THE PAXTONS : LITTLE AND GREAT
LITTLE PAXTON : CHURCH OF ST JAMES
Church Post Code PE19 6NF
Church open in preparation for coffee morning
It was a bright and sunny Friday morning in January 2024; a day off of work and a churchcrawl which started and ended in Cambridgeshire, but with the bulk of the day being spent in Bedfordshire, where I was to take communion at Shefford, before moving on to Houghton Conquest, where the church was kindly being opened up for me.. The day was started at neighbouring Diddington, arriving a little after the sun had risen.
The church of St James at Little Paxton was the second church of the day visited. This is a church that I had not been inside before, and I was not expecting to find it open on that morning, but it was open in preparation for a coffee morning. It was great to see that this is a well used church, with events on throughout the week; the church notice board advertising the Little Paxton Pictures screening of Forrest Gump, to take place in the church the following week.
Little Paxton can be found just off the A1, five miles to the south of Huntingdon and two miles north of St Neots. Peterborough is some 28 miles away to the north, making this one of the most southerly churches covered by my sites.
There was no specific mention of Little Paxton at the time of the Domesday Survey in 1086; with it being suspected that the figures were included with Great Paxton. A church and priest were recorded at that time, with these referring to Great Paxton. There was no church at Little Paxton until the 12th century, with the initial stone church standing where the present day chancel is today.
The church of St James can be found central in the village, in a quiet and peaceful setting, despite the close proximity of the A1, set back a little from the main road which runs through the village.
The church that we see today consists of west tower, nave with south aisle, north and south porch and chancel. The three stage west tower dates back to the 14th century and is battlemented, with stair turret to the south west corner and church clock set in to the west face. Gargoyles and grotesques peer out from the four corners; a human figure looks out through bulging eyes, face covered with lichen, from the south east corner. Over to the south west a mythical beast with scales and impressive fangs supports an ornately carved water chute.
The nave retains little of the original structure with both north and south walls being altered due to rebuilding. In the early 16th century the south aisle was added with the north wall of the nave being rebuilt during the 17th century after damage caused during the English Civil War; after Royalists soldiers sheltered in the church after fleeing the battle of St Neots, which took place in July 1648, during the Second Civil War, which took place between February and August of that year.
The north wall was rebuilt again during a restoration of 1849, with two 12th century carved stones incorporated in to the lower part of this wall. At the same time the north porch and the nave roof was rebuilt. The chancel dates from the 12th century.
The bells here are of interest. When Thomas North published his study of the Church Bells Of Huntingdon, which was printed in 1899, there were four bells in the ring here, Today there are six, with one of the original four having been moved in to partial retirement, with three more added in 2011.
Starting with the bells that North recorded; the first of the ring was cast in 1610 by Richard Holdfield of Cambridge, This carries the inscription ‘SONORO SONO MEO SONO DEO’, which translates as ‘With a loud sound I sound to God’.
The second of the ring, North recorded as being cast by Thomas Newman of Cambridge in 1713, and is inscribed with the name Will Hedding who was church warden of the day.
The third was courtesy of Thomas Norris of the Stamford bellfoundry. This bell is dated 1669 and is inscribed ‘God Save the King’. The fourth was by Robert Taylor of St Neots; dated 1781 and inscribed with the name Henry Poynter Standley, the church warden.
A lot has changed here in the intervening years. In 2011, all of the bells were taken down and rehung and three were added to the ring. A new first of the ring was brought in from Brighton, having been originally cast by Thomas Mears II of London in 1825. A new second of the ring was cast by Taylor of Loughborough that year, having the inscription ‘PAX VOBUSCUM’ which translates as Peace be with you.
A new third of the ring was bought in from Cork, this originally having been cast by John Murphy in Dublin in 1869. This is a founder who I have not come across before and unsurprisingly there are no other examples of his work that I am aware of in the area! Of the four bells on North’s visit, three remain unaltered but the bell cast by Newman is now used for the clock chiming.
Visitors to the church enter in through the south porch, which is modern; having been built in the late 1990’s, in a style to match the rest of the exterior, including a narrow empty image niche over the door! There are tile roofs on nave, clerestory and chancel, with the latter being fairly shallow.
The south doorway has a wonderful repositioned 12th century tympanum doorway. As is often the case, the true meaning of what we see here may have been lost over the centuries, but at the centre we have the cross, which is unchanged in meaning since its carving.
There is conjecture regarding the rest. A human figure is seen, carrying a staff, with a lamb close by; with the immediate though that this is Jesus as the Good Shepherd. On the other side of the cross, away from the shepherd, a large animal appears to be attacking a smaller animal, a wolf attacking a lamb Perhaps this is a depiction of the dangers of attack the further away you are from the shepherd.
Others have suggested that the figure is an archbishop, who has his hand raised over a lamb that is shown at the foot of the cross. Certainly, the staff that the figure is holding appears to be decorated more than that of a shepherd.
Moving inside, there was a friendly welcome from the man setting up and it was really good to see inside the church here; which was set up for the coffee morning, which was due to start in an hour later. The church here was reordered in 2012 for the use of community groups as well as worship.
