Nominal: 735 Hz Weight: 1508 lbs Diameter: 43.63" Bell 1 of 7
Founded by Thomas II Mears 1828
Dove Bell ID: 2349 Tower ID: 10364 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Turnings: eighth Cracked: No
Edlesborough: St Mary the Virgin
Overview
Grid reference: SP 970 190
The church stands atop a chalk knoll at the edge of the Chiltern Ridge, and is a conspicuous landmark. The walls of the church are mostly of ashlar limestone but extensive repairs have been made in the past with cement, which has disfigured the exterior. All the walls have embattled parapets which conceal the roofs.
Visiting and facilities
Building is closed for worship
Building
Ground Plan Description and Dimensions
Ground plan:
West tower, nave with north and south aisles and north and south porches, chancel and north chancel chapel.
Description of Archaeology and History
The date of the original foundation is uncertain, but no detail earlier than the 13th century survives. During the 13th century the nave was lengthened by two bays at the west end, the aisles were added and later in the same period the chancel was re-built. In the first half of the 14th century the windows of the aisles were renewed and the west tower was added, the westernmost bay of the nave being demolished for the purpose. In the 15th century the nave clerestory was added, the walls of the chancel were raised and new windows inserted, and the north aisle was extended eastwards to form a chapel. At the same time the porches on the north and south sides of the church were put up. The church originally had a spire, but this was destroyed by lightning in 1828. The church was fully restored in 1867.
Exterior Description
The church stands atop a chalk knoll at the edge of the Chiltern Ridge, and is a conspicuous landmark. The walls of the church are mostly of ashlar limestone but extensive repairs have been made in the past with cement, which has disfigured the exterior. All the walls have embattled parapets which conceal the roofs.
The chancel has a late 13th century east window of five lights, the centre light being wider than the others, with geometrical tracery in a two centred head; the window has a richly moulded rere-arch, and shafted jambs and mullions. In the north wall at the east end is a window of two trefoiled lights with tracery of a similar character and date to that of the east window. To the west of this window is a small doorway of 15th century date with: a four-centred head, now leading to the vestry by way of a passage constructedin a small turret of recent date. The western half of the wall is pierced by a large 15th century drop arch of two moulded orders dying into square jambs. In the chancel south wall are three late 15th century windows, each of three cinquefoiled lights under a flat four—centred head. Between the two eastern windows is a small doorway of 13th century date and, west of the westernmost window and slightly above it, is a defaced fragment of a window label of the late 13th century. Both side walls of the chancel have 13th century moulded string-courses, probably marking the springing line of the original roof. On the north side of the chancel is the vestry and organ chamber which can probably be identified with the chantry chapel of St. Mary the Virgin and All Saints, founded in 1338 by Thomas le Botiller. In the north wall of the chapel is a late 15th century window of five cinquefoiled lights. In the west wall, opening into the aisle, is a segmental pointed arch of two hollow chamfered orders, also of the late 15th century. Set into the east wall of this chapel, next to the modern opening to the passage leading into the chancel, are five carved atone brackets, evidently removed from their original positions.
Building Fabric and Features
Stained Glass
1901
In the chancel south wall, late Kempe glass of 1901 with the wheatsheaf colophon.
Stained Glass
1867
West window of 1867 by Ward and Hughes.
Stained Glass
A small light in the westernmost window of the north aisle, which contains a largely mediaeval figure of St. James.
Stained Glass
There is one two-light window in the north aisle by Clayton and Bell.
Interior
Interior Description
The nave has north and south arcades of four bays each, with two-centred arches. The arcades date from the mid-13th century. The third column from the east end of each arcade is formed by two responds, back to back, and indicates the position of the original west wall of the building. The responds against the present west wall are in the form of complete columns against which the west wall is built. The chancel arch dates from, the 15th century and is of two moulded orders, the inner continuous,the outer dying into the walls. Above the chancel arch the east wall of the nave has a moulded and embattled set-off and in the south east angle is the upper doorway to the former rood-loft. The whole of this wall is filled with a scheme of painted decoration executed by Messrs Bell as part of the 1867 scheme of restoration. The decoration is continued in the spandrels of the nave arcades. The clerestory has four windows on each side, each of two trefoiled lights with modern tracery in a pointed head.
The north aisle is spanned by four-centred arches of stone, dying into the wall and dividing the aisle into four bays corresponding to those of the nave. The easternmost window in this aisle is of the 15th century, and of three trefoiled and transomed lights. The windows in the second and fourth bays are each of c.1330 and of two trefoiled lights; the tracery of these windows is not original. In between these windows is the late 13th century doorway with a depressed two-centred head. At the extreme west end of the north aisle is a small single light, low down in the wall, which contains some mediaeval glass. On the interior face of the wall, between the first and second windows is a shallow niche, probably canopied originally, with a defaced cinquefoiled head. The back of the niche retains much of the original colouring, leaving void the outline of a human figure. On the west wall is another indentation, a rectangular chamferedrecess, at the top of which is the start of a channel or flue. This end of the aisle may have once been occupied by a two-storied cell partitioned off from the rest of the building.
