Dinton, Buckinghamshire

SS. Peter and Paul (parish church)

The parish church of SS. Peter and Paul is an ancient building of stone, chiefly in the Early English style, consisting of chancel, nave, south aisle and a massive embattled western tower, with octagonal turret rising over the parapet, and containing 6 bells, and south porch; an arcade of five Early English arches on octagonal piers separates the nave and aisle; the south doorway is Norman, and is ornamented with zigzag and billet mouldings and spiral shafts: in the tympanum, inclosed with an intertwined guilloche, is a rude carving of two wyverns devouring fruit from a tree, and below these another rude carving of St. Michael thrusting a cross into the mouth of a winged monster, a kind of dragon: there are also two inscriptions: in the chancel are two piscinae and a hagioscope, and there is a piscina in the south aisle: the pulpit dates from 1600; an old oak table, dated 1606, and a chest dated 1612, are still preserved: the porch is Perpendicular and the font Early Decorated: the whole edifice was restored in 1868, when the chancel was almost entirely rebuilt, and the east window, a fine triplet of lancets, widely separated, filled with stained glass, partly under the direction of Lady Eastlake, to the memory of the Rev. John Harrison, vicar 1833-65, and other members of his family, 1853-68, and presented by his daughter, Mrs. Acton Tindal, of the Manor house, Aylesbury: the west window was erected by Mr. Sackville Phelps to his wife, Matilda (Goodall), 1867: there is also a memorial window placed by the Rev. Charles Henry Burton M.A. vicar, 1869-79 and Lydia Helen, his wife, to their daughter, Emiline Lydia, 1871: the ancient monuments, formerly in the chancel, were re-erected in the tower: the brasses, now in the south aisle, include one to the father of Simon Mayne, one of the judges who condemned King Charles I. and Colubery, his wife, 1617-28; there are others to John Compton, 1424, and wife; Thomas Grenewey and wife, 1539, both figures headless; Richard Greenway, 1551 and Joan, his wife; John Lee, of Morton, 1500; William Lee and Alice, his wife, 1486; Francis Lee, 1558, and his wife; and Elenor, wife of Sir Thomas Lee, of Morton, 1633: the communion plate includes two flagons, given by Sir John Vanhattem knt in 1772, and a salver given by Thomas Ingoldsby and Benjamin Gatton, vicar, in 1721: the old pews were replaced with fine open seats, under the superintendence of G. E. Street esq. R.A., F.S.A.. dioceean architect, and the church reopened December 8th, 1868, by the Bishop of Oxford: there are 350 sittings: in the churchyard are remains of a cross. At the entrance to the churchyard is a cross of Portland stone, resting on a bed of concrete with three steps leading up to the base, on which are inscribed the names of the men of the parish who fell in the Great War, 1914-18.