The Langtree Team Ministry

Where the Chilterns meet the Thames in the Diocese of Oxford

History of St Mary the Virgin, Whitchurch-on-Thames

early origins the building interesting features

Anglo-Saxon Origins

Founded by the Saxons in the 9th Century, St Mary's was developed by the Normans, refurbished in 1470 during the reign of Edward IV, rebuilt by the Victorians in 1857, and refurbished again in 1901. Originally a Catholic church, it switched allegiance from the Pope to Henry VIII during the Reformation (whether willingly or not, we don't know; certainly the priest and his parishioners didn't have any choice in the matter).

The Building

Original 11th century walls

The whole of the south wall is the original 11th century wall, as are the east and west walls, though the windows are Victorian. The long south wall is built of stone; although the east and west walls are made of brick. Prior to the 1857 rebuilding there were galleries along the back and north walls, to accommodate an orchestra. From the late 17th to the mid-19th Century, the church was decorated very plainly in the somewhat Calvinistic Hawksmoor style.

The bell-tower

At the back of the church, is a hanging bell-rope; used to toll the bell to mark the consecration of the wine and the host during communion services, and to remind villagers that Holy Communion is taking place. The large hipped spire was built in 1857 to replace the much shorter spire that preceded it. The belfry houses six bells. However, the spire wasn't strong enough to cope with the huge stresses caused by the weight of the bells when they were being rung. A swinging bell exerts 4½ times its weight downwards and 2½ times its weight sideways. To resolve this problem, the Rector turned to an unusual source for help. The belfry now rests on four massive iron pillars manufactured for the church by the workshops of the Great Western Railway.

The south door

The south door ,opposite the main door, shows a great deal of St Mary's history. There is infill to accommodate the 15th Century Perpendicular arch and the solid Victorian door. The medieval south porch includes a gargoyle that dates back to the Saxon period.

Medieval Roof Timbers

The roof timbers over the main body of the church are medieval. However, the timbers over the north aisle (nearest the main church door) are Gothic Revival. This north aisle roof was built when the Victorians extended the church to accommodate the expanding village; prior to this, the space had contained two chantry chapels and later, the village school.

Stained glass windows

The stained glass window to the right of the altar is medieval Flemish. The saint/bishop is unidentified (and unidentifiable), because it was almost certainly bought ready-made from an itinerant glassmaker, to become whichever saint the Rector wanted it to be. The diamond-shaped glass panels surrounding the medieval figure are Victorian 'improvements'.

Features

The foliated cross

The south doorway is Norman and the porch outside, with its carved angels, is medieval. Above the South door is a foliated cross (a cross with leaves growing from it - a Christian version of the Scandinavian Tree of Life). This is a modern carving. The original one was recently brought inside to prevent further deterioration and is displayed in a glass cabinet by the main door.

Monuments and brasses

As part of the rebuilding, the Victorians took the many stone monuments from the north wall and used them to pave the chancel and the south aisle - even trimming some of them to fit. There are a number of medieval brasses mounted on two cedarwood panels.

Victorian features

The Victorian reredos behind the altar was rediscovered in 1997, having been covered by oak panels for most of the 20th Century. The reredos is not carved: it's actually cast from some kind of reconstituted stone, and would have been bought off the shelf by the yard to fit the desired space. The use of vermilion dates it to some time before 1858. The pews and the oak and wrought iron altar rail are also Victorian, as are the arches running down the centre of the church. There are delicately carved birds, flowers and plants just above the capitals on the pillars. The font is a very fine example of the Gothic Revival during the Victorian era.

The 20th century

The pews are Victorian. However, the pulpit dates from the early 20th century, as do the oak screens that surround the chancel, in some cases obscuring the base of the medieval window openings. The current organ, to the south of the chancel, was built in 1901 and includes several stops from the original organ.