An Inventory of the Historical Monuments in Buckinghamshire, Volume 2, North. Originally published by His Majesty's Stationery Office, London, 1913.
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, 'Calverton', in An Inventory of the Historical Monuments in Buckinghamshire, Volume 2, North, (London, 1913) pp. 77-79. British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/rchme/bucks/vol2/pp77-79 [accessed 18 May 2024].
. "Calverton", in An Inventory of the Historical Monuments in Buckinghamshire, Volume 2, North, (London, 1913) 77-79. British History Online, accessed May 18, 2024, https://www.british-history.ac.uk/rchme/bucks/vol2/pp77-79.
. "Calverton", An Inventory of the Historical Monuments in Buckinghamshire, Volume 2, North, (London, 1913). 77-79. British History Online. Web. 18 May 2024, https://www.british-history.ac.uk/rchme/bucks/vol2/pp77-79.
In this section
117. CALVERTON.
(O.S. 6 in. (a)ix. S.W. (b)xiv. N.E.)
Ecclesiastical
a(1). Parish Church of All Saints, at the S. end of the village, was re-built in 1824 partly on the foundations of the former church, but with a W. tower instead of a N.E. tower; some of the old material was re-used inside the present building.
Architectural Description—The Chancel (23½ ft. by 17 ft.) has a chancel arch, possibly partly of late 14th-century date, but much painted. The Nave (48½ ft. by 24½ ft.) has a S. arcade of three bays; the pillars and capitals, and two of the four orders of the arches are apparently of late 14th-century date, re-built. The West Tower has a tower arch with continuously moulded jambs and two-centred outer order, probably of the 15th century, re-used and with a modern arch under it.
Condition—Good.
Secular
a(2). The Manor House, 100 yards N. of the church, is of two storeys and an attic, built of coursed stone; the roofs are tiled. The middle part of the house is probably of late 15th or early 16th-century date, and is roughly L-shaped, consisting of a main block facing W., and a shallow N.E. wing; late in the 16th century a wing was added on the N. side of the original wing, extending towards the E.; it contains one large room, probably built for a dining hall. In 1659 a porch was added on the W. front, the date being recorded on a stone over the entrance archway, the attic was built, and a wing was added at the S. end of the main block, projecting slightly towards the E. and W.; probably at the same time the late 16th-century wing was extended to the plane of the W. front of the original building, and a one-storeyed addition was built at the E. end of the same wing. A few smaller additions and alterations are modern.
The building is of interest as an example of a manor house of c. 1500, with later additions; the stone used for the walls was probably quarried on the site, or quite near to it.
The W. Elevation has, in the middle, a two-storeyed porch, with a three-centred entrance archway, which has moulded jambs, head, imposts and keystone; over the keystone is a panel inscribed with the initials 'S.B.' (for Simon Benet, builder of the porch, etc.) and date '1659'; over the imposts are shields; on the first floor of the porch is a window of two lights with moulded jambs and square head and a moulded label of stone; over it is a gable with moulded stone coping and corbels. The original building has, on the ground floor, S. of the porch, a late 15th or early 16th-century window, of two lights with moulded jambs, mullion and label of stone; N. of the porch is a modern bay window, and beyond it is a window of three lights with a wooden frame and a lintel of moulded stone, probably of 1659. On the first floor, S. of the porch, is a modern window; N. of the porch is a window of four lights similar to that of the porch, but without a label; further N. is a window of two lights, with a moulded stone lintel, probably part of the original window; the wooden frame is of later date. The attic has, on each side of the porch, two tall dormer windows of 1659, each of two lights, of detail similar to the window of the porch, and with gables which have stone copings. The W. end of the E. wing is on the same plane as the main wall, but the roof is lower than that of the original building; on the ground floor is a modern doorway, and on the first floor a window of three lights with a wooden frame, probably of late 17th-century date. The S. wing projects beyond the main wall, and has a gable with coping similar to that of the porch; the windows are modern. The three chimney stacks in the original building are of stone, with shacks of modern brick; the northernmost stack is moulded to meet the narrow shaft. In the E. Elevation the S. wing projects beyond the main wall and has a half-hipped gable; on the ground floor is a modern window; on the first floor is a tall window of two lights, probably of late 17th-century date, now blocked. The original building has, at the S. end, a window of two lights with a wooden frame, possibly of late 17th-century date; much of the wall is covered with ivy: the N. half of the elevation projects in three planes: the southernmost projection is gabled and has a low outbuilding against it; on the first floor is an original window of three lights with a label; the gable is covered with rough-cast and was probably added in 1659: the second projection is probably modern, and has a hipped roof: the third projection is gabled, and has, on the ground floor, an original window of two lights. The S. Elevation of the late 16th-century block, in the middle of the E. wing, has two contemporary windows, each of three lights with stone frame and mullions, now blocked; the addition at the E. end of the wing has a doorway, with a late 16th or early 17th-century door of moulded battens, and a window of three lights, with a wooden frame, probably of late 17th-century date; near the E. end of the elevation is a small old opening with a wooden frame, probably a vent. In the N. Elevation, on the ground floor, at the E. end, is a modern doorway; the late 16th-century block has two contemporary windows, each of three lights with panelled mullions, moulded jambs and lintel and a moulded label, of stone; at the E. end of the block is a chimney stack of stone, with a moulded cap; at the W. end of the elevation is a modern window.
