Chapel Of St John

BURFORD AND UPTON PRIORY LANE AND SIGNET (West End) SP2412-2512; SP2512(Enlargement) Chapel of St John 5/181; 7/181 (Previously listed 12.9.55 with The Burford Priory and chapel)

GV II*

Manor House Chapel. 1661-2 for William (Speaker) Lenthall restored 1937 by W H Godfrey. Ashlar with Cotswold stone roof. Rectangular box in classicized Gothic. 2-bay flanks with 3 Ionic pilaster strips (the outer ones corner piers) on high plinths; cornice and parapet, North bay with panel supporting pediment with enriched tympanum. Skelton's engraving shews a matching arrangement on south window too; end finials with crude crocket-work. 2 traceried windows with ogee mouldings, the south one a wheel window in square frame with ogee rosettes in spandrels of trefoil ends and panels in the spandrels. The right-hand window is of 3-light with round arches, central heart-shaped light and flanking mouchettes (a sort of Oxford College Fontainbleau style), also set in square frames with low relief dragons in spandrels. Shaped gables with tracery-panelled saddle-stone finials. The south (ritual east) has arched 3-light window of Serlian proportion but with a wheel-fanlight over. The north gable is highly enriched with high relief royal arms; Corinthian pilastered doorcase on 1st floor with pediment, cornice returned from sides, raised up; ground floor door has lotus caps to plain pilasters and putti and garland panels in the frieze. Interior: reconstructed plaster barrel vault (c.1937) with guilloche panels, moulded cornice with egg and dart bed-mould. Ashlar lined above wood panelled dado, latter restored in deal with dentil cornice and drapery swagged enrichments to upper panels; main panels have satin-wood veneer. Black insets to diamond-flag floor. The main feature is the family pew at North End, with panelled front, recessed in centre on spiral fluted Corinthian columns with enriched panel bases; the door is framed by a remarkable sculpture of 2 angels and the burning bush in deeply undercut stone. The windows are in carved 'panels with moulded architraves, south window flanked by mural tablets and inscriptions. B of E Oxfordshire S Sherwood and NP pp 512; Country Life, 4 March 1911, pp 306-315; 3 June 1939, pp 586-591; Oxoniensia Vol IV 1939, pp 71-88.

Listing NGR: SP2499712334