WOMEN'S FELLOWSHIP

Open to Ladies of all denominations.
Meetings are held once a month, often with a speaker on varying topics and
a cup of tea and raffle
Join us for Fellowship and Friendship
Outings, Christmas and Summer meals.

Contact: Flora Dawson on 822094 or Peggy Ward on 824183

FOURTH WEDNESDAY (Men's Group)

Open to men of all denominations.
Meetings are held on the 4th Wednesday of alternate months
at 7:30 pm in Village (small) Hall for supper at 8:00 pm
followed by a speaker

Voluntary contribution for cost of meal.

 Contact: Terry Rooke on 409916

BELLS

The eight bells at St. Owen's are normally rung every Sunday morning prior to
the 10:30 am service, occasionally for Evensong, and on special occasions.

Practice takes place on Tuesday evenings between 7:45 and 915 pm.

All visitors welcome whether they merely wish to ascend the tower, watch
ringing taking place or try their hand, under STRICT supervision, at the end of
one of the ropes.

We have an annual outing followed by dinner and opportunities
are available to ring at other towers in the area.

For further details contact: Robert Jones on 881741

Brief History of St. Owen's Church

There has been a church on this site for at least 800 years and there are signs which indicate that there may have been an earlier Saxon building here.

According to wills of the C15  the church was originally dedicated to St. Andrew but at an unknown date it became St. Owen's and has remained so ever since.   (St. Owen (610-684) was Bishop of Rouen.) The earliest part of the present building is the north wall in the N. aisle. This is a stone and rubble wall and there are traces of earlier windows and a door clearly visible both on the inside and out.

The Nave is C14 and the Tower C15. The Chancel was originally  C14 century but it was rebuilt in 1868 at the expense of the Hon Elianore Rice Trevor at the same time as the Dynevor Chapel and vestry were built on the instruction of her father the 4th Lord Dynevor. The work was placed in the hands of the eminent Victorian architect, William Butterfield. At this time the three-decker pulpit given by Frances Dynevor in 1685 was removed along with the old boxed-pews. The Rood screen was removed and and the Chancel arch was enlarged to give the spacious open aspect we now enjoy today. When the old pulpit was removed a Saxon consecration cross was found (which shows there was probably an altar there in earlier times) and this is now is displayed above the North door.

In 1906 a fire destroyed the interior of the tower and a few pews at the back of the church. The rest of the furniture and fittings from the main church were removed and saved. The bells, which had been re-hung on metal beams, remained and would have been unscathed had they not been soaked with water from the fire hoses .which caused them to crack. They were re-cast and re-hung and  in 1934 two more bells were added to the original six.  We now have a splendid peal of eight bells which are rung weekly for services and often midweek by visiting ringers.

The church contains many items of interest to the visitor,

At the E. end of the North Aisle there is an alabaster tomb with the recumbent effigy of a knight. He was Sir Lewis Dyve of Bromham Hall who died in 1603. (He was the Grandfather of the later Sir Lewis Dyve of Royalist fame,)

In the Chancel there is a splendid brass which was made in 1435. It shows an armoured knight with an SS collar between two ladies in dresses of the period. This was originally made to represent Thomas Wideville and his two wives.  Exactly 100 years later it was re-appropriated by his Gt.gt.nephew Sir John Dyve, the name plate reversed and re-inscribed saying that it was in memory of himself, John Dyve, and his wife and mother.

The present day has also left its mark for future generations.  In 1992 an Ash screen was placed between the Tower room and the Nave. This was erected in memory of several parishioners whose families paid for the screen.  In 2000 a new East window, designed, made and installed by Michael D. Stokes of Edwinstowe , was donated by John and Angela Cleverley.  The Village Millennium window in the south wall of the Chancel was also the work of the same artist and this window was funded by donations from  villagers.  

Rather unusually, both N. and S. porches each have an upper room reached by an outer staircase. The one over the north porch was probably a lodging for visiting priests in earlier centuries but the one over the South porch used to house a library of books given in 1740 by the then Lord Trevor.  The books are now housed in the County Archives at Bedford.  

Sadly, in this present day, with its isolated position in the park, the church has to be kept locked but it may be open on a Sunday afternoon in summer. At other times visitors please contact either of the Churchwardens for access.

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 Genealogists please note that only the current registers are kept at the church. All others may be found at the Bedford Record Office at County Hall, Bedford. Anyone seeking further information should contact either Churchwarden.

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