HISTORIC CHURCHES TRUST

The , the Rt Revd Dr & the of Buckingham, , preparing to leave Dunton Church to support this year’s Ride+Stride.

ANNUAL REVIEW 2018 / 2019

www.bucks-historic-churches.org

President Sir Henry Aubrey-Fletcher Bt KCVO

Vice-President The Right Revd ,

Trustees 2018/2019 Mrs Caroline Abel Smith OBE Appeal Committee (Chairman) & Inspection Committee Mrs Cherry Aston Inspection Committee The Lord Carrington Canon C H J Cavell-Northam Mr Roger Evans Inspection Committee (Chairman) The Hon Mrs Farncombe Appeal and Inspection Committees Mr Andrew Finn-Kelcey Inspection Committee Mrs Jennifer Moss Inspection Committees Mrs Marilynne Morgan CB Chairman, Friends of Buckinghamshire’s Historic Churches Mr Tim Oliver Mrs Vicky Peel Appeal Committee (Secretary) Mr Robert Ruck-Keene Mrs Mary Saunders MBE Inspection Committee Mrs Mary Villiers OBE Appeal and Inspection Committees / Ride & Stride Organiser

Other Appeal Committee Members Mrs Nina Newton Ride & Stride Administrator Mrs Kate Eckett Mrs Candida Godber Mrs Diana Home Mrs Anne Oakley Officers Hon Secretary Treasurer

Mrs Penny Keens Mr Laurie Johnson 377 Japonica Lane c/o Community Impact Bucks Willen Park Place Farm Way Milton Keynes MK15 9EG HP27 9JS Phone: 01908 242 632 Phone: 0845 389 0389 Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Registered Charity No: 206471

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THE PRESIDENT’S INTRODUCTION

Once again I have pleasure in introducing our Buckinghamshire Annual Report and in recalling

President the past financial year 2018-2019 taking the Sir Henry Aubrey-Fletcher Bt KCVO opportunity to thank everyone who has contributed to a busy and successful year. Vice-President The Right Revd Alan Wilson, Bishop of Buckingham First, we awarded a total of £54,000 to churches, mostly for repairs and restoration which included Trustees 2018/2019 Mrs Caroline Abel Smith OBE Appeal Committee (Chairman) & Inspection Committee £4,000 for the installation of roof alarms against Mrs Cherry Aston Inspection Committee the theft of lead. The list of churches which have The Lord Carrington suffered such a theft – in some cases more than Canon C H J Cavell-Northam Mr Roger Evans Inspection Committee (Chairman) once – is distressing, as is the effrontery of the thieves, but the Archdeacon’s The Hon Mrs Farncombe Appeal and Inspection Committees roof alarm fund, to which BHCT has contributed matching amounts for eight Mr Andrew Finn-Kelcey Inspection Committee churches, is encouraging. We must hope that we can eventually stamp out Mrs Jennifer Moss Inspection Committees this menace, which both leads to structural damage to our churches and Mrs Marilynne Morgan CB Chairman, Friends of Buckinghamshire’s Historic Churches Mr Tim Oliver places an intolerable financial burden on PCCs. Mrs Vicky Peel Appeal Committee (Secretary) Talking of financial burdens, I should like to draw attention to A Stitch in Time, Mr Robert Ruck-Keene Mrs Mary Saunders MBE Inspection Committee a short article in this report by Mary Saunders, a BHCT Trustee, on the need Mrs Mary Villiers OBE Appeal and Inspection Committees / Ride & Stride Organiser to be vigilant in preventing small problems becoming large ones. I am sure it will strike a chord. Everyone with responsibility for our churches should Other Appeal Committee Members act on it: please do if you don’t already. Mrs Nina Newton Ride & Stride Administrator Mrs Kate Eckett Next I am happy to report that our fundraising team have been very Mrs Candida Godber successful this year with a charming new event – Gardens Near a Church – Mrs Diana Home Mrs Anne Oakley a lovely Summer Reception and an encouraging result from 2018 Officers Ride+Stride, which came back with a total of just over £31,000, an increase Hon Secretary Treasurer of over £6,000 on the previous year.

