St Lawrence's Church, West Wycombe — Attraction in West Wycombe

Very unusual church with a design inspired by Italian Renaissance architecture. The unusually tall tower was raised above its original height to create a more visible landmark, accentuated by the golden ball on top. Thanks to its prominent location on West Wycombe Hill, the church towers above the village and can't be missed by drivers on the A40. The flint clad walls conceal an impressive interior. Sadly this was off limits to the public at the time of my visit due to the deteriorating condition of the church. That said, the churchyard appeared well maintained, and the external architecture is sufficiently striking that it still warrants a visit. There's more to see here, with the huge Dashwood Mausoleum sharing the grounds and the infamous Hellfire Caves cut into the hill below (a separate paid tourist attraction). There's free parking right outside the grounds, alternatively the church makes an interesting stop on a longer walk through the Chiltern Hills. It's worth taking a look around West Wycombe while visiting - this historic village was purchased by an arts society before being gifted to the National Trust to ensure its preservation. The dirt thrown up by large vehicles on the A40 does the light coloured buildings no favours, but it's a remarkable survival so close to the sprawling town of...

The Golden Ball on St Lawrence Church, West Wycombe was created during the Age of Enlightenment by Sir Francis Dashwood.  A far-sighted landmark it recalls the late Renaissance period Custom House in Venice. The large wooden ball on top of its tower makes a classical counterpoint to the philanthropic straight road created from High Wycombe.

The Church was originally built in the 14th century and then dramatically changed in 1763. The tower was raised to make it more visible from afar, and it was crowned with the wooden golden ball that was reputed to be a meeting place for the Hellfire Club.  The golden ball could seat 6-10 people, and was described by the author John Wilkes as “the best globe tavern I was ever in”. The ball hosted visitors of the Hellfire Club, such as, Benjamin Franklin, underlining the far reaching ‘global’ influence from this...

If you’re in the area you should visit this church and check out the inside, it’s stunning. My wife and I came across it while checking out they mausoleum next door which has stunning views of the area. We met a truly lovely couple who were just about to lock up and showed us around and gave us a fascinating insight into the church and it’s tower history. The acoustics inside are beautiful. The Apple Orchard coffee house on the high street is a lovely place for a drink and something to eat. The hellfire caves at the bottom of the hill below the mausoleum was closed at the time of our visit but looked an...