Church of St Mary the Virgin is a Grade I listed church in

Henlow Henlow is a village and civil parish in the Central Bedfordshire district of the county of Bedfordshire, England, about south-east of the county town of Bedford. The name Henlow is believed to derive from the old English ''henna hlaw'', meaning ...

Bedfordshire Bedfordshire (; abbreviated Beds) is a ceremonial county in the East of England. The county has been administered by three unitary authorities, Borough of Bedford, Central Bedfordshire and Borough of Luton, since Bedfordshire County Council ...

, England. It became a listed building on 31 October 1966. The original footprint of the church dates back to the 12th century, but the current building dates mostly from the 15th century. The church is mostly in a

Perpendicular style Perpendicular Gothic (also Perpendicular, Rectilinear, or Third Pointed) architecture was the third and final style of English Gothic architecture developed in the Kingdom of England during the Late Middle Ages, typified by large windows, four-ce ...

, with a myriad of monuments and stained glass windows and a three-stage tower, which was added in the 15th century. The tower housed five bells, which were cast in 1628. Although the number of bells was increased to eight in the 20th century, the nearby house still retains its name of ''The Five Bells.'' Originally the nave was aisleless and shorter than it is now (). The north and south aisles were added around the 14th/15th centuries, as was the chancel, whereas the porch is entirely modern. Records show that the church (and the village) have a connection with the

Pilgrim Fathers The Pilgrims, also known as the Pilgrim Fathers, were the English settlers who came to North America on the ''Mayflower'' and established the Plymouth Colony in what is today Plymouth, Massachusetts, named after the final departure port of Plymo ...

; at least three residents, Edward and Ann Tilley, and John and Joan Tilley. Both women died in the first winter. they took one of their nephews,

Henry Samson Henry Samson (c. 16031685) In 1620 Henry Samson travelled as a member of the Edward Tilley family on the historic voyage of the Pilgrim ship ''Mayflower''. The Tilleys died in the first winter but Henry Samson survived to live a long, fulfilling ...

, with them. Samson was baptized in St Mary's. The cemetery is listed with the

Commonwealth War Graves Commission The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) is an intergovernmental organisation of six independent member states whose principal function is to mark, record and maintain the graves and places of commemoration of Commonwealth of Nations m ...

as it has at least 20 graves containing the dead from both the

First First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1). First or 1st may also refer to: *World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement Arts and media Music * 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and rec ...

and

Second World Wars World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

References

External links

Official website
Church of England church buildings in Bedfordshire Grade I listed churches in Bedfordshire

Mary Mary may refer to: People * Mary (name), a feminine given name (includes a list of people with the name) Religious contexts * New Testament people named Mary, overview article linking to many of those below * Mary, mother of Jesus, also calle ...

{{England-church-stub

See also

References

External links