Henley-in-Arden Parish Church

BRIEF HISTORY OF THE TOWN

Henley-in-Arden is a small Warwickshire Market town situated on the A3400 seven miles north of Shakespeare’s Stratford-upon-Avon and sixteen miles south of the UK’s second city, Birmingham.

The population currently stands at some 4000 inhabitants but the Town has maintained much of its original charm and character with buildings covering every period in history going back to mediaeval times.

The town is divided into two parishes, Henley-in-Arden and Beaudesert, which for practical purposes form one town.

Even in mediaeval times the two Manors, although separate, were always associated with one another, Beaudesert, the older of the two, is linked with the history of the powerful De Montfort family who settled hereafter the Norman Conquest and who gave the manor its name originally "Beldesert", a derivation from the Norman French meaning "Beautiful waste". For many years the name was pronounced "Belser", but is now known locally as Beaudesert pronounced in the English not French fashion.

Towards the end of the 11th Century Thurstan de Montfort built the castle which stood on the hill known locally as the Mount. This was a fortified Norman castle of wood and stone and built probably on the site of an ancient British fortified camp. In 1140 the same Thurstan de Montfort was granted a charter by the Empress Matilda - daughter of Henry I - to hold a weekly fair and market in his castle. As a result the people of Beaudesert prospered and the town of Henley started to grow no doubt to accommodate the traders and users of the market.

Apart from Thurstan's son Henry granting a mill at Henley to the monks at Wootton Wawen, the first document of importance mentioning Henley was a charter granted in 1220 by Henry III to Peter de Montfort to hold a weekly market and a yearly fair at the Feast of St. Giles and thenceforth the history of the two places - Beaudesert and Henley - is almost identical. Peter de Montfort was one of the most powerful of the Barons siding against the King and in 1265 he was killed with his famous namesake - Simon de Montfort - at the Battle of Evesham. Probably as a reprisal for Peter's part in the Baron's revolt the town of Henley and the castle were burnt down by Royalists after the Battle and no vestige of the castle remains at the present time. However, Henley's fortunes recovered and by 1296 it was styled a borough and with the rise of the burgher class Henley became an important market town, but it still had no Church. Henley was in the ecclesiastical parish of Wootton Wawen and the inhabitants had to worship there. This was a difficult and dangerous journey in those days and so in 1367 the inhabitants were allowed to build a "Chapel at Ease" to the mother church at Wootton Wawen. This chapel was on the site of the present Church of St. John the Baptist. It housed the Chapel of the Guild of St. John. The Guild was founded in 1448 by the then Lord of the Manor, Lord Boteler of Sudeley who was the great benefactor.

In the centre of the town is the old Market Place where stands the remains of the 15th Century Market Cross, one of the few still existing in Warwickshire. It is composed of local stone but only the raised base of 3 steps and the shaft are left. Originally the cross had a four sided head with niches, each niche bearing in stone relief in turn the Rood the Trinity, St. Peter with the key and possibly the Virgin and Child The Cross was saved from destruction during the 17th Century by being covered with a shed probably attached to the old Market Hall which was pulled down in 1793. The head of the Cross gradually mouldered away and finally fell off and was lost about 1894. Proclamations have been made from the Cross for five centuries and in our time declarations of national importance such as the accession of Queen Elizabeth in 1952 and her Jubilee in 1977 were made from the Cross.

The one mile of Henley High Street is classified as a Conservation Area and contains many buildings of architectural interest The Guild Hall is a half-timbered Elizabethan building and stands to the north of the Church. It has been extensively restored though many of the original timbers remain. The meetings of the ancient Court Leet and Court Baron, the feudal courts for the administration of justice within the Manor were revived in 1915 and take place in the Guild Hall annually with traditional ceremony, for the appointment of High Bailiff and other officers of the court. In 1976 under a new statute this court is exempt from the Act which abolishes extinct and antiquated courts and so will still continue to meet annually to elect its officers and administer the Guild Hall Trust which owns the Guild Hall and other property in the town and also maintains the Riverside Gardens in Beaudesert Lane.

The Guild Hall and Walled Garden can be viewed by application to the Custodian at the Guild Cottage, on the right through the passage to the north of the Guild Hall. The very beautiful garden in entered through the grill gate in the passage.