Mrs Penny Keens Mr Laurie Johnson With renewed thanks to all our supporters and best wishes for the coming 377 Japonica Lane c/o Community Impact Bucks Willen Park Place Farm Way year. Milton Keynes Monks Risborough MK15 9EG HP27 9JS Henry Aubrey-Fletcher Phone: 01908 242 632 Phone: 0845 389 0389 President Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Registered Charity No: 206471

2 3 3 THE REVD CANON CAVELL CAVELL-NORTHAM 1932 - 2019 Canon Cavell Cavell-Northam, who died on 20th September 2019, was a Trustee from 1985 until earlier this year. He grew up in Buckinghamshire and inherited his love of churches from his father.

Following his Cavell served as a in the parish of and later - in-charge of . In 1961 he was appointed of Lane End in the Chilterns between Marlow and . The Bishop of Buckingham persuaded Cavell and Pauline to take their daughters Olivia and Lucy to live in Stony Stratford in 1968 with the difficult job of preparing the parish to become part of Milton Cavell and Pauline at Lane End Church after the Keynes. In 1991 Cavell was appointed an service to celebrate 60 years of his ministry Honorary Canon of Christ Church Cathedral in Oxford.

After thirty very happy and fulfilling years at Stony Stratford and the neighbouring parish of Calverton, Cavell retired from active parish life and he and Pauline moved back to Lane End in 1997. Over the years he served as the Chairman, and later a member, of the Bucks Historic Churches Trust Appeal Committee and a member of the Inspection Committee.

When he retired, he said that of all the things he had done for the Trust he was most proud of having established the Friends eleven years ago. In recognition of his long service the Trustees made Cavell and his wife Pauline honorary life members of the Friends.

Cavell, his knowledge of the Buckinghamshire Churches, and his devotion to the work of the Trust, are sadly missed. Penny Keens Hon Secretary 4 4 MAINTENANCE - A STITCH IN TIME

Care and maintenance make a place of worship welcoming. This includes the physical care and maintenance of the fabric of the building as well as care for the safety of those who use and maintain the building.

A wet and rainy day is ideal for going round the church and noting what is happening. A good raincoat and waterproof shoes are as important as a notebook and camera. Overflowing hopper heads, blocked gutters and downpipes, and slipped slates are signs of damage which should be noted and dealt with as soon as they can be.

Inside the building, there are things to look for as well – preferably without getting wet. Moisture, salts, organisms and light as well as wear & tear and vandalism can all affect precious monuments, glass and furnishings. On less wet days, there can be checks around the building for overgrown vegetation at all levels. Is there grass, ivy, ferns or even a tree growing where it should not? These are all signs of damp and potential harm which can usually be easily kept in check.

Regular checks and maintenance will prevent further deterioration which can rapidly escalate into major repairs and costs. These will not, of course, prevent major problems caused by materials coming to the end of their life, structural failure or violent damage by storm, fire or vandals but they should ensure that the building is kept in good order for as long as possible.

This approach is not just an obsession of and DAC Secretaries. Nor, indeed, is it a modern concern. Sir Christopher Wren when Surveyor of St George’s Chapel, Windsor said “Cause some men to go round about, for drips come suddenly and do great mischief.”.

5 5 William Morris had as one of the founding principles of the Society for Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB) “Stave off decay by daily care.”.

There are a number of sources of information and assistance to help those who are responsible for the upkeep of places of worship.

The SPAB have been pioneers in encouraging and educating those responsible for maintenance of churches and chapels.

Their Lottery funded schemes Faith in Maintenance and Maintenance Co- operatives are now finished, but there are still resources available on the SPAB website. The Church Buildings Council on its website has a useful calendar of maintenance with a checklist of tasks for each month.

The National Churches Trust has developed Preventative Maintenance micro-grants up to £500 for work such as gutter clearance if the work is booked through their MaintenanceBooker scheme of contractors.

The Quinquennial Inspection Report is another useful tool in developing a maintenance programme as it should draw attention to things which need to have an eye kept on them as well as identifying short, medium, and long-term repairs.

Finally, when carrying out maintenance, or observation, it is important to take Health and Safety and other risks and hazards into account. Ecclesiastical Insurance provide advice on risk management for people on church premises.

6 6 Some interesting current thinking about how to encourage maintenance emerges from the DCMS commissioned Review of Sustainability of English Churches and Cathedrals (‘The Taylor Review’). The aim in general is for a more coherent and informed approach to the care of places of worship.

