Holy Trinity Church

Holy Trinity Church is a church dating from 1848, designed by Benjamin Ferrey, with later additions made in 1891 by W.T. Lowdell. It is located on a corner site.

The church consists of a chancel, a nave with a triple west bellcote, north and south aisles (the latter featuring a baptistery with an apse-like shape at its west end), a north porch, a north chapel, a south-east vestry, and a north-west baptistery. The building is constructed of flint with stone detailing, including windows, quoins, and a plinth, and is covered by a red tile roof.

The west end is characterized by three gables, the central nave gable being slightly higher than those of the north and south aisles. The nave end projects and supports a triple ashlar bellcote above a west door. A semi-circular baptistery is set into the north aisle's west end, and a geometrical tracery window is present in the south aisle's west window. The north aisle has four bays, buttressed, with three windows of two lights. A porch is located within the easternmost bay of the north aisle. The chancel is slightly lower than the nave and features set-back buttresses. A chapel is located to the north and a vestry to the south, both constructed in flint with stone detailing. The south aisle mirrors the north aisle in design. The windows incorporate tracery in Geometric and other High Medieval styles.

The interior is light and spacious, featuring a simple raftered roof with principals set on corbels. The arcades have moulded piers, and there is a matching chancel arch. A wooden chancel screen and a wooden pulpit (set on a stone base at the south-east corner of the nave) are also present, along with wooden screens at the east ends of the aisles. Sedilia are located on the south wall of the chancel. Benches have been removed from the nave and aisles, creating a single open space.

The church was originally built in 1848 to a design by Benjamin Ferrey at a cost of £2,000, and served as a daughter church to Rotherfield Greys before gaining independence in 1849. Enlargements took place in 1891 to accommodate Henley’s growing population, with the vestry, baptistery and aisles added at that time by W.T. Lowdell. The interior was re-ordered in 1987.

Holy Trinity Church represents two distinct phases of construction separated by over 40 years but forms a homogenous and striking composition, largely due to the consistent use of flint. The stonework detailing, particularly in the windows, is well-executed. Externally, few alterations have occurred since the late 19th century. While the interior has been opened up, the rest of the interior retains consistency and confidence in its medieval detailing.