I travel a fair bit and see many churches. Some churches are thriving; others are struggling. I have seen four churches close in and around Peterborough since I started visiting churches in 2006. Others have been reordered and are also a community venue, which in at least one case has meant that the church has been able to continue in worship. If this is the way forward then great; a church as a focal point for the community throughout the week and maintaining regular worship!
The south arcade consists of four bays with octagonal piers and moulded capitals. The chancel arch is partially restored and dates from the 12th century. Moving in to the chancel there is a small piscina in its traditional position on the south wall of the chancel, which was used in draining away the water used in washing the holy vessels used in the mass.
The east window depicts the crucifixion’ with Christ crucified, with Mary the mother of Jesus and John in their traditional positions alongside the cross. Mary Magdalene is also in her traditional position, head in hands in grief. Up in the tracery here we have items of Christ’s passion; namely whipping post and scourge, ladder spear and hyssop stick, these being flanked by crowns.
There is also a fine stained glass window in the nave which tells the parable of the Good Samaritan, made by Hardman & Co and bequeathed by Sarah Hedding who died in 1875, the window being in memory of her ancestors, who were the Lords of the Manor in Little Paxton.
At the top we see a Jewish traveller on a journey, with two suspicious characters, looking at him from behind some bushes; the script below reading ‘A certain man went down to Jericho and fell among thieves’. We then see depicted the traveller, robbed and left for dead, being tended to by a Samaritan, the sworn enemies of the Jews, whilst a Priest and a Levite, one carrying a scroll and the other engrossed in his prayer book, each ignoring the plight of his countryman. The script continues ‘A priest a Levite walked by but a Samaritan had compassion and bound up his wounds and brought him to an inn. The final panel shows the traveller in bed with head bandaged, with the Samaritan handed over money to the innkeeper for his board.
The font is plain and octagonal and dates from the 13th century. It is not found in its traditional position at the west end of the nave but rather mid way up the south aisle. I didn’t go in to the vestry but the church guide mentions that there are some ritual protection marks, including a hexfoil, or daisy wheel, a six petalled flower the same as we used to produce at school with a compass and pencil. There are also Marion marks in the form of interlocking letter V's, these being a prayer of protection to the Virgin Mary. Each of these symbols were carved to help protect the church and those inside it from evil.
Moving back outside, there was time for a quick look around the church grounds. There is nothing of any great rarity or interest here, with nothing in the grounds having its own Grade II Listing. It was a peaceful scene on a glorious day, without a single cloud in the sky; a rarity in the winter of 2024, which was recorded by the Met Office at the fifth wettest on record since 1862! This is a very attractive church, photographed in superb lighting!
It was time to hit the road again and we headed south to a communion service at Shefford, some 17 miles away, visiting a couple of (sadly locked) churches on the way.
GREAT PAXTON : CHURCH OF HOLY TRINITY
Church Post Code PE19 6RJ
Open by prior arrangement
After communion at Shefford and a look around Houghton Conquest, we started to head back towards home, via a long circuitous route, and we found ourselves back at the Paxtons, where we had started the day, with the church of Holy Trinity at Great Paxton being our final church of what had turned in to an eight church crawl on the most beautiful of January days.
Great Paxton can be found a short distance away to the north east of Little Paxton; with amusingly Great Paxton being smaller than Little Paxton in terms of population; the former recording a population of 1001 at the time of the 2021 census. The River Great Ouse runs between the two villages, with Great Paxton to be found on the east bank of the river.
The church of Holy Trinity can be found, isolated a little to the extreme north of the village; the church partially hidden in places behind some very large and well maintained bushes; a quiet peaceful spot with my only company being two alpacas in a field to the west, who treated me at first with mild curiosity and then total indifference. The church here is normally closed to visitors but they are very helpful in arranging a visit to those interested in seeing inside; I was a little early and spent a few minutes photographing the exterior until Annette the vicar arrived to kindly open up. It was good to see here again and I am always grateful for the interest shown by some of the local clergy in what I am doing.
This is an important church, which has a rich history. It was originally built as a Minster church around 1050, with the church and a priest being noted here in the Domesday Survey; in land owned by Countess Judith who was the niece of William the Conqueror. This early church was built of stone rather than wood and was cruciform in structure, with a central tower and north and south transepts; giving a lay out in the form of a cross.
The piers of the tower and two bays in the north and south arcades still survive from that mid 11th century church, making this one of the most important Anglo Saxon churches covered by my sites. Will fill in more detail on this a little later when looking at the interior!
The church that we see today consists of west tower, nave with north and south aisles and clerestories, north vestry, south porch and chancel. The chancel was rebuilt during the late 13th century with the west tower added during the 14th century, at which time the nave was shortened, with the south porch being added at that time. The north and south aisles were each rebuilt during the 15th century. The whole church was restored in 1880, at which point the north vestry was added.
