14. BUCKLAND.
(O.S. 6 in. (a)xxxiv. N.W. (b)xxxiv. S.E.)
Ecclesiastical
a(1). Parish Church of All Saints, stands
in the middle of the village. It is built of flint,
with some large stones worked into the walls
of the N. aisle. The roofs of the chancel and
vestry are tiled, those of the nave and aisles are
covered with lead. The Chancel, Nave, and
North Aisle were built apparently late in the
13th century, and there appears to have been
a N. chapel of the same date, but modern
restorations have much obscured the history of
the church. The arch opening from the nave
into the West Tower is of late 13th or early
14th-century date, but in the 19th century the
tower was almost completely re-built, the old
materials being re-used, the North Vestry and
South Porch were added, the walls were
re-faced, and the whole building was restored.
The fine 13th-century font is especially
worthy of note. (See Plate, p. xxvii.)
Architectural Description— The Chancel
(22 ft. by 15 ft.) has a modern E. window. In
the N. wall, at the E. end, is a 13th-century
window, much restored; it is of two lancet
lights with a quatrefoil in the pointed head; at
the W. end, opening into the vestry, is a
pointed arch of one chamfered order, of late
13th or early 14th-century date, only recently
re-opened. In the S. wall is a window similar
to that in the N. wall, but the sill has been
lowered to form a sedile, the seat being made
of curiously grooved stones, possibly re-used;
W. of the window is a small doorway, with a
pointed head, and a 13th-century lancet window, all much restored. The chancel arch,
possibly of the 14th or 15th century, is two-centred, of one chamfered order on the E. side,
and two on the W. side; the jambs are square,
and at the springing line is a string-course,
which probably supported part of the former
rood-loft. The North Vestry is modern, but in
the E. wall, re-set from the E. wall of the N.
aisle, is a 15th-century window of three cinque-foiled lights under a square head. The Nave
(36 ft. by 18½ ft. at the E. end and 19 ft. at the
W. end) has a late 13th-century N. arcade of
three bays; the two-centred arches are of two
chamfered orders with a label; the semi-circular
responds and circular columns have moulded
bell capitals with alternate octagonal and circular abaci; over the E. respond is a 15th-century doorway to the former rood-loft. The S.
wall inclines outwards at the W. end; at the E.
end is an early 14th-century window, much
restored; it is of two lancet lights, with a
pierced spandrel under a two-centred head; the
S. doorway, of late 14th-century date, restored,
has continuously moulded jambs and two-centred arch, enriched with four-leaved flower
ornament, and a moulded external label with
head stops; the flat rear arch and the internal
label are moulded; W. of the doorway is a window of two lights, with a few old stones in the
jambs. The clearstorey has modern windows,
and over the E. arch of the N. arcade are traces
of a blocked window. The South Porch is
modern. The North Aisle (8½ ft. wide) has, in
the E. wall, a modern arch opening into the
vestry. In the N. wall are two windows of
15th-century design, each of two cinque-foiled
lights under a square head; between the windows is a doorway with a pointed head, possibly
of the 13th century. In the W. wall is a window of two lancet lights of 13th-century style;
all the windows and the doorway have been
almost completely restored. The West Tower
(13 ft. by 8 ft.) is of three stages, with an
embattled parapet and a pyramidal roof. The
tower arch, of late 13th or early 14th-century
date, is two-centred, of two chamfered orders,
with flat responds. All the windows are modern.
The Roof of the nave is of king-post type and of
early 16th-century date; it is low-pitched, of
three bays, and has a moulded tie-beam, and
curved brackets with tracery in the spandrels;
the wall-brackets rest on contemporary grotesque corbels. The roof of the aisle is probably also of early 16th-century date; it is of
four bays, and has bracketed principals, with
chamfered purlins and wall-plates.
Fittings—Bells: six, modern, sanctus, by
James Keene, 1624. Font: cup-shaped fluted
bowl, with band of foliage at the top, circular
stem and circular moulded base, 13th-century,
restored. Piscina: in the chancel, with trefoiled head, and stone block forming shelf at
the back, 15th-century. Plate: includes small
cup, 16th-century. Sedile: see window in S.
wall of chancel. Miscellanea: in S. wall of
nave, outside, fragments of old worked stone,
including damaged corbels, pieces of window
tracery, and a stone having rude carving of
half-figure with uplifted arms: scratched on
jambs on S. doorway, inscriptions, 15th and
16th-century.
Condition—Very good, much restored.
Secular
a(2). Homestead Moat, W. of Moat Farm.
a(3). Church Farm, N.W. of the church, is
of two storeys, built c. 1600; the walls are
timber-framed with brick filling; the roofs are
tiled. The plan was originally of the central
chimney type, facing S., modified by the
addition of an extra room and a chimney
stack at the E. end, and a staircase wing at the
back; in the 18th century a wing projecting
towards the S. was added at the E. end of the
front, and in the 19th century small additions
were built at the back and at the W. end. The
S. front has been covered with rough-cast and
much altered; the back retains the original
timber-framing and brick filling, and at the
E. end has a gable with a simple form of truss.
The chimney stacks have each two square shafts,
set diagonally.
Condition—Good.
a (4). Cottage, about 100 yards W. of the
church, is of two storeys, timber-framed, with
brick filling; the roof is thatched. It was built
on a rectangular plan in the 17th century, but
much restored and altered in the 18th century,
when a wing was added, making the plan
L-shaped.
Condition—Poor.
a (5). The Duke's Head Inn, about 150 yards
E. of the church, is a small, two-storeyed building of c. 1600, but has been much altered. The
walls are timber-framed, with heavy wall-posts
and brick filling; the roof is thatched. The
plan is of the central chimney type.
Condition—Poor.
a (6). Cottage, now two tenements, opposite
the Duke's Head Inn, is of two storeys, built
in the 17th century, but considerably altered
and enlarged. The walls are of timber and
brick, partly covered with rough-cast; the roof
is thatched. The plan is rectangular.
Condition—Poor.
b (7). House, probably formerly a farmhouse,
now two cottages, at Buckland Common, 4
miles S.E. of the church, is of two storeys,
the upper storey partly in the roof. It was built
probably early in the 17th century on a rectangular plan, and appears to be the only
house of a date prior to 1700 remaining
in the hamlet, which includes some thirty or
forty buildings. In the 18th century two wings
were built at the back. The W. front has
three gabled dormers and at the N. end retains
the original timber-framing, with whitewashed
brick filling; in the middle the wall has been
re-faced with 18th-century brick, and at the S.
end with modern brick. At the back the main
block is of original timber and whitewashed
brick; at the N. end the upper storey is also
timber-framed, with brick filling, and is
gabled; the lower storey is of brick; at the S.
end the main block is timber-framed, with
modern brick filling and a weather-boarded
gable; the 18th-century S.E. wing retains the
timbers of a low lean-to addition of earlier
date, and the upper part of the wall is of brick.
The roofs are tiled. The central chimney stack
is of brick, partly of early 17th-century date,
and partly of the 18th century. One room has
an open timber ceiling, with chamfered beams
and a large open fireplace with corner seats,
and another room has chamfered beams in the
ceiling.
Condition—Fairly good.
Unclassified
b(8). Grim's Ditch (see also Aston Clinton,
Bradenham, Drayton Beauchamp, Great and
Little Hampden, Great Missenden, Lee, Monks
Risborough, Princes Risborough, and Wendover), is incorporated in the field boundary
running between Layland's Farm, on the border
of Aston Clinton, and the parish boundary of
Drayton Beauchamp.
Condition—Almost obliterated.