Amongst the recommendations of the Review are proposals to appoint officers and advisers to assist parishes in adopting maintenance plans and increasing community engagement. Another recommendation is for small grants for Minor Repairs (and in the long term a scheme for grants for Major Repairs). A pilot scheme is being carried out in Manchester and Suffolk which includes the appointment of a Fabric Support Officer and a Community Development Officer in each diocese.

In addition, there is a programme of grants for minor works and workshops organised by the Churches Conservation Trust. The pilot project has been well received but it is clear from the evidence so far that these officers have to bear a considerable load. It will be interesting to see how this work is developed.

A recent piece of research commissioned by Historic ‘The Value of Maintenance?’ looked at the cost of repairs in places of worship, albeit in a small sample, which were well-maintained or neglected. The results are striking in that the costs of repairs were significantly greater where repairs had been deferred or regular maintenance had not been carried out. It appears from this report that regular maintenance will enable scarce resources and grants to be better spent and go further.

Regular inspection and maintenance need not be an all-consuming activity but should become part of the normal life of a church or chapel building and those who care for it. Whatever we do in these buildings, whether religious or secular, we should cherish them and treat them with respect and care …. and remember that a stitch in time saves nine.

Mary Saunders Trustee & Inspection Committee

7 7 GRANT-AIDED CHURCHES IN FINANCIAL YEAR 2018/2019

St Mary, Wexham This small church built of flint and pudding stone, now exposed, is Norman with 14th century additions. It was heavily restored by G.E.Street in 1863-4.

It has an ongoing problem of damp which is causing spalling to internal plaster, particularly at low level.

A proposal to install a French drain had to be abandoned because of the extremely shallow foundations and the present application is for a grant towards the cost of renewing loose and missing plaster.

Redecorating, which is not eligible for a BHCT grant, is intended to be in lime based paint. The Trustees agreed a grant of £1,000 towards an estimated cost of removing and replacing affected plaster of £38,590 plus VAT, most of which the church has available.

Holy Trinity, Gawcott In 1807 the Rev Thomas Scott, father of Sir George Gilbert Scott, dismayed to find he was responsible for repairing Gawcott’s existing chapel, which was ‘suddenly falling into dilapidation’, rebuilt Holy Trinity in the classical Georgian style, raising subscriptions ‘to give [his] poor parishioners a much neater and stronger building’.

After some 200 years repairs to the south roof costing some £11,160 plus VAT have become necessary, with a shortfall of £9,000.

The Trustees agreed a grant of £3,000.

8 8 St Mary, Oakley This church, set in the former Forest of Bernwode, has two columns in the north arcade dating from about 1200, though most of the building is of the 14th century.

Emergency problems have made it necessary to replace the lead between the parapet wall gutters along both sides of the church roof at a cost of some £11,000 plus VAT.

The parish can afford to pay for the necessary work only by diverting funds from repairs to external stonework identified in the current Quinquennial report.

The Trustees agreed a grant of £2,000 and encouraged the parish to apply again when they wish to carry out the stonework repairs;

St Mary the Virgin, Mursley Built of crumbly limestone, St Mary the Virgin, Mursley has a short 15th century tower and nave and aisles which are mediaeval, but was extensively restored by Charles Buckeridge in the mid-1860s.

The lead from the north aisle roof was stolen in August 2018 but the loss was not realised until rain penetrated the building. At present the roof has a tarpaulin covering: the cost of replacing the lead with terne-coated steel is estimated at £93,000 including VAT.

Planning permission has been secured and a grant of £4,000 agreed by the Trustees, who have recommended that the parish should seek an additional grant from the Archdeacon’s fund to install a roof alarm for the remaining lead.

9 9 St Mary Magdalene, Tingewick The different phases of this church, with its late 12th century north aisle and arcade and Perpendicular tower and chancel together with the south aisle constructed by R C Hussey in 1852, are easy to distinguish. The works which are proposed include masonry repairs to the tower and repointing: various other areas needing attention were noted by the Trust’s Inspection Committee and await the conclusions of a recent Quinquennial inspection. The Trustees agreed to defer a decision pending a further inspection.

