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History |
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History |
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The church is a grade II listed building. It is
built of flint with clunch stone dressings to the buttresses and mainly
in the Early Perpendicular style. Like most English medieval parish churches, St. Mary’s Church, as we see it to-day,
is an accumulation of additions and alterations across many centuries. Wooden Church It seems likely that there was a simple wooden church on this site before the Norman Conquest as in about 1890, when excavations were being carried out in the nave of the present church, an original Saxon coffin containing human bones were found. The Beginnings The original part of the present church dates from about 1150.   The church was granted to Chicksands Priory by Simon de Beauchamp, founder of the Priory. The church at this date had only a nave with no aisle and a chancel. The original nave still exists but the chancel has been replaced twice. The nave of the original church measured 14.2 metres by 6.5 metres and the original chancel 12.2 metres by 4.6 metres. North and South Aisles Added During the 12th century a small transept chapel was built on the north side of the church. In 1320 a north aisle, 3.2 metres wide was added to the nave and the small chapel incorporated into it. In about 1370 the south aisle, measuring 4 metres wide, was added. This south aisle had two bays and part of the old south wall measuring 6.7 metres remained to the west. Shortly afterwards the aisle was completed with a third archway being made in the original wall. A new outside doorway was made in the new south wall. The archways to the north and south aisles have wave moulds. There are small carved heads on either side of the archways as you can see below.       Chancel replaced   The original chancel was replaced in about 1450 by a wider chancel. This chancel has since been replaced but the archway to the 15th century chancel remains. Spiral Staircase Also in the 15th century a spiral staircase was built in the north east corner of the nave which gave access to the rood loft. This staircase is still there although the rood loft was removed and destroyed during the 17th century. West Tower Added The tower and the south porch were also added during the 15th century. The tower is 63ft high. In the 19th century extensive repairs were made to the tower and again in 2001 Font   The font has been used to baptise generations of Stotfold families and originally stood to the east of the tower archway. It was moved in 1890. The octagonal font is of Totternhoe stone and is thought to be either 14th or 15th centuries. Further 15th Century Alterations In about 1480 the clerestory walls and windows were added. Also at this time the nave roof, which had been thatched, was replaced with lead. The north aisle was lengthened by a few feet.   In one of the windows of the north aisle pieces of medieval glass can be seen in the top centre panel. The remaining glass was destroyed in the Civil War. 19th Century Alterations In about 1824 the roof of the north aisle was plastered and the ancient carvings were replaced. The decorative pews which were 400 years old were also replaced. The old paintings on the walls were covered up or perhaps destroyed and the walls were covered with wooden panelling. The chancel was rebuilt in 1890 and is still there today. It is seven inches higher than the previous chancel. It was around this time that the north porch, which was similar to the south porch which still stands today, was demolished. Later   In 1932 the plaster was removed from the north aisle roof revealing the original 14th century roof of beams and key bosses. At the same time the wood panelling was removed from the aisle walls. In 2001 extensive work was done on the tower. This included stripping off the existing lead which was then going to be recycled. There was graffiti on this old lead which would have been lost for ever. The church had only one week to record the graffiti. Our thanks go to Jane Hyde and Nick Peace who catalogued and took pictures of all the graffiti. To see the graffiti pictures click here To see the graffiti list click here Parish Registers click here |