Fixtures and fittings
Screen
15th Century
An Outstanding 15th century oak screen, five bays wide with a carved middle rail. The central bay is wider than the rest and has a pair of doors with close panels in the lower half of each leaf, and two open lights with tracery above in the upper half. The top rails of the-gates are shaped to form, when closedl an inverted ogee arch. Above the gates is a pointed arch with seven main foils, each of them trefoiled and sub-cusped, The four side bays are each divided, above the middle rail, into three open panels with cinquefoiled heads and tracery under a pointed arch. The main posts of the screen have attached cylindrical columns with moulded capitals and bases; the capitals of the west side of the screen are carved with foliage. On the east side of the screen vaulted roving springs from the attached shafts to support a plain moulded cornice-beam. There is no vaulting on the west side of the screen, but instead the cornice and the spandrelsof the arches of the screen are filled with 19th century painted decoration.
Pulpit
Of wine glass shape with a tall octagonal wooden tub having a fan soffit on an octagonal post. Each angle of the tub has small angle piers with crocketed pinnacles. The panels themselves have vaulted gablets with tracery, crockets and finials. Over the pulpit is a splendid canopy in four diminishing stages with a crocketed and finialled spire. The lowest stage of the canopy has a vaulted soffit with small roll ribs forming a star pattern; there, are two small vaulted gables to each face having crockets, finials, main posts, and smaller posts between the gnbles The two middle stages have on each face two trefoiled and transomed lights under a traceried two-centred head. The crowning spire is finished at the top with a carved and gilded ball.
Stall
15th Century
Against the east side of the screen are six 15th century stalls with moulded top pieces, and elbow pieces carved with grotesques. Each stall has a miserere, the carvings of which are well preserved and include such subjects as an owl, a winged beast, a woman suckling a lion, an eagle and a double headed beast, The desks to these stalls and the returns on either side of the chancel are contemporary, and have buttressed standards with poppy-head finials and fronts with traceried panels.
Font (object)
Probably of the 15th century with an octagonal stone bowl with a sunk quatrefoil panel on each face and an octagonal stem.
Organ (object)
2 manual organ by Bishop & Son of Marylebone Road, London.
Bells
Nominal: 1234 Hz Weight: 610 lbs Diameter: 30.25" Bell 2 of 7
Founded by Thomas II Mears 1828
Dove Bell ID: 19902 Tower ID: 10364 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Turnings: eighth Cracked: No
Nominal: 1105.5 Hz Weight: 713 lbs Diameter: 32.25" Bell 3 of 7
Founded by Thomas II Mears 1828
Dove Bell ID: 19903 Tower ID: 10364 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Turnings: eighth Cracked: No
Nominal: 988.5 Hz Weight: 775 lbs Diameter: 34.25" Bell 4 of 7
Founded by Thomas II Mears 1828
Dove Bell ID: 19904 Tower ID: 10364 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Turnings: eighth Cracked: No
Nominal: 922 Hz Weight: 908 lbs Diameter: 36.25" Bell 5 of 7
Founded by Thomas II Mears 1828
Dove Bell ID: 19905 Tower ID: 10364 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Turnings: eighth Cracked: No
Nominal: 829 Hz Weight: 1094 lbs Diameter: 39.25" Bell 6 of 7
Founded by Thomas II Mears 1828
Dove Bell ID: 19906 Tower ID: 10364 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Turnings: eighth Cracked: No
Weight: 84 lbs Diameter: 14.88" Bell 7 of 7
Founded by Thomas II Mears
Dove Bell ID: 19907 Tower ID: 10364 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Cracked: No
Churchyard
Grid reference: SP 970 190
Burial and War Grave Information
It is unknown whether the building is consecrated.
It is unknown whether the churchyard has been used for burial.
It is unknown whether the churchyard is used for burial.
It is unknown whether the churchyard has war graves.
National Heritage record for England designations
There are no records of National Heritage assets within the curtilage of this site.
Environment
Ancient, Veteran & Notable Trees
Caring for God's Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.
To learn more about all the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.
There are no records of Ancient, Veteran or Notable Trees within the curtilage of this site.
Renewables
| Renewable | Installed |
|---|---|
| Solar PV Panels | N/A |
| Solar Thermal Panels | N/A |
| Biomass | N/A |
| Wind Turbine | N/A |
| Air Source Heat Pump | N/A |
| Ground Source Heat Pump | N/A |
| Ev Charging | N/A |
Species summary
There are no records of species within the curtilage of this site.
Caring for God's Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.
To learn more about all the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.
'Seek advice' Species
More information on species and action to be taken upon discovery.
Caring for God's Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.
To learn more about all the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.
Further information
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