Rycote Chapel

Rycote Chapel is a chantry that now serves as a church, consecrated in 1449. It was founded by Richard and Sibil Quatremayne of Rycote. The chapel is constructed from coursed squared limestone rubble with ashlar dressings sourced from the Taynton quarries, and it features an old plain-tile roof. The building consists of a nave, chancel, and a west tower. The nave and chancel form a single structure with five bays, separated by stepped buttresses that rise above the roof and support a variety of pinnacles. The side windows are 2-light with shallow triangular arches and labels, while the east window is 4-centre arched with five lights and panel tracery. On the north side, there is a notable 4-centre arched doorway with a moulded square surround and recessed spandrels adorned with quatrefoils, along with a simpler corresponding doorway on the south side.

The tower is crenellated and consists of three stages, featuring a west doorway with a pointed moulded arch above which is a 3-light triangular-headed window and a canopied niche. The belfry openings are also 2-light with triangular heads. Inside, the chapel has a continuous wagon roof, which was formerly painted. The bench pews in the nave and chancel, as well as the base of the chancel screen, are contemporary with the original construction. From around 1610, there is a western gallery, a wooden pulpit with a sounding board, and two elaborate canopied pews, one of which is topped by a musicians' gallery accessed by a stair leading to the former rood loft.

An elaborate Baroque reredos, dated 1682, features four fluted Corinthian columns and a segmental pediment, while the barleytwist communion rails are roughly contemporary. There is also a monument from 1767 commemorating James Bertie, Earl of Abingdon, which includes a marble bust, as well as a plaque dedicated to Alfred St. George Hammersley with an inscription by Eric Gill. The building and its contents are of outstanding interest and were placed under the guardianship of the Ministry of Works in 1952, and they are scheduled as an Ancient Monument.