The Monday Photo

This is the Church of the Assumption of St. Mary, in Beachampton. Like many so other churches in Victorian times, it underwent restoration.

This wasn’t always a good thing. Often, traces of history were wiped away; clues to the true story of the building would be gone forever in what was more often a remodelling than what we think of as a restoration today.

This tower is 14th Century, but the open balustrade and spire above were added in the 19th Century; behind the balustrade is the bell chamber.

I couldn’t get in yesterday, so I can’t say if this is true of George Edmund Street, the architect who restored this church in 1873-4. He was a leading light in the Victorian Gothic Revival style of architecture; the same style that brought us the Houses of Parliament and Tower Bridge.

It is one of over 180 churches Street had restored, in addition to all his other work. As well as Beachampton, ten more of those churches are in North Bucks. The nearest one to Beachampton is at Addington near Winslow.

G. E. Street also designed new churches in the Gothic Revival style and the nearest one in the NBW’s area is in the next village; Nash. The other two are at New Bradwell and Westcott.

Street passed away in 1881, partly from overwork. He was 57.

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