Rutland’s struggles to survive as England’s smallest county, but it has its rivals, including London, Bristol … and Lichfield

Rutland’s name and fame have spread far beyond its small size … the Rutland Fountain in Merrion Square, Dublin (Photograph: Patrick Comerford)

Patrick Comerford

I was musing earlier this week (31 August 2026) on which is the smallest state in Europe, recalling my visits to the Vatican City, San Marino, Malta, Cyprus and the tiny territory of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta,and even stepping on the steps of the former supreme court of Andorra, albeit in French sovereign territory.

In a similar vein, I have sometimes wondered what is the smallest county in England. I have some of the places that make that claim, and as I was researching Monday’s posting on Europe’s micronation, I came across a feature in The Guardian last week (26 August 2026) on how Rutland’s council is due to merge with Leicestershire in 2028 and how some local people are incensed. Lucy Knight asked whether the county can hold on to its ceremonial status.

But is Rutland still the smallest county? Well, that all depends on which list of counties you work from and how you define a county.

The Historic Counties Trust lists 39 English counties, there are 48 ceremonial counties, 84 metropolitan (6) and non-metropolitan (78) counties, and the 48 former postal counties from 1974 to 1996, making England a confusing patchwork of administrative counties, ceremonial counties, postal counties and unitary authority areas.

England’s counties are the source of much regional pride, not least when it comes to cricket. To identify with Yorkshire, Devon or Northumbria is to invite certain expectations about your forthright views or your fondness for cider and clog-dancing. The historic counties continue to be the basis for county cricket teams. Sussex and Yorkshire, for example, continue to be widely recognised as cultural regions, significant in sport and used by many organisations as regional units.

Although Middlesex dates back to the eighth century, Middlesex County Council was abolished in 1965. Yet Middlesex County Cricket Club, and Middlesex University live on, and so too does the historic county of Middlesex, even though most of its inhabitants now live in the ceremonial county of Greater London.

Middlesex has disappeared as a county, but the Fitzrovia Chapel survives as the former chapel of the Middlesex Hospital (Photograph: Patrick Comerford)

A major reform and reorganisation of local government in 1974 redrew the map of England and introduced metropolitan counties such as Greater Manchester, South Yorkshire and the West Midlands. Administrative counties and county boroughs were abolished, England, with the exception of Greater London and the Isles of Scilly, was divided into two types of counties: metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties.

Several counties, such as Cumberland, Herefordshire, Rutland, Westmorland and Worcestershire, vanished from the administrative map, while new entities such as Avon, Cleveland, Cumbria and Humberside appeared, in addition to the six new metropolitan counties.

A review of local government structures led to the Rutland, East Riding of Yorkshire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire being restored as administrative areas in the 1990s, while Avon, Cleveland and Humberside were abolished less than 25 years after their creation. Traditional borders were restored between Somerset and Gloucestershire (except at Bristol), County Durham and Yorkshire (towards the mouth of the River Tees, but not in Teesdale), and Yorkshire and Lincolnshire.

The case of Huntingdonshire was considered twice, but the commission found that ‘there was no exceptional county allegiance to Huntingdonshire, as had been perceived in Rutland and Herefordshire’.

The Duke of Rutland depicted on the Rutland Fountain in Merrion Square, Dublin (Photograph: Patrick Comerford)

Rutland is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands, described by Lucy Knight in The Guardian as a pocket between Leicestershire, Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire, and she repeats the claim it ‘is often considered to be England’s smallest county’.

If we go by the list of historic counties, Rutland is the smallest with a total area of 382 sq km (147 sq miles), and an estimated population of just over 41,000. It has the second-smallest population for a ceremonial county after the City of London.

Rutland is a rural county, and the only towns are Oakham in the west and Uppingham in the south. Rutland is so small that I only remember passing through it on a train between Cambridge and Birmingham that stopped at Oakham.

But despite its size, the name of Rutland has spread far and wide: Parnell Square, one of the oldest Georgian square in Dublin, was laid out in 1753-1785 as Rutland Square, and kept that name until 1933. Charles Manners, Duke of Rutland, was a popular Viceroy of Ireland until he died on 24 October 1787 at the Vice-Regal Lodge in the Phoenix Park, Dublin, now Áras an Uachtaráin, the official residence of the President of Ireland. His memory lives on in the names of Rutland Street, Rutland Place and Granby Row, Dublin, Rutland House and Rutland Street in Limerick, and the Rutland Fountain, an imposing monument in Merrion Square, Dublin, and a second Rutland Fountain in James’s Street, Dublin.

Rutland became a non-metropolitan district of Leicestershire in legislation that took effect in 1974. Under plans for local government reorganisation announced in July 2026, Rutland is about to become part of a new unitary authority area, Leicestershire and Rutland.