THE CHURCHES

St. John the Baptist

The original church was built on the site in 1367. At that time the ecclesiastical parishes of Henley and Beaudesert were quite separate, the people of Henley having to travel two miles to the parish church a Wootton Wawen. The church in Henley was erected at the sole charge of the inhabitants as a Chapel at Ease in order, as stated earlier, that the parishioners would not have to make the difficult and dangerous journey to the mother church at Wootton Wawen for their worship.

The Priest or "Perpetual Curate" as he was later named at Henley was empowered to perform all parochial rites therein, burial for the dead only excepted; all burials had to take place at Wootton.

No trace of this building remains and the present church was built about 1448 in the Perpendicular style. It housed the Chapel of the Guild of St. John which was situated in the north aisle but further to the east than the present Memorial Chapel. The Guild of St. John was one of the mediaeval guilds of a social and religious order, its purpose being "to render mutual assistance of all kinds between its brethren and engage in works of charity." it would have its own Chaplain who would have been entirely independent of the Priest in charge of the church.

The outside of the Church is essentially as it was in the 15th Century but the interior is very much changed. The Church narrowly escaped destruction in the 16th Century when, no doubt because of its position as Chapel at Ease to the Parish Church at Wootton Wawen and because of its connection with the Guild, it was confiscated by Henry VIII. In May 1546 the inhabitants petitioned the king that they should be allowed to use the church which had been erected by their ancestors. The church was returned to them, probably largely due to a report in 1548 by the Commissioners to Edward VI which stated:-

The main body of the present building is of late perpendicular style of architecture of the middle of the 15th century. The north aisle is rather later in the same century; the lower is earlier than the aisle and also appears to be earlier than its nave as it is not placed symmetrically with either and encroaches on both with its buttresses. Local stone was used in its construction.

The church consists of an undivided nave and chancel, north aisle, a stone porch and an embattled tower at its west end and a vestry on the north side of the chancel. The chancel which is raised above the nave was formerly on the same level - The arch to the inner door is pointed and curved only at the haunches with bowtel mouldings. It is rather highly ornamented and the hood moulding springs from corbels representing the heads of a king and queen, probably Henry VI and his consort.

The corbels of the north aisle window are curious representations of a bat and frog respectively, and at the west end of the aisle is a grotesque figure of an animal with wings outstretched.

The north door which has been set inside out, has a pointed arch curved only at the haunches, with bowtel mouldings and was no doubt the entrance from the guild adjoining, after passing through a doorway of the same period in the wall which fills the space between the chapel and the Guild Hall.

The vestry, formerly the Sacristy is entered from the Chancel by a pointed arch doorway. At one time the upper portion of the vestry was of brick masonry and was higher than at present to allow a stairway to be carried up to the entrance to a gallery over the East end containing a small organ, a violation of all ecclesiastical usage. The old entrance may still be seen blocked up on the north wall.

The east window has an obtuse arch, but it is struck from two centres. It is of five principle cinque foil leaded lights with two small panel lights of various shapes. At the west end of thee nave is a four centred obtuse arched window of four principle lights cinque foiled with lesser panel lights above. Originally the windows on the north aisle contained stained glass depicting the arms of the Lords of the Manor of Henley and Beaudesert. These and all glass and other ornaments were removed at the time of the Reformation and afterwards. All the present stained glass is modern. One small fragment of stained glass, probably originally from one of these windows is secured in the small ante-room off the Guild Hall.

In the original structure in the mid 15th century there would have been a wood screen and loft stretching right across these nave and north aisle thus dividing the Guild Chapel from the north aisle. On the pillar near the pulpit can be seen holes (now filled in with stone) into which the screen fitted. The pulpit itself is an example of 16th century linenfold panelling.

It seems that the influence of Puritanism remained at Henley until, at any rate, the early part of the last century for a Communion Table then stood in the middle of the Chancel to enable communicants to partake of the Bread and Wine sitting round it in accordance with an order made in Parliament in 1644.

It is stated that in 1847 the floor of the church was fitted with square high pews like horse boxes which could be rented to leading parishioners. People too poor to pay for their seats were huddled together at the back or consigned to the gallery which stretched across the west end of the nave and aisle.

All this unsightly woodwork was cleared out during an extensive restoration in 1856. Changes for the better have been made in recent years and the panelling of the chancel in oak together with new oak choir stalls were added in 1926.

The Altar and the oak choir stalls at St. John's.

The present Lady Chapel was erected by the Town as a Memorial Chapel in 1950, much of its work including the Cross and Candlesticks being carried out by local craftsmen.

