Church of St Mary Magdalene, Willen facts for kids
The Church of St Mary Magdalene is a special church in the village of Willen, which is part of Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire. It belongs to the Church of England. The church is named after Mary Magdalene, a friend of Jesus. It was finished in 1680. A famous scientist and architect named Robert Hooke designed it. Because of its history and design, it was made a Grade I listed building in 1966. This means it's a very important historical building.
History of the Church
The records for the Willen area go back a very long time, to the year 1065! The church you see today was built where an even older church used to stand. That first church looked a bit like the one in Great Woolston. It had two bells hanging in arches, similar to a church in Little Linford.
Who Built the Church?
The current church was paid for by a man named Richard Busby. He was the headmaster of Westminster School for a very long time. Dr. Busby was also the local Lord of the Manor in Willen. This meant he owned much of the land and had a lot of influence in the village.
Robert Hooke's Design
Dr. Busby asked Robert Hooke to design the new church. Hooke had been a student at Westminster School himself. He also watched over the building work to make sure it was done right. Robert Hooke was a very clever person. He was a scientist, an inventor, and an architect. He worked for the Royal Society, which is a famous group of scientists. He also helped rebuild parts of London after the Great Fire of 1666.
The church was likely built between 1678 and 1680. It cost Dr. Busby almost £5,000, which was a huge amount of money back then! Some of the old building materials were reused, but most of it was new.
Changes Over Time
In the 1800s, the church was changed a little. A small dome, called a cupola, was taken off the tower. A new rounded section, called an apse, was added to the end of the main part of the church. These changes were different from what Robert Hooke had originally planned. He wanted a simple main building with a fancy tower.