St John the Baptist, Granborough This handsome Grade 2 starred church of 14th and 15th century origin but restored by John Oldrid Scott in 1880 has a Perpendicular tower built of massive rubble limestone blocks. Stonework of the tower is flaking and falling and urgent safety measures have had to be taken. The estimated cost of the work to the tower is £27,000, towards which the Trustees have approved a grant of £10,000.

Sir William Borlase Grammar School Chapel, Marlow Founded in 1624, the Grammar School was reconstructed in 1887 by Charles Carter. The chapel, described in Pevsner as ‘dull’, was built by W A Forsyth in 1911, forming part of an extensive programme of rebuilding and additions to the school. The chapel serves the local community for public events but is not seen as core to the purposes of the school, so does not qualify for state funding. The Trustees agreed a grant of £2,000 towards a programme of work estimated to cost upwards of £20,000.

10 10 St Nicholas. Taplow A large church, almost entirely rebuilt in 1911-12 by G H Fellowes Prynne in rock-faced limestone and with a tower re-casing its predecessor of 1828 with a tall copper-covered spire. The south side roof needs attention, as do the gutters and downpipes. In addition, a significant amount of stone conservation is required. Against a total cost of £63,000, towards which the village has some £10,000, a grant of £6,000 was agreed by the Trustees.

All Saints, Milton Keynes This very distinguished Grade 1 Decorated church set in rural surroundings in the new city and dating mostly from the 1330s was restored G E Street in the 1860s. A number of minor repairs identified in a Quinquennial inspection of 2017 represented a sensible approach to maintenance and were agreed by the Trustees to merit a grant of £4,000 towards a funding shortfall of £7,112 against a total projected cost of £24,377.

St Leonard, Grendon Underwood A large church standing at the end of the village, whose name has been shortened from Grendon-under-Bernwode, showing that it once lay in the ancient forest of that name. A 13th century chancel and 15th century nave roof, with, unusually, the nave lower than the chancel, remain; a restoration was carried out by E G Bruton in 1867. St Leonard’s has been unfortunate enough to have two thefts of lead from its roof but the villagers have reacted vigorously and a new roof of Welsh slate, accepted as an alternative to lead, is to be installed shortly. The Trustees were happy to agree a grant of £10,000 towards the cost of the repair. 11 11 St Mary the Virgin, Weston St Mary’s is a large building, mostly of 14th century date which, unusually, is entered on the north side.

A small extension on the south side has been approved to restore the link between the disused original south porch and the church at a total estimated cost of £27,000.

The Trustees approved a grant of £3,000 towards the cost of the restoration and repair element of the scheme.

St Dunstan, Monks Risborough This Grade I church, which dates from the 11th century, has a very pleasing appearance and setting. Much of the flint building dates from the 14th and 15th centuries with radical restoration by G E Street in 1863-64.

Inside there is a 14th century tower arch and a Norman Aylesbury font. The parish places a high priority on good maintenance and early intervention.

A grant was sought towards stonework repairs and repointing arising from the 2017 Quinquennial Inspection report.

The cost of the work is £6,861 net of the reclaimable VAT and the Trust approved a grant of £1,500.

12 12 FUNDRAISING - GARDENS NEAR THE CHURCH On Wednesday 5th June, seven very special and different private gardens in north Buckinghamshire were generously opened for the day together with six wonderful parish churches close to these gardens. They included Lillingstone Lovell, Leckhampstead and Maids Moreton and to the north of Milton Keynes, Emberton, Clifton Reynes and Newton Blossomville. 110 tickets were sold and a good number of determined visitors managed to get around all the gardens and all the churches! The High Sheriff & Candy Godber in Emberton Church A light lunch was provided, for those who had pre-booked, at The Old Mill House, Maids Moreton and enjoyed by 65 guests while Buckingham & District U3A Music Ensemble played for them, before moving on to the church.

A group from Great Hampden WI visiting Leckhampstead House garden

Over £3,200 was raised for the Trust and we are hugely grateful to all the garden owners for so willingly opening for us. Everyone appeared to have had a really enjoyable day – thank you one and all.

THE SUMMER RECEPTION We were extremely fortunate to be able to enjoy a glorious July evening for the Summer Reception. It was held by kind permission of Alex and Jane Bonsor at Liscombe House, Soulbury on Thursday 4th July in the courtyard garden.

