St Lawrence and the golden ball

St Lawerence with its golden ball

A rich classical interior

Right at the top of a hill looking towards the gloom of High Wycombe is St Lawerence Church, West Wycombe with its famous golden 
ball at the top of the tower. 

Through the West door you enter a spacious warm baroque interior all organised by the eccentric Francis Dashwood, Lord le Despence - the owner of West Wycombe Park.

In 1763 Dashwood rebuilt the medieval parish church in the then stylish classical manner. He removed the arcades, making the nave into a large, open chamber.   The interior is filled with fantastic frescoes by Italian artists. The most impressive of which is on the chancel ceiling painted by Giovanni Borgnis who sadly died not long after a fall from scaffolding.