St Lawrence’s Church
Medieval in origin, the Church received a substantial re-design in the 18th century by the Dashwood family and the work was completed by the mid 1760s. 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. It could seat up to 10 people, and was described by the author John Wilkes as “the best globe tavern I was ever in”.
The interior of the Church is equally magnificent. The design of the nave is said to have been derived from Robert Wood’s prints of the ancient Temple of the Sun in Palmyra. It has five arched windows of timber on each side, and is lined with engaged Corinthian columns under a continuous entablature. The painted ceiling is by Giovanni Borgnis, and there is spectacular Rococo plasterwork, on the ceiling, frieze and walls.
Rare Chalk Grassland
West Wycombe Hill features rare chalk grassland; a rich, ancient and colourful habitat that is not entirely natural. As long ago as the Bronze Age, land in the Chilterns was cleared of trees for grazing animals, so for over two thousand years, the cattle, sheep and rabbits introduced by people have helped to stop scrub species, such as hawthorn, bramble, dogwood and birch, from re-growing, and shading out the sun-loving flowering plants that butterflies especially enjoy.