St. Mary's Church

The church, dedicated to St. Mary the Virgin, is situated at the top of the village, originally a Norman building with a lot of restoration by successive generations. It is situated amid earth works and fortifications from very early times. At one time it was a place of primitive occupation, and somewhere in this enclosed area a religious edifice must have stood. It has been suggested that the present chancel occupies the place of a small building used for pagan worship.

To start the process of enlargement and rebuilding, the present tower may have been added to this building, along with the original nave. As the old oratory was so small and narrow ( the present chancel is only 13 ft 6 ins wide) and to get a moor roomy nave, the peculiar widening of the tower was adopted. The transepts were built on after the tower and nave, the ground plan of the church shows that the walls of the nave are not in line with one another.

As well as the above nave and chancel the interior consist of two transepts and belfry. The gothic style nave is supported by two arches of three bays. In line with the centre isle is the 12th century font, a massive twelve sided stone structure which at one time had a band of red and blue roughly painted round the rim. The bowl itself is Saxon and is of Ketton or Barnock stone, but the Tottenhoe stone plinth is of a later date.

Two stained glass windows at the west end represent the Virgin and Child, and St. John, the blessed disciple. Above is a rose window with a representation of our lord. The remaining windows at the west end and three of the same size on both sides of the nave, also belong to the early English period. Beneath the Norman tower, the belfry houses five bells.

The south chapel , dedicated to St. John, still retains much of it’s tracery. It was restored in 1948 by parishioners in memory of those who died in the 1939-45 war.

The north transept contains the organ and vestry, as well as a small alter, no longer used. The vestry is partitioned off from the rest of the church by a carved wooden screen which was originally part of the rood- screen.

The chancel, which features two 16th century windows was re-erected about 10 ft longer to provide a new sanctuary. Two western windows were blocked up, and because of the smallness of the sanctuary. two small sedilia were built into the walls so that the priest and his assistant were seated in the recesses. Behind the sedilia were glazed windows which have been removed and replaced with a solid wall.

Standing outside the vestry is an ancient wooden chest bound with strong iron bands and studded with large nails. The chains and padlock are extremely strong and heavy. No history exist for the box, but was used to hold parish records etc.

Restoration work has taken place at various times, the list below are some:

1875 - chancel roof and walls restored.

1876 - nave completely rebuilt with addition of north and south aisles, the north transept was converted into an organ chamber and vestry.

1877 - church reopened and re- dedicated by the Bishop of Ely.

1900 - the Rev Isherwood had lamps put along the centre aisle, due to poor lighting.At the turn of the century heating was by paraffin fires.

1930 - the tower was strengthened.

1943 - boiler renewed.

1945 - electric lighting installed. New fencing, the brick wall, laying of paths and twelve maple trees planted. The north side extension was consecrated by the Bishop of St. Albans.

1947 - Iron gates added. New extension levelled by 1000 barrow loads of earth.

1948 - the roof of the nave re-laid and the west end repainted.

1965 - car park extended and resurfaced voluntarily by Michael Foster.

1973 - the chancel roof restored.

1972-74 the north and south transepts were again restored. The roof timbers were faithfully copied by local tradesman Maurice Simons.

1976 - Boiler repaired.

After WW1 the war memorial was erected with money donated by villagers.

Graveyard headstones on graves were almost unknown before 1700, but we have one dated 23rd February 1696. Details of this are kept at the Archaeological Headquarters in London as being of interest.

Lightening in 1960 shattered a huge fir tree in the graveyard resulting in extensive damage to the church roof, several windows, and gravestones.

In 1976 a gale caused damage to the church roof and demolished a coal shed.