An idyllic situation with the deconsecrated early 14th century chapel open to view. Alex and Jane were wonderful hosts and it was a very special evening raising Alex Bonsor with the Lord Lieutenant in excess of £5,000.

13 13 2020 SUMMER RECEPTION We will be holding our Summer Reception on Thursday, 9th July 2020 at Holy Trinity Church, and Lord Carrington has kindly agreed to be our guest speaker.

This Grade 1 flint-built Romanesque church dates mainly from the 12th & 13th centuries, and is largely unaltered. The South Porch contains Buckinghamshire’s oldest doors.

Do save the date; invitations will be sent out in April.

My sincere thanks to all members of the Appeal Committee – it has been a busy year – but without their commitment and indeed everyone who supports our events, none of it would have been possible.

Caroline Abel Smith Appeal Committee Chairman

The Buckinghamshire Historic Churches Trust exists to help. Churches are very expensive to repair and many of the most precious are in very small communities which cannot carry the whole burden of conservation and maintenance.

You can help, too, by an annual donation or by remembering the Trust in your will.

For more information see our website or contact our Hon. Secretary whose address is on the inside front cover.

www.bucks-historic-churches.org

14 14 RIDE+STRIDE – A NEW COUNTY ORGANISER TAKES OVER Ride+Stride County Organiser for Bucks! Without any previous experience of this splendid fundraiser for a not very well-known cause I was handed the baton this year by Mary Villiers. The principle of support for our built heritage of wonderful churches is clearly a good one but I had no previous experience of Ride+Stride, so I came to it with fresh eyes and with a lot to learn. I can see immediately that our challenge must be to get more people engaged in this very enjoyable way of combining a bit of exercise – gentle or extreme – with two other elements which are already close to many people’s hearts: community and conservation. This was the spirit in which those who took part in Ride+ Stride 2019 set off, and fortunately we were blessed with a very fine day. People cheerfully walked, bicycled and rode their ponies and horses around the county. Through sponsorship or more simply by giving donations in cash or on-line they raised vital funds for BHCT. And it was fun, so I see that one of the tasks for me is to get the message out to more people that Ride+Stride day is also an opportunity for a happy outing with family or a group of friends. This year, all sorts of contraptions were involved, not least a red tandem, gamely ridden by the Rt Revd Steven Croft, Bishop of Oxford, and the , Guy Elsmore, who took up the challenge and, despite some last minute nerves and the odd wobble, courageously pedalled between the churches of Dunton and Hoggeston, to lend their support to Ride and Stride. We also were once again blessed with the support of the riding community, who turned out in force for an organised ride round the bridleways of Milton Keynes. Niki Parsler and Jane Alexander deserve particular thanks for bringing their organisational skills to the assistance of Ride+Stride.

15 15 I am very grateful to them and to the kind supporters who opened the churches (and toilets), put up registers and provided refreshments. Many parishes were able to man their churches for all or part of the day and to provide a warm welcome to participants together with a knowledgeable insight into the history of their buildings. Our thanks go to the participants too, especially those who worked hard to get sponsors and donations. Their numbers seem to have increased over last year: perhaps the good weather helped, or the provision of organised routes, or may be the bright posters attracted more attention, but whatever the reason we feel encouraged.

As we move around Buckinghamshire we can make a real discovery: what a treasure of wonderful churches and chapels we have, built over the centuries, right at the Revd Jacqueline Dove, Shorne heart of our local communities. Ride+Stride is an Team Curate at Hoggeston opportunity to help ensure that they are preserved, conserved and cherished. We very much hope that you will be inspired to take part in Ride+Stride on Saturday 12th September 2020, and that you will bring your family and friends along to enjoy an unusual and stimulating day out.

Ride+Striders about to depart from All Saints, Buckland

Joanna Barclay County Organiser

16 16 FRIENDS’ ACTIVITIES

Our first event of the year, our annual church crawl, took place on Thursday 11th April. Twenty-two of us visited three very different churches - All Saints in Little Kimble, St Dunstan’s in Monks Risborough, and St Teresa of the Child Jesus in - and had a good pub lunch at The Plough at Cadsden. Both St Dunstan’s and St Teresa’s have recently received grants from the Trust (and have been well restored) and their clergy were kind enough to join us. The crawl was expertly led by Michael Hardy, who regularly leads crawls for Buckinghamshire Archaeological Society. It was a most interesting day and the weather was kind.

