Little Hampden 

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If you would like to visit Little Hampden Church, please contact the Parish Office 01494 862352, who will arrange to open the building for you. You can also find a video of our lay minister Tricia giving us a tour here.

Location

  

Follow the Rignall Road out of Great Missenden for 2 miles; turn right at the Old Forge (signed Little Hampden) proceed uphill for 1 mile and the church can be found on the left hand side elevation.

Limited parking is available in the yard of the farm, opposite the church.

History

Little Hampden Church can be dated at least from the 12th century. Because of common ownership of land in Little Hampden and Hartwell, the church was linked with the church at Hartwell. 
Small daughter Churches like Little Hampden often had no dedication and this is still the case today. This association lasted until 1892 when Little Hampden church was joined with Great Hampden. Following the death of the Rev Percival Hill, the last Rector of Great and Little Hampden in 1985, Little Hampden was joined to the parish of Great Missenden.
 

Architecture

In this little church, built mostly of flint, the nave is barely larger than the chancel. It is entered by the north door, the south having been blocked up in the 18th century, when the two south windows were created. The centre chancel arches were enlarged at about the same time using original stones, including one with a defaced 12 century moulding, the apex being completed in brick.

The most interesting features of the church are the wall paintings in the nave, dating from the 13th to 15th centuries. On each side of the chancel arch are 13th century painted figures, which may have represented a bishop and apostles before the chancel arch was cut out.

Unusually positioned on the south wall, the remains of a 14th century Weighing of the Souls (Doom) can be seen, with the Virgin Mary at one end of the scales and the Devil at the other. To the west of the north doorway is reputedly the oldest representation of St Christopher (13th century). To the east of the doorway, at eye-level, are two 13th century figures, probably St Peter holding a book and key and St Paul holding a sword. Above them, painted in the 15th century, is a large head of St Christopher with his right hand holding a staff.

The chancel was almost completely rebuilt in the mid-19th century. At the east end of the south wall is a 13th century piscina with a band of running foliage. On the same wall, a little to the west, is a much defaced 12th century figure of a bishop found during the Victorian restoration. At the west end of the north wall of the chancel is a small, low lancet window of the 12th century.

The ancient altar slab with five consecration crosses, was buried in the floor, presumably during the Reformation, and was restored to its present position in 1942. The large porch is a 15th century timber framed structure on a brick base with plaster filling. It has two storeys, the upper one housing a bell cast in 1791.