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THE BENEFICE OF DIDDINGTON AND THE PAXTONS

Published: 11th March 2007 14:11

Diddington

St Laurence Church, Diddington

Although mentioned in the Domesday survey of 1086, the nucleus of the present church is the chancel and nave which are of the first half of the 13th century, to which a north aisle was added in 1275. The church was much altered around 1500 when a new south chapel was built, the clearstory was added and the north aisle remodelled with larger windows. Slightly later the tower was built, together with the western angles of the nave, the western bay of the north aisle being pulled down. The south porch is later still and in the 17th century the chancel was shortened and a yellow brick east wall was built. The vestry was added in about 1865 when the chancel was restored and reroofed.

Services:

2nd Sunday of the month - Eucharist at 11.15 am

4th Sunday of the month - Family Service at 11.15 am

Further Information from:

The Vicar, Rev Annette Reed, The Vicarage, 24 St James Road, Little Paxton

PE19 6QW Tel: 01480 211048 Email: rev.reed@btinternet.com or

The Churchwarden, Gerald Carpenter, 25 Lucks Lane, Buckden PE19 5TF

Tel: 01480 810630

Great Paxton

Holy Trinity Church, Great Paxton

The Minster Church of Holy Trinity Great Paxton is one of the few remaining Saxon churches in England. It is very unique amongst English churches as it can only be compared with some 10th and 11th century churches on the continent and appears to derive from Germany.

The church is mentioned in the Domesday survey of 1086, and of this building the piers of a central tower and two and a half bays of the north and south arcades still remain. Originally the nave must have had four bays as evidenced by the position of the porch, and these probably remained until the west tower was built. Meanwhile, the chancel had been rebuilt towards the end of the 13th century and some 50 years later a south porch was built.

Late in the 14th century much reconstruction took place, the western bays of the nave were taken down and a sturdy tower built in their place. The central tower (recording the Minster status) probably disappeared at this time and certainly the east and south arches of the crossing were reformed. In the following century, both aisles were rebuilt, buttresses were added to the chancel and a new east window inserted; somewhat later still, new side windows were put in.

The church was completely restored in 1880, when the vestry was added.

Services:

1st Sunday of the month - Eucharist (BCP) at 9.00 am

2nd Sunday of the month - Family Service at 10.30 am

3rd Sunday of the month - Morning Prayer at 10.30 am

4th Sunday of the month - Eucharist at 10.30 am

Further Information from:

The Vicar, Rev Annette Reed, The Vicarage, 24 St James Road, Little Paxton

PE19 6QW Tel: 01480 21104 Email: rev.reed@btinternet.com or The Churchwardens: Valerie See, 7 Church Lane, Great Paxton PE19 6RJ

Tel: 01480 473851 Email: valsee5@aol.com

Raymond Geeves, 33 Meadow Way, Great Paxton PE19 6RR

Tel: 01480 213546

Church Opening:

The Church is open on Monday mornings from 9.30 to 11.00 am when the Vicar is in attendance and refreshments are served.

Little Paxton

St James' Church, Little Paxton

St James was a "chapelry" as part of the Great Paxton Minster Church of the Holy Trinity dating from Anglo Saxon times, but more recently became a parish in its own right in 1978.

The church consists of a chancel, nave, south aisle, west tower and modern north porch. The church is not mentioned in the Domesday survey of 1086, but a stone church was standing here towards the end of the 12th century, of which considerable parts of the chancel walls remain, together with the reset south door of the church. The chancel arch has been rebuilt at a later date, and new windows were inserted in the chancel during the 14th century. About 1400, the tower was built and the south aisle, with its arcade, about 1500.

The north wall is said to have been knocked down during the civil wars of 1642 - 1646, but was rebuilt and much modified in 1849 when the church was completely restored. At the same time that this restoration work was being undertaken, the arcade was rebuilt, the south aisle much modernised, and the south porch pulled down. In 1998, a new South Porch was added as a legacy from today's worshippers.