The history of St. Mary's Church

St Mary's Church has two main parts - the older is a typically fifteenth century village church and the later, and larger section, is the new twentieth century nave and sanctuary.

Some earlier work is still visible in the old part of the church, most notably the south transept arch. This opens onto a Chapel of Remembrance created within the transept after the Second World War. This transept was originally part of a south aisle. A new stained glass east window was created at this time and contains a few fragments of mediaeval glass in the surrounds.

The building was substantially rebuilt in the fifteenth century with a tower and south porch. This porch contains a water-stoup and the carved effigy of a lady - possibly part of a stone coffin lid. The archway also includes some interesting old graffiti. A north transept was almost certainly added at this time.

Over the centuries internal features have changed as needs and fashion have demanded. Gone are the rood screen and loft, the high box pews and the old west gallery but the fourteenth century font and fifteenth century piscina and sedilia remain.

There is also the graffito signature of John Faldo - possibly Mayor of Bedford in 1648.

The floor and walls bear the memorials of the extended Haselden/Berkeley/Pemberton family who held the village for four centuries until the mid 1700s. They were succeeded by the Addingtons whose memorials also adorn the walls.

There were no further structural changes until the middle of the nineteenth century when the north transept was replaced by an aisle. This was extended eastwards to provide an organ chamber and vestries but these were all demolished in 1954 when the modern half of the church was built.