St Michael and All Angels Church, Hughenden facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Michael and All Angels, Hughenden |
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St Michael and All Angels' Parish Church
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 St Michael and All Angels, Hughenden
Location in Buckinghamshire
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| 51°39′6.45″N 0°45′9.36″W / 51.6517917°N 0.7526000°W | |
| Location | Hughenden Valley, Buckinghamshire |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Founded | c. 1100–1135 |
| Founder(s) | Geoffrey de Clinton |
| Architecture | |
| Heritage designation | Listed Grade: II* |
| Style | Early English, extended Victorian Gothic |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Hughenden |
| Deanery | Wycombe |
| Archdeaconry | Buckingham |
| Diocese | Oxford |
| Province | Canterbury |
St Michael and All Angels' Church is a very old and important Anglican church. It is located in the Hughenden Valley in Buckinghamshire, England. The church is close to High Wycombe. It is a Grade II* listed site, which means it is a special historic building.
This church is strongly connected to the nearby Hughenden Manor. It is also famous for its link to Benjamin Disraeli, a former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. He is buried in the churchyard. The church stands on land owned by the National Trust. However, the church building and its churchyard belong to the Church of England.
Contents
History of the Church
Records show that a church was first built on this spot a long time ago. It was built between 1100 and 1135 by Geoffrey de Clinton. Monks also set up a small priory here. A priory is a religious house for monks or nuns. Today, this old building is used as the parish hall, called Church House.
The church itself has parts from the Middle Ages. The original building now forms the chancel and north chapel of the church you see today.
Benjamin Disraeli's Connection
In 1848, Benjamin Disraeli bought Hughenden Manor. He was a very important person in British history. Disraeli served as the British Prime Minister twice. He was Prime Minister in 1868 and again from 1874 to 1880. In 1876, he was given the title Earl of Beaconsfield.
The church was repaired and made bigger between 1874 and 1890. Disraeli passed away in 1881. He was buried in the family vault at the west wall of the church. His wife, Lady Beaconsfield, who died in 1872, is also buried there. Queen Victoria could not attend his private funeral because of royal rules. However, she visited his tomb a few days later to show her respect.
Church Architecture
The outside walls of St Michael and All Angels' Church are made of flint stones. They have stone details, and the roofs are covered with tiles.
The oldest part of the church is the chancel. This area was part of the original church from the Middle Ages. When the church was made larger, the floor was covered with special ceramic tiles. These tiles were designed by Edward William Godwin. The walls were decorated in 1881 with beautiful paintings. These paintings were made by Heaton, Butler and Bayne in the Aesthetic Movement style. They show scenes like the birth of Jesus, the Four Evangelists (who wrote the Gospels), and the Prophets.
Disraeli Memorial
After Disraeli died, Queen Victoria had a special memorial built for him. It is on the north side of the chancel. This was the only memorial ever put up by a ruling monarch for one of her subjects in an English parish church. It shows how much she respected him.
The words on the memorial say:
To the dear and honoured memory of Benjamin Earl of Beaconsfield.
This memorial is placed by his grateful sovereign and friend Victoria R.I. "Kings loveth him that speaketh right"
Next to the memorial, you can see the Banner and Insignia of the Order of the Garter. These items came from St George's Chapel, Windsor.
Stained Glass and Pulpit
The church has many beautiful stained-glass windows. Some of these were made by Thomas Willement and Clayton and Bell. Their 1881 East Window is especially notable. It shows Christ in Majesty and was also put in place to remember Disraeli.
The pulpit is a raised platform where sermons are given. This one is very fancy, carved from marble and alabaster around 1891. It was made by Thomas Earp in the High Victorian style. It features carved figures of archangels inside Gothic arches.
Knight Effigies
Inside the church, there are also three stone figures of knights. These figures are called effigies because they are shown lying down. One of them has its legs crossed. Even though they look like they are from the 13th century, they were actually made in the 16th century. It is thought that these effigies were sculpted to make it seem like the Wellesbourne family had a very old and important connection to Simon I de Montfort.
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One of the effigies of knights
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The Nativity, wall painting in the chancel
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"Christ in Majesty", East Window in the chancel
Church in Film and Television
St. Michael and All Angels' Church has appeared in several movies and TV shows.
- It was featured in the opening credits of Gerry Anderson's 1969 TV series The Secret Service. This show used both puppets and live actors.
- The church also appeared briefly in the movie Johnny English. It was in the funeral scene where a bomb explodes.
- Judi Dench filmed a scene for the movie Victoria & Abdul in the church grounds. Another scene for the film was shot at Hughenden Manor.
See also
In Spanish: Iglesia de San Miguel y Todos los Ángeles (Hughenden) para niños
