Church Of St Paul

The Church of St Paul is a parish church built in 1859 as a chapel of ease. It was designed by Joseph Morris of Reading and constructed by Robert Owthwaite of Henley-on-Thames. The church comprises a nave, chancel, and a single-story vestry to the south.

The building is constructed of knapped flint with ashlar detailing, including banding, quoins, windows, and doorways, and has a red tile roof. The nave features a bellcote on the west end, trefoil cusp-headed two-light windows, and buttresses along the sides. A three-light window is located at the west end, featuring a centrally placed porch with a generous doorway. The lower chancel has single-light side and east windows. A lower, single-story vestry is situated to the south of the chancel, with a tall stone chimney on its south gable. Rainwater goods are dated 1859.

Internally, the church has seen little alteration and contains benches, a font, a pulpit, and an organ, which occupies much of the south wall of the chancel. Stained glass is present in the east window, created by Bentley.

The churchyard wall, built of flint with brick detailing and a red tile coping, is likely to be contemporary with the church. The church was funded by the Reverend Joseph Smith, the rector of Rotherfield Peppard, and it was accompanied by an adjoining parsonage. Highmoor became a separate parish in 1860.

St. Paul’s is a simple but attractive mid-19th century church, largely unaltered since its construction. Designed by a local architect, it contributes positively to the character of Highmoor, particularly due to the prominent use of flint, a distinctive local building material. The church exemplifies the High Victorian era’s desire to improve the provision of places of worship in rural areas.