ST NEOTS : CHURCH OF ST MARY THE VIRGIN
Church Post Code PE19 2BU
Open to visitors
It was a sunny May afternoon in 2023, and a return visit to the church of St Mary the Virgin, St Neots. St Neots is the furthest church to the south covered by my websites; being some 30 miles to the south of Peterborough. Google maps helpfully suggests that this could be cycled in a fraction under three hours; which appears to be a little optimistic but will remain untested. Huntingdon is ten miles off to the north, with the Bedfordshire border a short distance off to the west.
St Neots recorded a population of over 33,000 in 2021; making this the largest town in Huntingdonshire. Eynesbury joins St Neots to the south, with the two parish churches being a very short walk away from each other, with Google maps suggesting that I could cycle this in two minutes or walk it in six, which I am far more comfortable with, particularly if there was a tea room between the two so that I could have a rest part way! Eaton Ford joins to the south west. St Neots town centre lies on the eastern ban of the River Great Ouse, with the parish church of St Mary standing central in the town.
The name of the town comes from a 9th century monk called St Neot, whose bones were brought back to a small Saxon monastery at Eynesbury around 980AD, with many pilgrims making the journey to see them; the town of St Neots growing up around this monastery. St Neots is not to be confused with the village in Cornwall called St Neot.
There was no mention of a church or a priest here at the time of the Domesday Survey in 1086, with the first mention of a church here being around 1183, with nothing remaining of that early structure. The church that we see today consists of west tower, nave with north and south aisles and clerestories, north and south porches, north vestry, north and south chapels and chancel.
Parts of the chancel walls date from the 13th century and the north vestry is 14th century. The rest of the church is thought have been rebuilt; starting in the 15th century with the south chapel built first, followed by the nave, aisles and clerestories, porches, north chapel and then the tower, which is thought to have been started around 1485 and was unfinished as late as 1535.
There was restoration here during the 17th century and several further periods of 19th century restoration.
The church here is a real statement piece, with the heavily buttressed three stage tower dominating; the stages separated by friezes of a repeated design. The church clock looks out from the south, with empty image niche below which rests on a carving of an angel who holds a shield, who is flanked by crouching beasts.
The higher stage of the tower is flanked by buttresses with blind arcading; a headless gargoyle ‘looks’ out from the south, flanked by smaller heads with a carving of an angel above, wings unfurled and hands out in blessing.
Carvings of heads peer out from all angles; some seeming to be fairly modern with others of great age; a mixture of human heads and mythical beasts, with these including a very weathered creature with badly eroded tongue out in gesture of insult. One figure has long wavy hair trailing behind it; another scaly dragon like creature with bulging eyes, clings to a buttress and appears to be on the verge of flight.
The south porch is a double decker, with room above, which has a three light window, which at one point contained two 15th century stained glass panels. The room above is known as Dove’s Chamber.
There are an impressive ring of ten bells hanging here, with all of them re cast by Taylor of Loughborough; with the first two dated to 1985 with the rest dated 1919. To get a taste of the history of the bells here though we need to refer back to Rev Owens study of the church bells in Huntingdonshire; which was published in 1899, at which time there were eight in the ring; with details as follows.
All of the eight was recast locally by Joseph Eayre of St Neots in 1753, although one was re cast during the 1830’s. The first of the ring had the inscription ‘GRATA SIT ARGVTA RESONANS CAMPANULA VOCE’ which translates as ‘Pleasant be the sound of this little bell’s clear voice’.
The second bell gives a tiny insight as to what was here before; being inscribed ‘WAS WROTE ON THE OLD SECOND JOHANNES EST NOMAN MEUM’ with the latter part of that reading ‘John is his name’.
The third reads ‘IHS NAZARENVS REX IUDAEORUM FILI DEI MISERERE MEI’ ‘Jesus the Nazarene King of the Jews Son of God have mercy on me’. The fourth is inscribed ‘CVM EGO VOCEM MORTALES MENTEM ATTOLLANT DEO’ ‘with my voice mortals life up their minds to God’.
