St. Mary, Yelden, Bedfordshire

Description

The church of St. Mary, an almost perfect example of a Decorated church, is a building of stone, consisting of chancel, clerestoried nave of four bays, south aisle, south porch and a western tower with enriched cornice and low octagonal spire, containing a clock and 4 bells, restored in 1886 by Messrs. Taylor, of Loughborough: the chancel retains piscina and sedilia, and on the north side is a late Perpendicular vestry, between which and the chancel is a curious small recess in the wall: in the aisle is a large canopied recess with croeketed pinnacles and rich finials, and near a piscina and a bracket: on the north side of the church is a flat arched recess, with hood moulding and finial, inclosing an altar tomb with a recumbent figure supposed to represent the founder: the front of the tomb displays five quatrefoils inclosing shields; there are also three brasses, one of which has the effigy of a man in trunk hose, cloak and ruff, and is inscribed to Christopher Stickland, gent. 1628, a benefactor to the parish; another, of a priest richly vested, has an inscription in Latin to John Heyne, rector, 1433; the third is a kneeling effigy, with ruff, representing Thomas Barker, rector, 1617: on the south side of the chancel is a stained window to John Fernie M.A. rector, ob. 1870: the church was restored by the rector in 1892 and affords 220 sittings, 60 of which are free.

Church Records

The parish register dates from the year 1653.