plan is L-shaped. At the S. end is a large stepped chimney stack with two square shafts, built of thin bricks, and at the W. end is a smaller stack also with square shafts. Two of the windows, with diamond-shaped quarries, are original. The parlour has early 17th-century panelling, now painted, and a fireplace, of slightly later date, which has pilasters and lintel, with Ionic capitals and carved rosettes; in the ceiling is a chamfered beam. Two other rooms have wide fireplaces.

Condition—Fairly good; the timber-framing is somewhat decayed.

^b(11). Mumford's Farm, near the S. end of Mumford's Lane, about 1½ miles S.W. of the church, is a house of two storeys, except the E. wing, which is partly of one storey. The walls are chiefly of brick; the roofs are tiled. The N.E. part of the main block, which is approximately square, was built probably early in the 16th century; c. 1650 the rest of the block was added, and c. 1690 two wings were built on the N. side; the W. wing now forms a separate dwelling, and there is a modern addition on the E. side of the E. wing. The main block is of mid 17th-century brick on the W. side, which contains the principal entrance, and has a projecting string-course between the storeys; the S. front and the S. end of the E. side are of similar brick; the rest of the E. side is of 16th-century brick, except at the N. end, where there is a small overhanging chamber, which is timber-framed, with modern brick filling, and is supported on a shaped bracket; at the back the lower storey of the main block is of modern brick; the upper part, with two gables, is of 16th-century brick and timber; on the first floor two windows are of the 17th century, and a third window, probably of late 17th-century date, has moulded frame, mullions and transom, a double casement opening and large ornamental fastenings; in the apex of one of the gables are two small oval windows which light a room in the roof. A large projecting chimney stack on the E. side of the main block is of 16th-century brick, and has attached square shafts. Both the wings are built of late 17th-century brick with blue headers.

Interior—One of the rooms on the ground floor has a plain beam in the ceiling and a wood moulding of c. 1690 round the fireplace, which is partly filled in; the kitchen has a wide fireplace, and in the ceiling is a chamfered beam. On the first floor are two doorways with moulded wood frames of early 16th-century date, the jambs having moulded stops; one room has panelling of c. 1690, with a moulding round the fireplace; another room has a similar moulding, a panelled overmentel and small cupboard. In the projecting chamber are the remains of steps which led to the room in the roof, now disused.

Condition—Good.