Interior:—In the original building some plain chamfered beams remain in the ceilings, and there are two narrow staircases of old oak, one from the ground floor to the first floor and another from the first floor to the attic. In the late 16th-century block in the E. wing, on the ground floor, is a stone fireplace which has moulded jambs with moulded base-stops and a flat four-centred arch in a square head. On the first floor of the main block is some late 16th or early 17th-century panelling, now painted, and in the attic is a similar panelled door, and a door of moulded battens. The timbers of the roof are apparently of late 17th or early 18th-century date.
Condition—Good; but the attic, now disused, has decayed floor-boards, and there is a quantity of ivy on the walls at the back.
Monuments (3–7)
These buildings are of early 17th-century date, except (3), and are of two storeys. The walls generally are of stone; the roofs are thatched.
a(3). Cottage, 250 yards S.S.W. of the church, on the E. side of the road. At the W. end is a chimney stack of stone with a panel inscribed 'ROBERT1696'; the date is probably that of the main building; the shaft is of thin bricks; the panel is visible above a W. wing, of later date, built of timber and brick. Interior:—There is one wide fireplace, partly blocked.
Condition—Poor.
b(4). House, now two cottages, at Middle Weald, about ½ mile S.E. of the church, on the E. side of the road. The plan is L-shaped, the wings extending towards the S. and W. The ends of both wings are gabled. In the W. wing the S. doorway has an old oak frame, and the N. and E. walls have each a window with an old frame. At the W. end of the W. wing is an original projecting chimney stack of stone with a brick shaft, and at the S. end of the S. wing is an original stack of thin bricks; the stack near the middle of the W. wing is of slightly later date. Interior:—On the ground floor the ceilings have stop-chamfered beams, and there are three large open fireplaces; one of them has a chamfered oak lintel, the others are partly blocked.
Condition—Fairly good, but the roofs leak, and some of the plaster is coming away from the ceilings.
Upper Weald, N. side of the road
b(5). Cottage, about 1 mile S.E. of the church. The S. front is of modern brick. The plan is rectangular, with a central chimney stack which has three detached square shafts built of thin bricks. At the W. end of the original block is an addition, probably of late 17th-century date, built of timber and brick; it has, at the W. end, a stone chimney stack with a modern brick shaft. Interior:—In the original building the ceilings have stop-chamfered beams, and there are two large open fireplaces; one of them has a highly cambered and stop-chamfered lintel, the other has been partly blocked, but retains an original oven, now disused. The later addition is now open to the roof, the first floor having been removed.
Condition—Fairly good.
b(6). Cottage, E. of (5). The walls are partly of modern brick and at the W. end the upper storey is timber-framed; at the back is a modern addition, making the plan L-shaped.
Condition—Fairly good; much restored.
b(7). Cottages, a range, E. of (6). The walls are of 18th-century and modern brick, except the S. end, which is original, and has a chimney stack built of thin bricks with pilasters on the N. and S. sides. The roof is tiled.
Condition—Fairly good.