The fifth reads ‘UT NOS SIC HOMINES INTER SE CONVENIANT’ ‘That we as such may be in agreement with one another’ with the sixth being inscribed ‘OMNIA FIANT AD GLORIAM DEI’ ‘let all things be done for the glory of God.
The seventh of the ring was inscribed with the name of the churchwarden of the day Stephen Scarrow, as was the eighth and final of the ring; having the names William Day and William Peppercorn, with this bell from Eayre being recast by William Dobson of Downham Market in 1832.
Visitors to the church enter in through the north porch; the ‘Church Open’ sign was out and we were good to go. This was a second visit to this church, with the first being on Ride and Stride afternoon back in 2015’ The church was closed that afternoon so this was my first look inside.
Moving inside, it was bright and welcoming. It was a bright and sunny day and there are clerestory windows to let in more light; having said that though there is a great deal of stained glass here with stained glass also in some of the clerestory windows.
There are five bay arcades to north and south and my attention was drawn to a reminder of how things would have been in pre reformation days; a doorway to the north of the chancel arch providing stairs up to the rood loft, which has now been bricked up. At one point the rood itself would have stood here, a large carving of the crucifixion, with Mary the mother of Jesus and John alongside the cross, before views changed and they were destroyed as being idolatrous.
The stained glass at the church here is of great quality, and would be some of the finest, most interesting glass seen in either of my websites looking at the churches surrounding Peterborough. Most of the glass here is by John Hardman Powell whose work can be seen in several cathedrals in Great Britain, as well as the USA, and Australia, where he was commissioned to supply 27 windows for the Cathedral of St Andrew, Sydney.
His work is noted for its vibrant colour and the ‘busy’ nature of the depictions, with many characters and lots to see. The five light east window of the chancel shows Christ in Majesty on the upper level, with the risen Christ, who is seated on a throne and crowned as the King of Heaven, holds a globe and sceptre; and is flanked by the four Gospel writes, along with their associated symbols.
Lower down on this window is the crucifixion. This is a good example of the ‘busy’ nature of Hardman’s work. The crucifixion is central with John abandoning his traditional formal place to the right of the cross as we look at it; moving around to comfort Mary the mother of Jesus, who has collapsed. The background to the crucifixion itself is a symbolic blood red; angels surround the cross, either in flight, wielding censers or catching Jesus’ blood in chalices from wrists and feet. The two outer lights are of interest; with a fight seeming to have developed to the left as we look at it; with a more measured quizzical outlook from those gathered to the right, with puzzled looks and pointing of fingers. Below these is the Roman centurion carrying his spear, interestingly depicted with nimbus.
Against the south wall of the chancel is a late 19th century monument, elaborately carved by sculptor Thomas Earp, who’s most visible work is the Eleanor Cross outside Charring Cross station in London. This remarkable monument stands floor to ceiling, some 27 feet tall, and is to members of the Rowley family, George William Rowley and his wife Jane, along with their second son George Dawson. Father and son died within hours of each other on the same day in 1878 with Jane passing away in 1886. The focal point of this monument is hidden behind railings, Jane on her death bed with hands raised in prayer; her pillow attended by an angel. This was the last work to be completed by Earp, who passed away shortly after this work was finished.
In the south aisle we see a series of four light windows, all from Powell, starting off with a beautiful depiction of Mary and Joseph presenting the Baby Jesus to Simeon in the temple. Simeon holds Jesus, with Anna over to the right with hands at prayer. The sacrifice to the Lord is two doves in a cage, pictured at the foot of the design; this being the desired payment according to Leviticus for those of limited means; this to a certain extend being at odds to the fine nature of Mary and Joseph’s fine cloaks!
Alongside this is Jesus turning the water in to wine at the wedding in Cana. This is another depiction with much going on with no fewer than 26 characters shown in this design. His mother Mary sits bottom right as she watches Jesus perform his first miracle.
