Patrick Comerford
Padbury is a small village in north Buckinghamshire, about half way between Buckingham and Winslow, which I have visited a few times in recent weeks. I returned yesterday afternoon with a priest-colleague and friend to show him Saint Mary’s Church, a 13th century church with interesting 14th century wall paintings that were rediscovered during restoration work in the 1880s.
The Church of Saint Mary the Virgin is the most prominent building in Padbury and the only surviving mediaeval building in the village. The beautiful parish church is at the top of Church Lane, a gradual and straight street that continues on from the Main Street, and it provides a visual, physical and spiritual focus for the village.
The earliest parts of Saint Mary’s Church date from ca 1210, and its wall paintings date from the 1330s.
The Grade II+ church, built of uncoursed stone rubble, is 29 metres long, 18 metres wide, and includes the 13th century nave and chancel, two 14th century aisles, with 16th century alterations and an embattled west tower that was rebuilt in the 17th century. The church was repaired and restored in 1830 and 1882, the south porch was added in the late 19th century and the vestry on the north side of tower was added in the early 20th century.
The early 13th century chancel arch has been rebuilt on piers with wide segmental pilasters. The solid oak altar is dated 1634, other fittings in the chancel date from the late 19th century, and the chancel has a small aumbry and cusped ogee piscina in the south wall. The chancel also has 18th century wall tablets and the chancel windows have some early 20th century glass.
The three-light east window has reticulated tracery. The chancel also has small low lancet widows at its the west end and two-light windows to the east – the window on the north side has Y tracery, while the one on the south side is Decorated.
The nave has four bays with a double chamfered arcade on octagonal piers with moulded caps and end arches on corbels, some of them with carved heads. The nave has a rendered clerestory with round cusped 14th century windows on the north side, perpendicular windows on the south side, and a blind circular window above the porch.
The south aisle has paired lancets in the west wall, and perpendicular windows in the south and east walls. The north aisle has Decorated windows.
The south aisle has two trefoiled piscinas, one with dog-tooth ornament. The restored 14th century south door has a continuous moulded arch and jambs and an earlier label with nail-head ornament and carved head stops.
The west tower has three stages with a plinth, parapet, pointed openings in the bell-chamber, and a tall arched west door with modern round headed window above. Inside, the tower has a triple chamfered arch on carved head corbels. The roofs have some original timbers that were restored in the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries.
The patronage of Padbury was in the hands of the Priors of Bradwell until the Tudor Reformations. The advowson passed first to Cardinal Wolsey when he was founding Cardinal College, now Christ Church, Oxford. It was held briefly by the Carthusian Priory in Sheen. It then passed to the Crown, and, although it was briefly held by the Bishops of Lincoln, it has remained a Crown living since the reign of Elizabeth I.
For more than 100 years, between 1764 and 1868, Padbury had only three vicars, all from the one family: James Eyre, William Eyre and William Thomas Eyre. In 1837, Padbury was transferred from the Diocese of Lincoln to the Diocese of Oxford.
The church was restored in 1882-1888 to designs by the architect John Oldrid Scott (1841-1913), although some local sources say the plans were designed by his father who had died four to ten years earlier, Sir George Gilbert Scott (1811-1878), who was born in the neighbouring village of Gawcott.
In Scott’s work, the chancel was restored, new choir stalls and communion rails were inserted, and black and white marble chancel steps and ornate floor tiles were put in place.
During the restoration work in the 1880s, important 14th century mural paintings were discovered in 1883 on the wall of the north aisle and in the spandrels of the south arcade. They have been dated to ca 1330. The panels on the north wall depict: two scenes from the life of Saint Catharine of Alexandria; the Wheel of the Seven Deadly Sins; Saint Christopher carrying the Christ Child; and Saint George slaying the dragon. The panels in the south arcade show scenes from the life and martyrdom of Saint Edmund.
The altar in the chapel in the south aisle and its reredos were made in 1908 from the timber of the late 18th century oak pulpit.
The three-light East Window by Burlison and Grylls (1916) depicts the Crucifixion, with Crucified Christ with the Virgin Mary and Saint John. It was given in memory of Captain Montagu Vernon Gore-Langton (1887-1915), youngest son of William Frederick and Lisa Gore-Langton of Padbury Lodge and an officer in the Irish Guards, who was killed in northern France during World War I.
A three-light window on the south side of the chancel by Burlison and Grylls (1937) shows Christ as the Great High Priest between two censing angels. The window is in memory of the Revd Ernest Carmichael, the Vicar of Padbury in 1911-1919.
A three-light window at the east end of the south aisle is by Frank Mann of James Powell & Sons (1904) in the style of William Morris. It shows Faith, Hope and Charity, and was given by a former vicar, the Revd Walter Neame, in memory of his wife Kathleen.
A four-light window on the south side of the south aisle by an unknown artist shows the Lamb of God (Agnus Dei), the Pelican and the Greek monograms IHC and XPC.
Saint Mary’s Church, Padbury, is one of four churches in the Lenborough Benefice, which also includes Holy Trinity Church, Gawcott, Saint Cecilia’s Church, Adstock, and All Saints’ Church, Hillesden.
The interim vicar is the Revd Dr Quentin Chandler, who is also Head of Vocations and Director of Ordinands (DDO) in the Diocese of Oxford. Sunday services rotate between the four churches in the benefice. There is a Carol Service with Lessons and Carols in Saint Mary’s Church, Padbury, at 5 pm this afternoon (14 December 2025), followed by wine and mince pies. The Christmas services include a Chistingle service at 4 pm on Christmas Eve and Midnight Mass at 11 pm.
The church is open during the day and there is a Quiet Prayer Garden in the churchyard.
• Padbury also had a Methodist chapel, built as the Wesleyan Methodist Chapel in 1876. The Old Chapel on Main Street has been since been converted in recent years into a private family home.
