St Mary's has a timeless sense of place and simple piety and welcomes and opens its doors to all who visit and, overlooking the River Great Ouse, it is a beautiful spot for any visitor with its churchyard a wildlife haven of biodiversity.
Stevington, Bedfordshire
Like all ancient, medieval and restored churches, St Mary’s is loved by parishioners and admired by visitors for its quiet simplicity and integrity as a place of prayer and celebration of community. Although some areas were restored in the 19th century, the church escaped the heavy hand of the Victorians. The main body of the church commenced soon after 1280 and was completed around 1400.
On the south side of the tower is a double splayed window containing its original wooden window board. It is a rare Anglo Saxon detail. The two chapels, now in ruins, were built originally in decorated style but still retain the remains of a piscina and niche for a statuette in the north chapel and in the south chapel a shafted chancel window with sedilia and angle piscina of ogee arches beneath it. The south chapel also has a squint overseeing the chancel.
The beautifully carved angel roof was praised by Pevsner as ‘good perpendicular’. It was financed by two Stevington wool merchants Nicholas and Robert Taylor whose initials are borne by two of the angels which occupy the eight sections of the roof. Of great interest are the early 16th century poppyheads which are attached to the front pews in the nave. They consist of two men kneeling and drinking, two semi reclining, one seated, one writing and three animals. Their origins are obscure but these figures may be associated with a grant of land by John Darling to provide church ale and could have originated in the Hospitium built to welcome pilgrims at the Holy Well.
The Holy Well, one of only two in Bedfordshire, is located at the base of the east wall of the graveyard. It is thought that it was visited by pilgrims hoping to treat ailments of the eye with its curative waters.
Bromham, Bedfordshire
St Owen's is in a privately owned park which once belonged to Bromham Hall but there has been a church on this site for at least 800 years and there are signs which indicate that there may have been an earlier Saxon building here.
Felmersham, Bedfordshire
This is a building to delight all those visitors who enjoy church architecture purely for its own sake.
Turvey, Bedfordshire
The 13th century bridge that crosses the Ouse in this harmonious old stone village is a relative newcomer in comparison with the church, which dates back to around 980, and possibly even to Roman times.
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