After this we see a depiction of Jesus talking to the woman at the well; the disciples arriving with food and water to find Jesus breaking a couple of taboos, talking with a woman and a Samaritan woman at that, the sworn enemies of the Jews. Both Jesus and the Samaritan woman are dressed in fine clothes; making this a scene that is portrayed differently than I had seen it in my mind!
The final of Powell’s designs in the south aisle shows Jesus raising the son of the widow of Nain; Jesus meeting the funeral procession just outside the town gates; this being one of the three recorded instances where Jesus brought a person back from the dead; along with Jairus’ daughter and Lazarus.
Jesus presented to Simeon in the Temple.
Water turned in to wine at the wedding in Cana
The Samaritan woman at the well.
The raising of the son of the widow of Nain
Over in the north aisle we have a telling of the miraculous haul of fishes from Luke Chapter 5 and John Chapter 21. This one is not by Powell; rather it is the work of Heaton Butler and Bayne. Jesus stands central as the fishermen struggle to bring in a massive catch after toiling all day previously for nothing.
We then revert back to Powell and Jesus’ healing at the pool of Bethesda. This is taken from John Chapter 5 where Jesus talks to a man who has been infirm for 38 years. He is at the side of the Pool of Bethesda where it was said that there would be a healing for the first person that entered the water after an Angel of the Lord stirred the water. Jesus and the man are central with a hive of activity around them as people who are infirm are helped towards, or limp slowly themselves towards the water; an angel in flight overhead. Jesus healed the man after he told Jesus that he had no one to help him in to the water.
We then have a scene from the Last Supper, where Mary of Bethany anoints Jesus’ feet with pure nard; this is another ‘busy’ scene and it is worth noting that Judas Iscariot is just exiting the scene to the right, clutching a bag on money as he leaves to hand Jesus over to the authorities. It is always interesting to see how Judas is portrayed in scenes such as this. Often Judas is depicted without nimbus (halo); here he is shown with a black nimbus.
We then have the triumphal entry with Jesus riding a donkey in to Jerusalem on Psalm Sunday, the start of Holy Week. The crowds throng the road, laying palm fronds and their cloaks in front of Jesus; the disciples hold poles which support a canopy over Jesus to protect him from the sun. Again, as fine a window as this it, it is at odds with how I had imagined the scene; with this not reflecting the humility of Jesus as he entered Jerusalem.
The miraculous haul of fishes
Mary of Bethany anoints Jesus' feet
The healing at the pool of Bethesda
The triumphal entry
It is always interesting to look at what is going on high up in the tracery of these windows. In the east window we see a small angelic band playing, with a depiction of the raising of Lazarus; with Mary of Bethany and her sister Martha looking on.
In the south Lady Chapel the east window is of four lights; depicting the adoration of the Magi, a fine portrayal, with golden winged angels worshiping in the tracery above. We also have as two light depiction of the annunciation with a golden haired angel Gabriel appearing to the Virgin Mary, who as always in dressed in blue and accompanied by lilies as a symbol of purity. The Holy Spirit shines down on Mary in the form of rays of light whilst angel musicians play pipes above. A further four light window here shows the adoration of the shepherds; with all three in the Lady Chapel again courtesy of Hardman Powell.
Other glass here includes two windows at the west end, courtesy of Clayton and Bell. The first is a three light depiction of the transfiguration, with Jesus in shimmering white being flanked by Moses, who holds a commandment tablet and Elijah. Below we see Peter, James and John below in prayer, with the former readily identifiable by his receding hairline; help identifying characters being useful due to the almost unreadable Victorian script that accompanies the images!
Secondly, close by we have an exquisitely beautiful depiction of the baptism of Jesus; with two angels holding Jesus’ cloak to one side!
There is stained glass in the south clerestory as well, with this showing several Old Testament characters, each of which is flanked by brightly coloured angelic musicians. The easiest to identify here is King David, who as usual is shown playing a harp.
This is a fine church; with the glass here in my opinion being among the finest that I have covered in my travels for these sites. The church here is normally open to visitors and I found the church office helpful in confirming that it would be open on the day that I visited. An absolute must visit if you are in the area.