Church of St Mary, Stevington facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Mary the Virgin Church |
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|---|---|
| St Mary The Virgin Parish Church, Stevington | |
St Mary the Virgin Church, Stevington
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| Country | England |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Website | http://www.stmarystevington.org.uk |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Dedication | St Mary the Virgin |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Administration | |
| Deanery | Bedford |
| Archdeaconry | Bedford |
| Diocese | St Albans |
| Province | Canterbury |
St Mary the Virgin Church is a very old and important church in Stevington, England. It's a special building because it's listed as Grade I. This means it's one of the most important historic buildings in the country. This church is part of the Church of England and serves the local community in Stevington. It belongs to the Diocese of St Albans.
Discovering St Mary's Church
This church has a long history! The very first part of the church, its tower, was built around the year 880 AD. Imagine how old that is! The rest of the church was slowly added over many years. It was finally finished around 1480.
The church had a big makeover in 1872. This was paid for by the Duke of Bedford. He was a very important supporter of the church until 1971.
Inside the Church
When you step inside, you'll see some amazing old carvings. The church has special wooden seats called pews. Some of these have detailed carvings from the Tudor period. These are called pew ends.
There is also a beautiful screen called a rood screen. This screen used to separate parts of the church. It has now been moved to the tower area.
Interesting Facts
The church has not had a full-time priest since the early 1980s. Instead, it has been looked after by visiting priests or volunteers. Currently, it is waiting for a new priest to take charge. The last priest, Reverend David Hunter, left in 2006.
There's a cool mystery in the churchyard! People believe that Napoleon Bonaparte's valet (a personal assistant) is buried there. This valet was with Napoleon when he was exiled to St Helena. However, the old church records are hard to read. Also, the stone tomb is too worn to tell for sure who is buried inside.
See also
- Grade I listed buildings in Bedfordshire
