St Mary the Virgin (New) : Lower Road : Stoke Mandeville Buckinghamshire

There has been a church in Stoke Mandeville dedicated to St Mary the Virgin since before Norman times. The original church comprised a chancel, nave, tower and south aisle, all with tiled roofs.

STOKE MANDEVILLE (BUCKS) —St. Mary's church is about to be rebuilt upon a new site. The existing building is so far from the people, and the approach, through swampy meadows, is often so bad, that in winter it is difficult to induce the parishioners to attend church. Under sanction of the bishop a new site has been obtained for the new church. The old chancel it to remain to serve as a chapel for burials in the old churchyard. The main features of the ancient church, and as much of its material as possible are to be preserved in the new edifice. The designs have been approved by the Bishop of Oxford; and the work is to proceed under the direction of the architect, Mr. J. M. Taylor, of Manchester. [Builder 28 November 1863 page 847]

STOKE MANDEVILLE OPENING OF ST. MARY'S CHURCH. The new Church of St. Mary, in this village, was opened on Monday last, by the Lord Bishop of Oxford. The new site, is quite amongst the people the village, and, moreover, is very pretty one, surrounded trees, and the juncture of roads leading in three directions. Externally the building presents very picturesque appearance; it is of simple type "pointed decorated Gothic." The eastern window of the chancel is of three lights with a cinque-foiled circle over them. On the south side of the chancel are a one-light traceried window and the priest's door; then, two-light traceried window, and here the south aisle breaks the line. It has three pairs of coupled two-light windows with cusped heads, and buttresses between them. The roof of the nave runs down over the aisle, there being no clerestory. In year so the roof tiles will lose their extreme brightness and assume rich reddish brown colour, than which nothing can look better. the extreme west of the south aisle stands the tower, whose basement serves as the south porch, over which is the ringing loft, and higher still, the belfry, which is capped a quadrilateral tiled roof, and surmounted by a metal cross with gilt terminations. Each wall of the belfry is pierced by 2-light stone window with slate louvres. One bell from the old church has been temporarily hung, and is to followed by the others. The west elevation has two tall windows with a buttress between them, and over it is circular window with elementary tracery in the form of a cross. The north wall of the nave shows four 2-light windows, each with pretty trefoiled and quatrefoiled circles its head. The walls are built of local bricks, but a good deal of relief is obtained by filling in the plain parts the walls with flints picked up out the surrounding fields. These contrast well with the red brick and also with the white Bath stone which is used in the windows and elsewhere. Entering by the south porch, observed the door was of oak, hung to its frame with quaintly-fashioned wrought iron hinges. Inside, one arch leads into the south aisle, and another, opposite, into the nave. The first object is the ancient font, which is placed at the western end of the nave, exactly facing the centre the altar. Looking eastwards, is seen the chancel arch, not very ornate, but of good proportions, and sustained by two white stone-moulded corbels at its springing. Beyond, seen through this arch, is the chancel-window, before described. This is filled with glass upon which a simple floriated pattern has been painted by Messrs. Lavers and Barraud, of London. Below it is the altar, vested in the usual manner. There is present reredos, but its place is filled temporarily by text painted on scroll. The old oak altar rails, cut into more reasonable shape, are fixed in the new church. On the north side of the sanctuary is the credence shelf, and on the south side a depressed window-sill answers very well as sedilia. The old chancel seats are placed longitudinally in the chancel for the choir. The prayers are said from the chancel, facing the north. On the right or south side of the nave are the three arches, marking it off from the aisle. These are carried upon stone pillars, whose well-moulded caps and bases are white, and the shaft is red. The seats are all low and open benches, for the most part made out of the material of the high pews of the old church. These are of comfortable width, and slope easily, are furnished with book ledges, and there is plenty of room for kneeling. Mr J. Medland Taylor, of 2,  St. Ann's  Churchyard.  Manchester, is the architect; Mr. T. Fitkin, of Weston Turville, is the builder and Mr. Thompson, of Aylesbury, is the sub-contractor for the masonry. Mr. Giikes did the glazing. The work has been carried out in efficient style. The dimensions of the new church are as follows:—Nave, inside measurement, 44 feet by 17 feet 6 inches; cancel, 23 feet by 15 feet; aisle, on south side, 9 feet in width. Accommodation is made for congregation numbering persons, and 150 of the pews are free [Bucks Herald Saturday 14 July 1866 Page 5-7]

Reference    Pevsner: Buckinghamshire
Reference    Builder 28 November 1863 page 847
Reference    Bucks Herald Saturday 14 July 1866 Page 5-7