St Mary's, Leighton Bromswold

There was no church mentioned here at the time of the Domesday Survey in 1086, but there is thought to have been a basic structure of chancel and aisled nave built around 1250. The chancel was rebuilt around 1310 and work was undertaken regularly throughout the years. However, by the early years of the 17th century, ther church was in very poor condition and in 1606 rebuilding was started. The work, however, was stopped for lack of funds, and for twenty years the church was 'so decayed, so little, and so useless, that the parishioners could not meet to perform their duty to God in public prayer and praises.' The roofs had fallen in, and the tower was in ruins as were the upper courses of the walls. It is thought that the situation was so bad that some services were held in a barn owned by the Duke Of Lennox.   Shortly after 1626, the Rev. George Herbert completed the work by pulling down the north arcade and aisle and building the north porch. He reroofed the whole church and put in a pulpit, reading desk, screens and seating. The west tower was built by the Duke of Lennox in 1634.   The re-building work was a massive undertaking with, at one point, 18 masons and 10 carpenters at work. Much of the financial support for this project was given by Revd Herbert himself, with the rebuilding being supervised by John Ferrar, the brother of Nicholas Ferrar, who founded his famous Christian community two miles away at Little Gidding.   Five bells hang here, with four of these being cast by Thomas Norris at the Stamford Bellfoundry in 1641.

Leighton Bromswold Cambridgeshire