The City of London measures just 2.9 sq km, making it the smallest ceremonial county in England (Photograph: Patrick Comerford)

But if we rely on the list of ceremonial counties, then the smallest county in England is the City of London, which includes Saint Paul’s Cathedral, Fleet Street, the Bank of England and the Stock Exchange. It is often known as ‘the Square Mile’, measures just 2.9 sq km (1.12 sq miles) and is the smallest ceremonial county in England and the smallest city in the UK by area.

Although more than half a million people work in the City of London, it has a population of only 8,583 people.

Surrounded by the modern ceremonial county of Greater London, the City is a unique local authority area governed by the City of London Corporation, which is led by the Lord Mayor of London, not to be confused with the elected Mayor of London. It is also part of the Greater London Authority, which shares local government powers in the region with the councils of 32 London boroughs and the City of London Corporation. However, it does not include two historic liberties, the Inner Temple and the Middle Temple, enclaves within the City of London.

Tyne and Wear, including Newcastle, Gateshead and Sunderland, is 540 sq km (Photograph: Patrick Comerford)

If the City of London is removed from the debate, the ceremonial county of Bristol must be taken into account. It measures 110 sq km (42 sq miles) and was part of the county of Avon from 1974 to 1996, but then returned to being an independent county.

The Isle of Wight is usually regarded as part of Hampshire, but is also a ceremonial county and a unitary authority. It has a land area of 380 sq km (146.7 sq miles), so it is marginally smaller than Rutland, but larger than Bristol and much larger than the ceremonial county of the City of London.

Tyne and Wear, including Newcastle, Gateshead and Sunderland, is 540 sq km (210 sq miles); Merseyside, including Liverpool and the Wirrall, is 652 sq km (252 sq miles); and the West Midlands, including Birmingham, Coventry, Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull, Walsall and Wolverhampton, is 902 sq km (348 sq miles).

St Neots is the largest town in Huntingdonshire, now a local government district in Cambridgeshire (Photograph: Patrick Comerford)

All are smaller in area than Huntingdonshire, historically a county in its own right and also, at times, claimed as the smallest county in England. Huntingdonshire has an area of 918 sq km (354.3 sq miles) and boundaries dating from Anglo-Saxon times. It became an administrative county in 1889. It was merged in 1965, with the Soke of Peterborough to form Huntingdon and Peterborough, which in turn was merged with Cambridgeshire and Isle of Ely in 1974 to form Cambridgeshire. Huntingdonshire is now a local government district in Cambridgeshire, and St Neots (33,410) is the largest town.

Cambridgeshire also incorporates the Isle of Ely and the Liberty of Peterborough, each of which was treated as a separate county in legislation in the 19th century.

The Isle of Ely in Cambridgeshire was under the jurisdiction of the Bishop of Ely from 1109 to 1837. From 1889 to 1965, it was an administrative county of about 970 sq km (374.5 sq miles). The Soke of Peterborough, associated with the City and Diocese of Peterborough, was part of Northamptonshire but was had its own county council. The Soke, also known as the Liberty of Peterborough, was abolished in 1965.

We might also consider the shires that were never counties. Large exclaves affected by legislation in 1844 included the County Durham exclaves of Islandshire, Bedlingtonshire and Norhamshire, later treated as hundreds of Northumberland.

Lichfield became a city and county, separate from Staffordshire, in a charter from Queen Mary I in 1553 and remained so until 1888 (Photograph: Patrick Comerford)

But, of course, one of the smallest counties that ever existed, at least in name and with its own sheriff, from the mid-16th century and that will always be my favourite is Lichfield, one of only 18 towns and cities in England to have held county corporate status in the past. A charter from Queen Mary I in 1553 made Lichfield a ‘City and a County’, separate from the rest of Staffordshire, and it remained so for 335 years until 1888.

Richard II gave a charter in 1387 for the foundation of the Guild of Saint Mary and Saint John the Baptist, which effectively exercised the function of local government in Lichfield until it was dissolved by Edward VI, who incorporated the town in 1548, vesting its government in two bailiffs and 24 burgesses.

The corporation established in 1548 probably acquired legal rights to the surrounding land, but the line of the boundary at that date is uncertain. The charter states merely that the limits of the city and its suburbs ‘should extend as far as in times past they have been reputed and considered to extend’.

Queen Mary I’s charter in 1553 repeated this formula. She granted the charter in 1553, the first year of her reign, as a reward thanking the citizens and bailiffs of Lichfield for their loyalty and support during the Duke of Northumberland’s attempt to block her accession to the throne.

