St Mary, Ashley

History of St Mary

Listed Building

Parish church. Neo Norman built for the Marquis of Bute, nave 1845, transepts and chancel 1872. Architects, Clark and Holland. Restored 1907.

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1897 09 09
Some extraordinary scenes have been witnessed in the parish church of Ashley, near Newmarket, whose rector is very deaf and far from young. The curate arranged for a harvest thanksgiving service this week and the rector objected to the arrangements. At the morning service the organ was mute owing to the fact that a lady occupied the organist’s seat by direction of the rector and when asked to supply tunes said she should please herself and did not play. The rector and curate entered the church together and the former, after some contention, began the service of the day. When the curate and congregation audibly objected the rector raised his voice to drown the dissent, and all the congregation but three left the church. Thereupon the rector summarily closed the service. Dissatisfaction has been rife amongst the villagers since the time when it is alleged the rector read the burial service at a wedding. The Rector accounts for the mistake by stating that his bookmark was purposely put in the wrong page. (Mike Petty)

1897 10 04
The ancestors of the present generation have made ample provision for decent and orderly worship in Ashley; a valuable tract of land has been set aside to provide a decent stipend for a minister, and an excellent church provided within this century. What does one see now? Badly cultivated land, a deserted and desecrated building, its furniture wilfully damaged, its people driven to neighbouring churches, and their disgusted neighbours told that the law of England provides no efficient remedy. The scandalous state of affairs has been a grief and a sorrow to every true lover of the grand old national Church and many Nonconformists are equally sorry to see such a terrible state of things existing (Mike Petty)