St Mary the Virgin, Little Abington

St Mary the Virgin, Church Lane, Little Abington

History of St Mary the Virgin

Listed Building:

Parish Church. C11 nave and base of tower, chancel early C13 and north chapel later C13, west tower rebuilt early C14, south porch c.1500. Restoration 1885 at expense of vicar A.H.D. Hutton, and architect J.P. St Aubyn employing Mr Rickett, stone mason. Walls of flint rubble with clunch and limestone dressings, C19 red plain tiled roof with patterned ridge tiles.

Historic England

This church had a thatched roof until the 17th century. It was throughly restored in 1885, at the expense of the vicar, by Mr Rickett, the local stonemason, who left his memoirs. He tells us of ‘the old church clerk who took charge of us boys and was sometimes called the ‘Dog Rapper’. He had a very long stick which he could reach all sleepers with.’

For more about the life and works of Charles Kempe see:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Eamer_Kempe