Church of St Mary, Wavendon facts for kids
The Church of St Mary is a very old church located in the village of Wavendon, which is part of the City of Milton Keynes in Buckinghamshire, England. This church was built way back in the 1200s! It's considered a really important building because it was officially recognized as a Grade II* listed building in 1966. This means it's a special historical building that needs to be protected.
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History of St Mary's Church
This church is named after the Blessed Virgin Mary. It underwent a big renovation between 1848 and 1849. An architect named Mr. Butterfield led this project. The renovation cost about £4,000, which was a lot of money back then! This money was collected from people who wanted to help, through donations and subscriptions.
Church Design and Features
The Church of St Mary has several main parts. These include the chancel (the area around the altar), the nave (where the congregation sits), aisles (passageways on the sides), a clerestory (an upper level with windows), a south porch (an entrance area), and a tall west tower.
Architectural Styles and Tower
The chancel of the church shows an "Early Decorated" style, which means it has specific designs from an early period of Gothic architecture. The main part of the church, the nave, has beautiful arches and columns in a "Decorated" Gothic style. The roofs, the clerestory, and the tower are built in the "Perpendicular" Gothic style. This style is known for its tall, straight lines. The tower has a special top called "embattled," which looks like the top of a castle wall. Inside the tower, there are five bells.
You enter the church through the south porch. Near the doorway, there's a holy-water stoup, which is a basin for holy water. The main seating area, the nave, is separated from the side aisles by four arches on each side. These arches rest on groups of columns. The aisles used to be smaller chapels, and you can still see the basins (called piscinas) where water was drained after religious rituals.
The floor of the nave is covered with red and black tiles. The seats, called stalls, are made of oak wood and have carved ends. The pulpit, which is where sermons are given, is an old one bought from another church in London. It's made of carved oak and sits on a stone base with stone steps leading up to it. There's also a movable oak stand for reading lessons and a special stool for prayers.
The Font and Windows
The church has a large font, which is a basin used for baptisms. It's made of Totternhoe stone and has carvings. The font also has a carved oak cover that hangs from above by chains, with a golden dove on it. The roof of the nave is covered with lead and has carved heads as decorations. The windows in the upper part of the church (the clerestory) have green-tinted glass. There are also windows with two sections in the aisles and a larger three-section window at the east end of the north aisle.
The Chancel and Its Details
The chancel is connected to the nave by a pointed arch. Below this arch is a low screen with green and red designs on a white background. It has beautiful brass gates decorated with enamel work and supported by brass stands with flower-like tops.
The large east window in the chancel has four sections and is filled with colorful stained glass. In the south wall, there's a double piscina and three seats called sedilia, used by the clergy during services. The largest seat has a rounded top, while the other two have pointed tops. On the opposite wall, there's an area with four stone stalls that have simple rounded arches.
The chancel's oak-paneled roof is painted dark blue and covered with many gold stars. This starry design extends to the east window, where there are figures among the stars. An illuminated scroll with a special message wraps around the molding of the same window. The backs of the sedilia seats are also dark blue with fleur-de-lis designs. The floor is paved with red and buff tiles, with a richer pattern near the altar.
The communion table is a large oak frame with a blue stone top. It's covered with a rich velvet cloth that is beautifully embroidered. The table is decorated with a cross, two candlesticks, and a brass stand for books. In the chancel, there are oak stalls with carved poppy-heads for the choir members. In a room on the north side, which also serves as a changing room, there is an organ built by Walker of London in 1849.
Stained Glass Windows
Besides the east window, the chancel has two other stained glass windows on the south side. These windows show scenes like the Annunciation (when an angel told Mary she would have a baby) and the Adoration of the Magi (when the wise men visited baby Jesus). The window at the end of the north aisle also has stained glass, showing the Crucifixion with figures of the Virgin Mary and St. John. In the south aisle, there's a memorial window showing the Resurrection. Nearby, another memorial window features figures of St. Catherine and St. Agnes. All the stained glass in the church was made by O'Connor of London.
Memorials and Plaques
In the north aisle, there's a beautiful marble monument dedicated to Sir Henry Hugh Hoare, who lived at Wavendon House. At the west end of the same aisle, there's a carved monument remembering George Wells. Under the east window of the north aisle, there's a special brass plaque with lights, dedicated to Henry Arthur Hoare, who was the youngest son of Sir Henry Hugh Hoare. The north aisle also has a colored memorial window. On the west wall of the vestry (a room for clergy), there's a black marble plaque with a brass plate.
Churchyard and Memorials
Outside the church, in the churchyard, there is a modern cross. You can also find memorial stones for members of several families, including Boyle, Bumey, Fairtlough, Hoare, Lane, and Mayor.
