Church of St Mary, Stotfold facts for kids
The Church of St Mary the Virgin is an old and important Church of England church. It serves the towns of Stotfold and nearby Fairfield in Bedfordshire. This church is part of the Diocese of St Albans. It's also a very special building, listed as "Grade II* listed". This means it's a historically important building that needs to be protected.
History of the Church
The church building you see today has been around for a very long time. It dates back to at least 1150! Before this stone church, there were probably older wooden churches on the same spot. This idea comes from a discovery around 1890. During some digging inside the church, a Saxon coffin with human bones was found.
The main part of the church, called the nave, was built in 1150. You can still see hints of an old chapel in the north-east side. The church is mostly built from flint stone. It also uses special Ashwell clunch stone for details like the buttresses (supports on the outside walls). The style of the church is mainly Early Perpendicular, which is a type of Gothic architecture.
Around 1320, a north aisle (a side section) was added. This section included the old chapel. Later, around 1370, the south aisle was made bigger. This was done by adding arches to the side walls to open up the space. You can still see the original outer walls on two thick pillars that were left as supports.
About 1450, the tall tower was added to the church. The chancel, which is the area near the altar, was also made wider at this time. The baptismal font, where baptisms take place, is also thought to be from this period. It has eight sides and carved panels.
Around 1480, the upper walls and windows, called the clerestory, were added. The old thatched roof of the nave was replaced with a lead roof. Sadly, most of the beautiful stained glass from the Middle Ages was destroyed during the English Civil War. Only a few small pieces remain in one of the north aisle windows.
In 1824, a lot of work was done on the church. The roof of the north aisle was plastered, and the old medieval carvings were replaced. Even the 400-year-old wooden pews (church benches) were replaced by a local builder. At the same time, old paintings on the walls were either covered with whitewash or destroyed. These paintings showed scenes like St. George and the Dragon. The walls were then covered with wooden panels. These panels were later removed in 1932.
The chancel area was rebuilt in 1890, and its floor was raised. The north porch, an entrance area, was taken down for reasons that are not known today. In 1910, a clock was added to the tower. This clock was a memorial to Rev. John Holding, who is also remembered by the stained glass in the east window.
The Church Bells
The church tower originally had five bells. However, one bell was sold to a nearby church in Arlesey, and another went to Astwick. One bell, made in 1651, was cracked. Another bell, made in 1740, was out of tune.
In 1948, a company called John Taylor & Co from Loughborough fixed the cracked bell. They also made three brand new bells. The money for this work was collected from the public. It was a way to give thanks for the end of World War II. These five bells were carefully tuned to match the oldest bell in the tower, which dates back to 1484.
The last two bells, making a total of eight bells that can be rung together, were added in 1976. These were also paid for by donations from the community.
Gallery
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The former rood screen is at the church's west end
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The baptismal font dates to about 1450
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The remains of the medieval glass
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The arches were added in c.1370 when the church was widened
