St Bartholomew’s Church
The original Church of St. Bartholomew in Wigginton probably dates back to the early 12th. Century. In 1217, Geoffrey de Lacy, Lord of the Manor, sued the Prior of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem in England for the advowson (or living) of the Church, claiming it through his wife, Juliana. Soon after 1300 the church became annexed to the Church of Tring. The rectory and advowson descended with those of Tring until 1839 when the Rev. Charles Lacy resigned the advowson of Wigginton.
The west chamber is of the 15th century and is known as the Weedon Chapel as it is supposed to have been built by the Weedon family of Pendley Lodge in Tring. In the floor in front of the font is a gravestone recording the burial of two members of the Weedon family in 1688. During the time of Charles Lacy, the Parish of Wigginton had much cause to be indebted to the services of the Rev. James Edward Austen, a nephew of Jane Austen the famous novelist. He lodged with his mother-in-law, Mrs Smith, at Tring Park prior to his appointment as Vicar of Bray in 1852. “As a labour of love, he undertook for Mr Lacy the care of souls at Wigginton for the space of some four years from 1829 to 1832.
In 1857 the work of enlarging and restoration of the church began. The aisle on the Northside of the church was built; an arcade of three arches taking the place of the former North wall. The Baptistry was also built at the west end of the new aisle.
In 1876 the advowson was purchased by Richard Valpy of Champneys, and the following year a new set of silver communion plate and chalice was presented to the Church by the Rev. A.S. Valpy and his wife on the occasion of their marriage.
In 1881, the chancel arch was raised and widened, and a new arch was made between the chancel and the vestry so as to form a chamber for the organ, which had been given to the church in 1879. It was a gift from Miss Hannah Horlock, lady’s maid to an aunt of Mrs Valpy. To this day, it serves the church extremely well and gives out a glorious sound to the Glory of God.
The Valpy family donated much of the fine stained glass in the Church. In 1890 the window close to the pulpit (which as you look towards the altar is situated on the right-hand side, indicating that this holy place missed the desecration of the Reformation) is filled with stained glass in memory of Richard Valpy by his children.
Today, the church is used for a lot more than the regular services. Evening concerts are regularly put on, there are flower arranging classes, craft classes, children’s activities, and very recently, St. Bartholomews is also used as the polling station for local and national elections. The church is also used every month for the Wigginton History Society meetings.
Flower Festivals are held every few years to coincide with our Patronal Festival (August 24th). The arrangements are always of an excellent standard and attract visitors from near and far.
Ranger’s Cottage
Set high in the Chiltern Hills, in a designated ‘Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty’, Rangers Cottage has lovely views over open countryside and Woodland Trust land. The house was built by the famous Rothschild Banking family in 1880 and is furnished with antiques of the period.
All rooms are separately accessed from the house and all have full en-suite facilities with power showers. They are also equipped with a mini-fridge with fresh milk and a welcome drink. All our linen is pure cotton. Breakfast is taken in our lavishly decorated dining room. For other meals a good local pub is within walking distance, and there are many restaurants in the area.
Located some 40 minutes by train from London (Euston) and a similar time from Heathrow and Luton Airports, we are in a perfect location for exploring the area.
War Memorial
The aftermath of the First World War saw the biggest single wave of public commemoration ever with tens of thousands of memorials erected across England. This was the result of both the huge impact on communities of the loss of three quarters of a million British lives, and also the official policy of not repatriating the dead, which meant that the memorials provided the main focus of the grief felt at this great loss.
One such memorial was raised at Wigginton in circa 1920 as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the 25 members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War, and those that served during the conflict. A further bronze plaque was added to the memorial after the Second World War in honour of the memory of 11 residents who died in that conflict.
In November 2016, The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport decided to add Wigginton War Memorial to the List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest. The memorial is now listed at Grade II. Wigginton War Memorial, remembering those from the local community who fell in the First and Second World Wars, was erected circa 1920. It is an eloquent witness to the tragic impact of world events on the local community, and the sacrifice it made during the conflicts of the C20.
The Celtic cross and tapering shaft is set upon a plinth and base, flanked by ashlar columns, and approached by steps. It is a well-composed and elegant design that displays a high level of craftsmanship. The memorial holds group value with the Grade II*-listed Church of St Bartholomew with which it forms a strong visual composition, as well as the Grade II-listed lych gate.