St Mary Magdalene

We are ready to welcome you to St Mary Magdalene in Barkway. We are a small rural benefice (group of parishes) covering an area that includes Barkway, Barley, Reed, Buckland, Chipping, Newsells, and Nuthampstead.

Mrs Vernon Harcourt of Newsells Park restored the main part of the church in 1861 and the chancel had work carried out on it by Colonel Clinton, who lived at Cokenach. At about the same time, the Cokenach pew that stood in the chancel arch was removed. Prior to that, during the sermon the windows were closed, the curtains drawn and chairs pulled up in front of a large fire. During the restoration work the tower collapsed and was rebuilt larger than before – note the Jennings monument by Rysbrack at the back of the tower.

If you look up, standing in the nave, you will see some fine corbels and some are thought to be caricatures of the masons’ mates and employers. There is a villainous looking sheep above the pulpit – perhaps a dig at the vicar.

Above the chancel steps are the two hatchments of the Clinton family (hatchments were carried in funeral processions). The one on the right indicates that the husband had died whereas the wife on the left has a white background to show she was still alive at the time the hatchments were hung. There is a further hatchment over the porch door in respect of Mrs Vernon Harcourt. Within the Sanctuary of the chancel are the memorials of the Chester family who lived at Cokenach in the 17th century.

There is a fine stained glass window in the South East corner of the north aisle to the right of the organ. This was paid for by the Hertfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Essex Branch of the Burma Star Association and was designed by Alan Younger who also designed the rose window in St Albans.

The east window comprises a jumble of glass and includes the remains of a 15th century window, the glass of which was removed and buried to save it from the ravages of iconoclasts. These fanatics were appointed by the parliamentary army during the civil war to smash up anything that was considered idolatrous and to have been found by chance. There is an old tradition that the glass really came from Reed church.

Much more to see besides...