Pictures of Felmersham

About Felmersham

A winding river almost totally encircles Felmersham, the Great Ouse sweeps over the hill and flows in a loop around this most picturesque of villages. The two bridges spanning the river are divided by a century. Access to the south of the village is over a bridge from the 18th-century, and the north is accessed by a bridge built in the 19th-century. The river is crystal clear, its banks, like the river bed are covered with long, trailing weeds and every now and again the peaceful tranquility of the slow moving waters is broken by the colourful sight of a pleasure craft, its passengers enjoying one of the last lazy, hazy days of summer.

Felmersham is a spacious place, it has a host of enchanting properties, many are built of stone with luxurient foilage creeping over ancient walls, reaching towards delightful dormer windows almost hidden by a golden thickly thatched roof. The sun public house, that too, is of stone under a thatched roof, survives as the last of Felmersham's three old inns. The magnificent church of St.Mary the Virgin survives from the 13th-century. The impressive west facade is a fine example of Early English work. There is a central tower and in the 15th-century the nave walls were raised to give a flat pitched roof and clerestory. A delicate screen of the same period is in marked contrast with the enormous piers of the crossing. The church is all cool serenity, it contains many relics from its ancient past and being largely unaltered throughout its history makes it well worth a visit.

The leafy lanes of the surrounding countryside are criss-crossed by rich pastureland and meadows grazed by contented cattle and sheep. Dotted around are pleasant barn conversions, for this is a village where properties of a newer build blend harmonoisly with the old. The old stone schoolhouse, now a private home, is built of stone and dates from the mid-19th-century. The Old Rectory dates 17th-century. Sadly, the historic Six Ringers at over 500 years old is now closed.

Felmersham makes a ideal base from which to explore the lovely Bedfordshire countryside; close by attractions include-Flamingo Gardens and Zoological Park, the Postmill and Watermill at nearby Bromham. The county town of Beford has a museum telling much of the history of the region.