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Bedford Gallery Quire Church Tour—5th June 2010 This year we are visiting 4 churches, one Georgian and three Norman, in small villages at the northern tip of Bedfordshire, and crossing the border into Cambridgeshire. Starting with Melchbourne at 10am, we will move on to Upper Dean, have our picnic at Shelton, and finish with tea at Yelden at 4pm. Directions to the start: From the A6 Bedford to Rushden road 9.1 miles from Bedford, 4.5 miles from Rushden take the (right from Bedford, left from Rushden) turn signed Knotting, Melchbourne, Yielden. Drive about 4 miles through Knotting village to Melchbourne then turn right into Park Rd signed village only. Melchbourne – St Mary Magdalene Park Road Melchbourne BEDFORDSHIRE MK44 1BD The village hall, with limited parking, is on the right at the beginning of Park Road. The church is just past the bend at the end of the road. Parking has been made available for us in a paddock in Melchbourne Park. Keep on driving past the church and through the white gates. Go straight ahead and park in the grass field on the right hand side of the road opposite a house called The Old Stables. There is also parking along the verges on Park Road. 10.00am – 10.30am tea and toilets will be available in the village hall. Singing in the church 10.30am – 11.15am History The original structure dates from the end of the 13th century, with a mediaeval tower and early masonry. In 1779 the church was rebuilt and enlarged as a Georgian church of wooden construction, and is now one of the largest churches in North Bedfordshire. The porch is Jacobean. It is furnished throughout with box pews. The St John family pew in the chancel (Baron St John of Bletsoe) has a fireplace which was in use until the 1960s. Melchbourne to Upper Dean: On leaving Park Rd turn right onto Knotting Rd. After 0.3 miles turn right signed Swineshead, after 0.4 miles turn left signed Dean and Shelton. Follow road through Upper Dean across a small bridge over a stream until the road bears left onto High Street. The church is on the left. 1 Upper Dean – All Hallows High Street. Upper Dean. Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, PE28 0ND Use the car park of the school opposite blocking each other in or along verges on the High Street. Sing here from 11.30am – 12.30pm History Nave Roof : 15 th C "specially fine" angel roof. Angels are playing musical instruments or carrying instruments of the Passion (rope, spear, tongs etc). Splendidly carved central bosses and fretted frieze below wall-plate. Note eagles, flowers, grotesque faces and Buddha-like angels. Pews : mediaeval, with buttressed ends (as at Yelden). Chancel Arch : one of the oldest parts of the church. The nail-head frieze at the top of the columns indicates a date before 1300. Note also the grotesque faces on the nearby corbels in the chancel. Pulpit : rare pre-Reformation, similar to that at Yelden. Dillingham Memorial : (above the pulpit): Francis Dillingham, born at Dean, translated the book of Isaiah for the Authorised Version of the Bible, 1611 Upper Dean to Shelton: Continue along High St for 0.1 miles then turn left into Shay Lane (unsigned) and through the ford to the T junction and turn right. After 1.1 miles on entering Shelton turn left marked no through road. The church is on the left. Shelton – St Mary Shelton PE28 0NP Drive past the church and park on the gravel area between the barns on your left. Toilets are available in the farm building on your left. Our picnics may be taken in the Old Rectory garden or the garden of Church Close at 12.45pm Singing in the church 1.45pm – 2.45pm History St Mary’s is a completely unspoilt mediaeval church. Some of the nave arcades are late Norman, the chancel arch and south doorway are 13 th century but the main building is a century later. Notable features are the six-legged Saxon font, the ancient pews, the unusual East window tracery, and the wall paintings. On the North wall is St Christopher, and nearby St Michael weighing souls, with the Virgin tipping the scales. 2 Shelton to Yelden: Return towards Upper Dean following the road past the turn to Shay Lane. At T junction turn right signed Melchbourne and Swineshead. After 1.2 miles at T junction turn right signed Melchbourne and Yelden. After 1.6 miles enter Yelden passing the motte and bailey castle on your left then turn right into Church Lane. Yelden – St Mary Church Lane, Yelden (Sometimes spelled Yielden) MK44 1AX Parking on verges or in cul-de-sacs of Forge Gardens or Stanbrook Way. Sing from 3pm – 4.00pm History St Mary’s is basically 13th century, but with considerable 14th century overlay, built of mellow local stone. Furnishings include architectural features such as the piscina, sedilia and Easter sepulchre, two tomb-recesses in the nave and south aisle, 15th century furnishings: pulpit, font (retaining its original cover), and nave seating. Wall paintings of St Christopher and St James and a sheet of lead with graffiti verse dated 1703. Refreshments afterwards will be in the church and we may use the toilets in the village hall a short walk away. There will be another function in progress but they know we have permission (though may not be expecting nineteenth century ladies and gentlemen). We are very grateful to all the people involved in making these wonderful churches available for us to sing in this year and would encourage you to be generous with your offerings as you leave each one. 3 .

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