St Michael's Reredos
A rererdos is an altarpiece, screen or decoration behind the altar. St Michael's reredos is believed to have been carved by Grinling Gibbons (1648-1721).
St Michael's was built in the c15th as the domestic chapel for Rycote Park manor house for its owner, Sir Richard Quatremaine. Quatremaine died without issue, and ownership transferred to the family of Sibil, Quatremaine's wife. In 1521 the manor house was passed over to Sir John Heron, Treasurer of the Household to both Henrys VII and VIII; it's probably during this time that the manor hourse was demolished and replaced by Rycote Palace. On Heron's death, the land passed over to his son, Giles, who was forced to sell it in 1539 to Sir John Williams (who was closer in favour to Henry). After Williams's death, the land passed into the Norreys family via Williams's son-in-law, Henry Norris, 1st Baron Norreys. On the 2nd Baron's death, the lands and title passed onto his nephew James Bertie, and remained in the family until the early c19th. During this time, the palace was rebuilt after a fire in 1745 and Lancelot Capability Brown (1716-1783) redeveloped the landscape in 1778. However, the manor was past its heyday, the house was sold off in lots early in the 1800s. A manor house (of sorts) remains, with the stables converted in the 1920s.
Perhaps the height of the palace was during the Tudor period, Henry VIII and Catherine Howard spent their honeymoon here; Henry's daughter Elizabeth visited Rycote on her way to her confinement at Woodstock (Williams being instructed to be her guard by Queen Mary I), Elizabeth would visit a further 5 times during her own reign.
Throughout all this time, the chapel remained alongside; slowly changed inside, shifting from Roman Catholic to High Anglican, extended and redecorated, always watching.
"...an old yew in the churchyard, said to have been brought from Palestine and planted in the coronation year of Stephen (1135), has easily outlived both them and their houses"
[ThameHistory.net]
St Michael's Reredos
A rererdos is an altarpiece, screen or decoration behind the altar. St Michael's reredos is believed to have been carved by Grinling Gibbons (1648-1721).
St Michael's was built in the c15th as the domestic chapel for Rycote Park manor house for its owner, Sir Richard Quatremaine. Quatremaine died without issue, and ownership transferred to the family of Sibil, Quatremaine's wife. In 1521 the manor house was passed over to Sir John Heron, Treasurer of the Household to both Henrys VII and VIII; it's probably during this time that the manor hourse was demolished and replaced by Rycote Palace. On Heron's death, the land passed over to his son, Giles, who was forced to sell it in 1539 to Sir John Williams (who was closer in favour to Henry). After Williams's death, the land passed into the Norreys family via Williams's son-in-law, Henry Norris, 1st Baron Norreys. On the 2nd Baron's death, the lands and title passed onto his nephew James Bertie, and remained in the family until the early c19th. During this time, the palace was rebuilt after a fire in 1745 and Lancelot Capability Brown (1716-1783) redeveloped the landscape in 1778. However, the manor was past its heyday, the house was sold off in lots early in the 1800s. A manor house (of sorts) remains, with the stables converted in the 1920s.
Perhaps the height of the palace was during the Tudor period, Henry VIII and Catherine Howard spent their honeymoon here; Henry's daughter Elizabeth visited Rycote on her way to her confinement at Woodstock (Williams being instructed to be her guard by Queen Mary I), Elizabeth would visit a further 5 times during her own reign.
Throughout all this time, the chapel remained alongside; slowly changed inside, shifting from Roman Catholic to High Anglican, extended and redecorated, always watching.
"...an old yew in the churchyard, said to have been brought from Palestine and planted in the coronation year of Stephen (1135), has easily outlived both them and their houses"
[ThameHistory.net]