Looking at the church from the south, the three stage west tower is buttressed and battlemented, with stair turret to the south east corner. The battlements are of brick, with a rather forlorn looking gargoyle looking out from its central position. Perhaps ‘looking out’ is not the correct term though as it is without a head. We were still in the period of epiphany and a Christmas star was still hanging from the battlements under the gargoyle.
The clerestory consists of two single light windows, with semi circular arches which are edged in ironstone. Over to the west, there is a partial arch remaining which would have also contained a window before the west tower was added in the 14th century. The windows themselves are double splayed, with the glass pane itself recessed in to the middle of the width of the wall. A plain parapet stretches out across the length of the nave and clerestory.
There are no immediate signs pointing to the transepts which once stood here but archaeological excavations in the early 1970’s uncovered the foundations.
At the time of Owen’s study of Huntingdonshire church bells there were five bells in the ring here with that still being the situation today. The first bell had recently been recast when Owen recorded it; and he attributed it to John or William Rufford of Toddington which dated it prior to recasting to between 1350 and 1400. It was inscribed ‘MT Xp TV’ which Owen translates as ‘Mater Christi Virgo’. This bell was re cast by Mears and Stainbank in 1896.
The second was cast by Thomas Russell who worked out of Wootton in Bedfordshire and is inscribed ‘Russell Made Me 1721’. The third of the ring was cast by Joseph Eayre of St Neots in 1756, with the same founder added the fifth of the ring two years later. The fourth of the ring dates to around 1400, from a London founder and is inscribed ‘SANCTA CATERINA ORA PRO NOBIS’ which translates as ‘St Catherine pray for us’.
There are certain things about the exterior which indicates that this is an Anglo Saxon church, such as the deeply splayed clerestory windows. However, it is only upon entering that the importance of this church truly becomes evident. Pevsner writes ‘But the interior is not only a surprise, it is also an architectural shock of a high order’. Simon Jenkins in his book ‘England’s Thousand Best Churches’ says ‘As long as English churches offer surprises such as (Great) Paxton they will survive’.
Pevsner goes on to explain that the only other aisled Anglo Saxon churches in the country are at Blixworth in Northamptonshire and Lydd in Kent and in each of these the arcade piers are unworked chunks of wall. Here though, we have proper piers, making this the only Saxon aisled church with purpose built piers in the country.
It was bright and welcoming inside, despite the basic (but historically important) nature of the clerestory windows; the lack of stained glass here also helping in that respect. There are two bay 11th century arcades to north and south, with a truncated third bay to the west, which would have been altered when the west tower was erected; the altered bay to the north west being particularly narrow.
Taking an initial look at the interior, my attention was obviously taken by the Saxon work and in particular the very tall archers that would have led out to the transepts. The 11th century arcades have semi circular arches, clustered piers and rounded capitals, with square abacus on top. The four arches that would have supported the central crossing tower have finely carved clustered piers; work of great quality and historic importance, leaving no doubts as to the importance of this structure during Saxon times.
To the north of the chancel arch is a doorway which would have led up to the rood loft; a further door higher lead leading out to the rood itself, which would have been a carving of the crucifixion with Mary the mother of Jesus and St John depicted alongside the cross. These were deemed as being idolatrous by the 16th century reformers who wanted to strip worship back to basics and worship God rather than risk worshiping the images that obstructed that relationship. There is a rood in place today, but this one is modern.
Moving in to the chancel the four light east window is of clear glass, with windows to the north and south of the chancel having some green tinted glass. The altar is plain and simple with just a cross and a couple of candlesticks along with a small vase of daffs. The reredos is ornately carved and includes angles standing on plinths, under ornate canopies, holding shields on which are letters, the Alpha and the Omega, the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, the beginning and the end, this symbolising the comprehensive nature of Christ. In the central of three bays we have a depiction of the nativity, with Mary and Joseph tending the Baby Jesus; with angels flanking the scene in the two outer bays.
To the south wall of the chancel is a double sedilia, the seating for the priests during the Mass in pre reformation days. The seats are graduated, with the seat closets to the east, and therefore closest to the holiest part of the church, being a little higher and used during the Mass by those of a higher ‘rank’ and therefore deemed holiest. The piscina is in its traditional position alongside, to the east, this used in the washing of the Holy Vessels used during the Mass.
Looking towards the west the late 14th century tower arch is tall and slender with pointed arch, dating it to later than the arcades, where the fashion of that day was semi-circular arches. This is a very pleasing interior and it was great to be able to see inside this church for the first time.
Moving back outside, the alpacas still couldn’t care less to be honest and a quick look around the church grounds suggested that there was little of any great interest or rarity amongst the gravestones. Nothing in the church grounds has its own listing, with the exception of the base of a churchyard cross, which dates to the 15th century and has a Grade II Listing. This is not in situ having been placed here from elsewhere in the village.
That was the end to the day’s churchcrawl; with it being a successful day, gaining access to each of the Paxton’s churches for the first time. They are in a benefice with Diddington and Southoe with all four of these churches featuring on my site. This is a benefice that I have a great fondness for which I hope is evident from these page entries.