List of churches in Huntingdonshire facts for kids
This article is about the many churches you can find in the Huntingdonshire area. Churches are special buildings where people gather for religious services. They are often very old and have interesting histories.
Churches in Huntingdonshire
Huntingdonshire has many churches, about 131 for its 175,700 people. This means there's roughly one church for every 1,341 people! Some small villages, like Alconbury Weston and Earith, don't have their own churches.
Active Churches Today
Most churches in Huntingdonshire are still used for services today. They belong to different Christian groups, called denominations. The most common is the Church of England, which has many old churches built a long time ago.
Here are some examples of active churches:
- St Mary's Church in St Neots is a Church of England church. It's very old, built in the Middle Ages.
- St Joseph's Church in St Neots is a Roman Catholic church.
- There are also several Methodist churches, like the one on Berkley Street in St Neots.
- Some churches are newer, like the Kingfisher Church in Little Paxton, which started in 2013 and meets in a primary school.
- Many churches are named after important figures like Saint Mary, Saint Peter, or Saint Andrew.
Some churches are used by more than one group. For example, the SS Peter & Paul church in Alconbury is used by both the Church of England and the Methodist Church.
Churches from the Past
Not all churches built long ago are still used for services. Some have become "defunct," meaning they are no longer active churches. This can happen for many reasons, like if there aren't enough people to attend services or if the building becomes too old to use easily.
Here are a few examples of churches that are no longer active:
- St Andrew's Church in Wood Walton stopped being used before 1979. It is now looked after by the Friends of Friendless Churches, a group that helps save old church buildings.
- All Saints Church in Conington is another old Church of England building that is no longer active. It is cared for by the Churches Conservation Trust.
- St Mary's Church in Woolley is now a ruin, meaning it's mostly fallen apart. It stopped being used in 1960.
- Some churches, like the Washingley Parish Church in Washingley, have completely disappeared over time.
Many churches in the town of Huntingdon itself are no longer active. In medieval times, Huntingdon had many churches, but over the centuries, some were no longer needed or fell into disrepair.
