Building record 0463300000 - HOLY TRINITY CHURCH, BLEDLOW

Church built of flint with dressings of limestone & a little clunch. Nave probably part of C12 church, which originally had transepts & central tower. Aisles added c1200 & widened late C13. Chancel rebuilt & w tower added. C14, S porch built & windows inserted. All restored 1909 (B4).
Grade I. Parish church. Originally C12, much rebuilt and enlarged C13, with C14 S. porch. Roof altered early C16, all restored 1909. Flint with stone dressings and lead roofs. W. tower, nave, aisles, S. porch and chancel. W. tower is of 3 stages with gabled roof, plain parapet, carved head corbel table, 2-light traceried openings to bell-chamber, and small lancets to middle stage. On the W. side there is a 2-light traceried window over a moulded doorway. Flanking aisle bays each have a single arched light to W., the S. bay with a 2-light traceried S. window. Nave has a 3-bay clerestory of 3-light cusped windows, all heavily restored. Traces of a blocked opening high at E. end of N. clerestory. Aisles have moulded parapets and late C13 2-light traceried windows. Central N. window altered with C14 reticulated tracery; 2 S. windows also altered, the left with Y tracery, the right a large C14 Decorated window of 4 lights with early C18 memorial tablet below. E. bay of N. aisle is of a different build, possibly incorporating remains of a C12 transept, and has C15 flat-headed window in E. wall. N. doorway also C12 with semi-circular unmoulded arch on moulded imposts. S. door has moulded arch of 3 orders, the outer 2 on shafts with stiff-leaf capitals. Large stoup to right. S. porch has later moulded arch of 2 orders, the inner on semi-octagonal piers with moulded capitals, and carved head corbel and sundial set into parapet. Inside are stone benches and a moulded ceiling beam. Chancel also has 2-light traceried windows, the N. side with 2 cusped lancets, one transomed, the S. side with blocked semi-circular headed opening. E. end of chancel has triple lancets with taller central light. C19-C20 buttresses, one with C18 memorial tablet. Interior: tower has double chamfered arches to nave and aisles, the inner order on semi- octagonal piers, with larger arch to nave. Nave has good early C13 arcades with 4 bays of unmoulded arches of 2 orders on circular piers with variously carved foliage capitals. End arches on carved corbels. Traces of wall paintings and painted texts above, the N.E. wall of nave with painted panel of The Creed. C16-C17 nave roof. C19-C20 half arches divide main aisles from W. bays. N. aisle has altar recess and clunch niche in E. wall; S. aisle has aumbry to left of door, 2 shallow tomb recesses with moulded 4-centred arches, piscina, and rectangular recess with painted texts in E. wall. Both aisles have traces of wall paintings, including figures of St. Christopher; and Adam and Eve. C15 roofs with carved bosses. Chancel arch is similar to nave arcades and rests on corbels with carved heads. Carved head corbels above support early C20 rood. Chancel has moulded sill course incorporating remains of 2 carved finials. Narrow trefoil recess in N. wall with brass to William Hern, priest, 1525. Trefoil piscina with recess below. E. window has fine internal treatment with stilted arches on slender shafts with moulded caps and bases. S.E. window has similar shafts and carved heads at imposts and apex. Fittings: fine C12 font of Aylesbury type with carved frieze, fluted bowl, cable moulding and foliage in inverted scallops on base; C15 eagle lecturn on early C20 stand; C17 altar table in S. aisle; C18 carved wooden candlestick with claw-foot base; late C19 stained glass. Pair of mid C18marble wall tablets to members of the Crosse family on E. wall, both with scrolled pediments. RCHM I.p. 51-55 (B8).
Article noting surviving architectural evidence for an earlier, possibly Anglo-Saxon church at Bledlow, interpretted as a late 10th or early 11th century foundation by New Minster, Winchester. See report for detail (B9).