The Friends held their Annual Lecture on the evening of Tuesday 3rd September in Aston Sandford Church, where I gave a talk about the life of its most famous , the Rev Thomas Scott (known as The Commentator for his Commentaries on the Bible, and known also for his connection to the establishment of the Church Mission Society) and the restoration of the church in his memory in the 1870s which was influenced by his grandson the architect Sir Gilbert Scott. By kind permission of the Hon. Laura Macpherson, the lecture was preceded by drinks in the lovely thatched barn at the Old Rectory (the Rectory itself was rebuilt after Scott’s time). The event was well attended and well received. A great deal of interest was shown in one of the copies of Scott’s Commentaries which we have in the church – it is literally voluminous.

I write this before the last event of the year, a visit to Lambeth Palace on 14th November.

During the year our numbers were maintained at over 200, and as ever we would welcome new members to join in our events and help to support the work of the Trust. In the now 11 years since we were established the Friends have annually raised sums in the range of £4,000 to £5,500, all of which, along with gift aid, goes to the work of the Trust.

17 17 As noted elsewhere in this Report one of the founders of the Friends 11 years ago was Canon Cavell Cavell-Northam who died in September.

He continued to the last to be one of our greatest supporters.

It was a privilege to have known Cavell and we shall all miss him so much.

Marilynne A Morgan CB Chairman of the Friends

BECOME A FRIEND!

The more Friends we have the more churches the Trust is able to help.

If you are interested in becoming a Friend please download the application form from www.bucks-historic-churches.org/friends/ or contact Chris Brearley, 3 Mitchell Close, , Oxfordshire, OX9 2ET, 01844 212913, or email him at [email protected].

The minimum annual subscription is £20 for one member or £30 for a couple. Life membership is between £350 and £500.

Copies of the Friends’ leaflet and application form are held in many churches and churchwardens are invited to request further stocks, particularly of our new leaflet. You can also keep up to date on future Friends events by looking at the web site.

18 18 The Trust's Income and Expenditure 2018-2019

Incoming Resources Expenditure 2018/19 2017/18 2018/19 2017/18 From Donors Gift Aided subscriptions 312 312 Grants 54,000 71,500 Annual subs/donations 507 507 Friends of Buckinghamshire Churches 6,434 5,859 Annual report 345 674 Grants/donations from PCCs 3,346 5,173 Printing/stationery /telephone/postage etc 15 0 10,599 11,851

Ride & Stride 16,036 14,598 Travel expenses 51 51 less expenses -3,092 -3,610 12,944 10,988 Insurance 308 308

Summer Reception & other events 6,481 5,925 Bank service charges 373 397 less expenses -381 -102 6,100 5,823 Administration fees 2,400 2,370 Golden Jubilee Book Sales 0 5 Web site expenses 223 256 Investment Income Dividends 33,154 33,785 Other expenses 0 0 Interest on investments 208 93 Bank interest 6 6 Other Income Legacy Income 0 0

Grants Written Back 0 2,000

Total incoming resources 63,011 64,551 Total expenditure 57,715 75,556

Balance Sheet 2018/19 2017/18 2018/19 2017/18 Surplus/Deficiency for the year 5,296 -11,005 Investments 911,547 886,851 Unrealised surplus/loss on investments 24,695 6,983 Cash at Bank 57,921 54,002 Net movement in funds 29,991 -4,022 Debtors 4,776 5,366 Fund balance brought forward 868,840 872,862 Total Assets 974,244 946,219 Fund balances carried forward 898,831 868,840 Sundry Creditors -291 -1,841 Grants Not Yet Paid -75,122 -75,538 Notes: Net Assets 898,831 868,840

A copy of the full financial statements is available from the Treasurer.

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The Bishop of Oxford, the Rt Revd Dr Steven Croft & the Archdeacon of Buckingham, Canon Guy Elsmore, arriving at Hoggeston Church.

20 The 20 Annual Review 2018/2019 was edited by Mary Villiers, produced by Marisa Abel Smith & printed by Admor Printers, West Sussex www.admor.co.uk