St Peter and St Paul, Bassingbourn (RGL22026)

St Peter and St Paul, Bassingbourn

History of St Peter and St Paul

Listed Building:

Parish church. Early C13 tower survived till 1897 and was rebuilt in C14 style. Nave replaced in late C13 by nave arcades, north and south aisles and clerestorey added in c.1350. Chancel c.1330. South porch late C14 restored in C19, external turret to rood screen C15. Vestry built to north side of chancel c.1500 demolished c.1750.

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The Village Voice, February 2022, has an article on the two very old wooden ploughs that were stored in the Church tower for many years. It was common in medieval times to keep the village plough in a church. The two ploughs are now located elsewhere, one at Denny Abbey, the other at the Saffron Walden Museum.

The ploughs in questions are thought however to be much larger than those used for ordinary agricultural work and were possible used as drainage ploughs with a team of horses. A similar plough was kept in the church tower in Barrington but disappeared in 1872. (from Bassingbourn Ploughs by John Jenner)

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1840 (14th Feb) Jane Rumbold, born previous December, died at home. She had been baptised by the local non-conformist minister. The family asked for her to be buried in the parish churchyard but Rev. W H Chapman refused permission. Five times the family tried to bring the funeral cortege. The case was taken to the High Court and the coffin was kept in a recess in a chimney. The baptism was declared valid but the rector still refused to carry out the burial. Five years after Jane’s death she was buried by the vicar of Whaddon. (Grim Almanac of Cambridgeshire, N R Storey)

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