Church of St Mary is a
Grade I listed
In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...
church in
Stevington
Stevington is a village and civil parish in the Borough of Bedford in northern Bedfordshire, England. It is on the River Great Ouse four to five miles northwest of Bedford. Nearby villages include Bromham, Oakley, Pavenham and Turvey. West ...
,
Bedfordshire, England. It became a listed building on 13 July 1964.
It is the Anglican
parish church of Stevington, and is part of the
Diocese of St Albans
The first church on this site, as recorded, was started in about 880 AD and the tower is the surviving part of this; the rest of the building was added later, and completed in about 1480. The church underwent significant rebuilding in 1872, sponsored by the
Duke of Bedford who was Patron until 1971.
The church has been without permanent clergy since the early 1980s and has relied upon Non-Stipendiary ministry ever since.
It is currently in interregnum, the last Priest In Charge,
Rev David Hunter
Rev or Rév may refer to:
Abbreviations Rev.
* Rev., an abbreviation for revolution, as in Revolutions per minute
* Rev., an abbreviation for the religious style The Reverend
* Rev., the abbreviation for Runtime Revolution, a development envir ...
, a New Zealander having resigned the post in 2006.
It is believed that the body of
Napoleon Bonaparte
Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...
's valet from his exile on
St Helena
Saint Helena () is a British overseas territory located in the South Atlantic Ocean. It is a remote volcanic tropical island west of the coast of south-western Africa, and east of Rio de Janeiro in South America. It is one of three constitu ...
is buried in the churchyard, however, parish records are incomplete and the brick vault is too weathered for identification.
The interior of the church boasts some particularly intricate Tudor carved pew ends as well as a fine
rood screen
The rood screen (also choir screen, chancel screen, or jubé) is a common feature in late medieval church architecture. It is typically an ornate partition between the chancel and nave, of more or less open tracery constructed of wood, stone, or ...
now moved to the tower.
See also
*
Grade I listed buildings in Bedfordshire
References
External links
St Mary The Virgin Church website
Church of England church buildings in Bedfordshire
Grade I listed churches in Bedfordshire
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