The large organ replacing a much smaller old one was built in 1971, the cost of this being raised through local subscription.

In 1912, the pinnacles on the Tower were considered to be dangerous and were removed and the Tower repaired. The stone however continued to deteriorate and starting in 1979 a major restoration work for both churches - St. John the Baptist and St. Nicholas - was undertaken and finally completed in 1987. Together with grants from the Department of Environment/English Heritage and other bodies the sum of £130,000 was raised locally for this purpose.

The church has stood mainly unaltered for hundreds of years but recently three projects have been undertaken to symbolise a church that sees itself at the heart of a modern thriving community.

In 1999 the heavy solid oak doors that formed the entrance to the building were replaced with wood and glass doors to reflect the church’s position of looking out into the community at the same time as enabling the community to look in. The doors carry the inscription on the outside ‘Seek first the Kingdom of God’ and on the inside ‘Take up the Shield of Faith’

As part of the church’s celebration of the millennium the Chapel of Remembrance in the North Aisle was converted into a Chapel of Remembrance and Reconciliation and includes a colourful Reredos, which depicts the sombre act of remembrance together with the hopeful acts of reconciliation.

Our main millennium project is a modern stain glass window that depicts Christ in Henley High Street surrounded by local school children and towns folk including a district nurse, fireman, butcher, coach driver and the town crier. The inspiration for the window came from the Christmas Gospel of John 1 : 14 ‘the word became flesh and dwelt amongst us’.

The Millennium Window at St. John's.

St. Nicholas Beaudesert

About 700 yards away from St. John's, lying at the foot of the hill known as the Mount stands the Norman church of St. Nicholas.

The exact date of the church is unknown, but it is thought to be about 1170 and was probably built by Thurstan de Montfort, Lord of the Manor who also built the powerful Norman castle on the Mount, no trace of which remains at the present day. It is probable that the present church was built on the site of a former church, in fact some authorities consider that the rope work carving on the north side of the chancel is Saxon.

The most important feature of the church is the chancel arch with the east window beyond, both excellent samples of Norman work. The north wall of the nave originally stood the same distance outwards from the chancel as the south wall, but about the end of the 16th century it was removed and the present one erected five or six feet nearer in, thus encroaching on the north respond of the chancel arch. The chancel then lost its vaulting, the nave was reduced in height and the present oak timbered roof provided. The original Norman roof would have been a high pitched one.

A certain amount of restoration has been carried out on the chancel arch though it still remains a beautiful sample of Norman work. The east window however appears never to have been restored and is considered one of the finest Norman windows in any church in Warwickshire. This round headed window is decorated with zigzag and diaper ornament both inside and out and supported inside and out by plain round nook shafts resting on plain bases.

It would appear that the original intention of the Norman builders was to give the chancel a vaulted stone roof. This was not completed and the chancel would have been open to the roof although the shafts and capitals were constructed in Norman times. It was not until 1865 that the present vaulted roof was erected and it no doubt carries out the original intention in the east wall of the chancel is an old piscina and in the north wall an aumbry or locker of uncertain date where ten sacred vessels, altar linen and service books were kept. The square recess in the south wall near the east end is another locker used as a credence table. Just to the east of the south door in the wall there is the remains of a Norman stoup. It is badly mutilated but is interesting as one of the few stoups remaining of this period. Near the south door stands the font which is octagonal and of the 15th century.

In the late 1950's the Victorian choir stalls were removed from the chancel, the floor lowered and the altar moved forward. The Victorian tiles were discovered and placed in the chancel before the altar. The seats in the nave are modern and of plain oak but four of the 16th century benches with shaped standards remain.

The story of St. Nicholas is commemorated by the weather vane and also by a window in the south wall. In both cases, St.Nicholas is depicted with three children. In the window he is seen raising them from the barrel, recalling the legend of the saint raising three boys from the dead when they had been robbed and killed and their bodies hidden in a barrel of pickled pork.

The two benefices of Henley-in-Arden and Beaudesert were combined in 1915 under one incumbent and services are now held regularly in both churches.

Under a local arrangement Sunday services for the Roman Catholic congregation are also held in one of the two churches as there is no Roman Catholic church nearer than Wootton Wawen.

NAMES OF PAST PARISH RECTORS AND VICARS

Vicars of Henley-in-Arden

Rectors of the United Benefice of Beaudesert
with Henley-in-Arden

Rectors of Beaudesert