Having had our week near Stansted we headed north. I wanted to visit three churches north west of Huntingdon.
Barham is a little village just off the A14. Many years ago I was the Baptist Pastor of Perry, just beside Grafham Water, a few miles south of here. I said to Andrew, the Vicar of Barham and various other villages that I would love to preach at Barham church. “We only have a service once a month and only get half a dozen, but you’re very welcome.” In the next hamlet was a hospitality house for the USAF run by the Southern Baptists. They had never had anything to do with the Anglicans. Andrew wrote in the village magazine that I was coming, and they decided to come too – it was the biggest congregation (and collection) he had ever had.
Just down the road is Leighton Bromswold. It can be seen for miles. A chancel and aisled nave was built around 1250, but it was derelict by the beginning of the C17. Rebuilding started in 1606, but stopped for lack of funds. According to Izaak Walton, for 20 years the church was “so decayed, so little, and so useless, that the parishioners could not meet to perform their duty to God in public prayer and praises.” In 1626 George Herbert (1593-1633) was presented with the Prebendary of Leighton, whilst he was a don at Trinity College, Cambridge. He was not even present at his institution as it is recorded that Peter Walker, his clerk, stood in as his proxy. George needed to raise about £2,000 to get his church rebuilt. He asked Nicholas Ferrar (of whom more anon) to help rebuild the ruined church but he was fully occupied with his community. Nicholas suggested that his brother, John, should supervise the rebuilding whilst George should try and raise the money amongst his influential friends – he succeeded (though much of the expenses he probably paid himself). Indeed, his mother was concerned about how much he spent, summoned him to London, and advised him to abandon the whole project. He is recorded as having replied to her, “Mother, I ask you to allow me at the age of 33 to become an undutiful son, for I have a vow to God that, if I am able, I will rebuild Leighton Church.” In 1630 George Herbert moved to Bemerton near Salisbury – he may never have seen his Huntingdonshire church completed.
A few miles further north is Little Gidding. Drive down a narrow road (one of those with grass down the middle) and you come to a manor house and small church. When Hannah and Gareth were little (in a pre-Harry world) we loved exploring. There was a religious community here, with wonderful cakes at tea time. The community has been through some difficult years, but seems to be established again – see their website. In 1625 Nicholas Ferrar came to live in the, then pretty derelict, manor house. At the age of 18 he had been elected a Fellow of Clare Hall in Cambridge, travelled extensively on the Continent, and was a Member of Parliament. He came to Gidding to find peace – here he was joined by his brother and sister and their families, and by his mother, and they founded a community based on the Book of Common Prayer. In May 1936 T.S. Eliot visited Little Gidding. A few years later, in the midst of War, he wrote the fourth and final poem of his Four Quartets, a poem called Little Gidding. It includes the line “a place where prayer is valid”.
On this Monday in January Barham church was locked, Leighton Bromwell church was locked, Little Gidding church was – yes, you’ve guessed it – locked. OK, each had a phone number so I could have made some phone calls and asked someone to come and open up, OK, a Monday in January is not prime tourist season, but can we really justify these buildings if they are locked except for an hour a week (or even less)?
Barham is little and slightly unbalanced.
Leighton Bromswold has ancient downpipes.
Little Gidding has snowdrops.
Julie and I are giving a talk about Little Gidding in Ponteland Church Hall on Wednesday 26 February 2014 at 11 am (repeated at 7.30 pm), so I had hoped to get decent photos. It was not to be. We hit the A1 and continued north – rather depressed.
How depressing. I am planning to cycle out to these three in a few weeks time. A friend of mine visited Leighton Bromeswold and Little Gidding back in October – Little Gidding he found open, and the keyholder at Leighton Bromeswold was very welcoming, apparently.
I accept I was unlucky. Little Gidding community seem to be open most of the year (except in January), and I should have phoned ahead for Leighton Bromeswold.
Apologies but Ferrar House was usually closed during December and January during our time. The costs of remaining open were not justified in view of the small number of visitors. Ferrar House is, in fact, a Retreat House (www.ferrarhouse.co.uk) as the community collapsed in 1997. St John’s church is usually open. When the warden of Ferrar House cannot do it then others will drive up with a key whenever they can. The policy is to have the church (which is separate from the House and part of the Parish) open from 9 until 5 and every effort is made to keep it that way but volunteers are needed when the House is closed. Best to phone/email ahead to be certain. We have moved on but a new Warden of Ferrar House is in post.
Thanks Paul. Next time I am heading down the A1 I will phone ahead. Best wishes, Peter
I’ve visited Little Gidding three times in the last 18 months (how time flies!) and found it open every time. And you may be pleased to hear that Leighton Bromswold is also open daily now, with a timelock on the door!
I like the idea of a time lock on the door. Have way through Evening Prayer, the door slams shut, and you can’t escape till morning!
I’m very much afraid that when the door locks you can still get out, but you can’t come in again!
They are becoming increasingly common at churches with a will to be open but without the personpower to open and lock each day. I’ve come across them recently at Lolworth in Cambridgeshire and Hoveton St John in Norfolk.