The charter separated Lichfield administratively from Staffordshire, making it a county of itself until it was reincorporated into Staffordshire in 1888. The charter also created the ancient office of the Sheriff of Lichfield, and the city remains one of the few towns in England that still appoints to this ancient office.

Queen Mary I’s charter to Lichfield in 1553 … it remained a city and county until 1888

The City and County of Lichfield extended to an area of about 14 sq km (5.4 sq miles), which is larger than the City of London, but smaller than, say, Bristol, the Isle of Wight or Rutland. The area of the Lichfield City remained so until 1934, when it was enlarged to 14.56 sq km with the addition of part of Streethay on the east, and there have been further adjustments to the boundaries since then.

The charter stated that Lichfield ‘should be a city and county of itself, for ever, and not parcel of Staffordshire. That there should be one sheriff of the city and county of Lichfield, to be chosen on the feast of St Thomas’.

The charter required the newly appointed sheriff to ride the boundaries of the city and county, a distance of 16 to 20 miles, every year on the Saturday nearest 8 September, the Feast of the Birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and to inspect and enforce the borders. This tradition continues today through the Lichfield City Council events, and the Sheriff’s Ride this year takes place next Saturday, 5 September 2026.

Daily prayer in Ordinary Time 2026: 47, Tuesday 23 June 2026

‘Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road is easy that leads to destruction (Matthew 7: 13) … the gate behind Erasmus Darwin House leading into Dr Darwin’s Garden and Lichfield Cathedral (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2026)

Patrick Comerford

We are in Ordinary Time in the Church Calendar, and this week began with the Third Sunday after Trinity (Trinity III, 21 June 2025). The calendar of the Church of England in Common Worship today remembers Saint Etheldreda (ca 678), Abbess of Ely. Two days ago (21 June 2026), the Right Revd Sarah Elizabeth Clark was installed as the Seventieth Bishop of Ely in Ely Cathedral.

Before today begins, I am taking some quiet time this morning to give thanks, to reflect, to pray and to read in these ways:

1, reading today’s Gospel reading;

2, a short reflection;

3, a prayer from the USPG prayer diary;

4, the Collects and Post-Communion prayer of the day.

‘Do not throw your pearls before swine’ (Matthew 7: 6) … pigs on a farm at Packington, half-way between Lichfield and Tamwroth (Photograph: Patrick Comerford)

Matthew 7: 6, 12-14 (NRSVA):

[Jesus said to his disciples:] 6 ‘Do not give what is holy to dogs; and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under foot and turn and maul you.

12 ‘In everything do to others as you would have them do to you; for this is the law and the prophets.

13 ‘Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road is easy that leads to destruction, and there are many who take it. 14 For the gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to life, and there are few who find it.’

‘Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road is easy that leads to destruction (Matthew 7: 13) … a narrow gate and a wide gate leading into the former grounds of Wesley College in Dublin (Photograph: Patrick Comerford)

Today’s Reflections:

Our Gospel story (Matthew 7: 6, 12-14) continues our readings from the Sermon on the Mount. Today’s reading from the Sermon on the Mount omits verses 7-11 about prayer, and instead contains teachings of Jesus that at first reading seems to be unrelated. The Sermon on the Mount is an edited collection of sayings on the theme of the qualities found in a true disciple of Jesus.

1, In verse 6 , Jesus warns against giving what is holy to dogs; and do not throw your pearls before swine, lest they ‘trample them under foot and turn and maul you’.

In the ancient world, dogs and pigs represented uncleanness, hostility and worthlessness. They symbolise individuals who do not revere the truth and will instead disrespect it. In many parts of the East Mediterranean, and among Jews and Muslims to this day, dogs and pigs are unclean. And so, consecrated food from sacrifices in the Temple should not be given as food to the dogs.

We may remember how the state of Lazarus’s poverty at the gates of the rich man is made even more abject by describing how ‘even the dogs would come and lick his sores’ (Luke 16: 21).

In his conversation with the Syro-Phoenician woman, Jesus talks about not giving the food of children to dogs (Matthew 15: 21-28; Mark 7: 24-30).

Just as sacred or sacrificial food should not be fed to dogs, precious pearls should not be given to pigs. We might we remember the parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15: 1-3, 11-32), where the pitiable state of the young man is emphasised by saying the only job he could find was feeding pigs and he was so hungry he would have eaten the pigs’ food.

Casting pearls before swine is a proverbial that originates in this passage. It advises us to use discernment and to stop wasting our most precious spiritual truths, wisdom and resources with people who are hostile to Gospel values.

Christ advises his followers not to expose their beliefs indiscriminately to all and sundry. Of course, the Gospel is good news for all, but there are people who subject it to ridicule or who are abusing it for their own political ends. I think this morning of self-styled clerics who have brought crosses and Bibles to the far-right street marches in Britain, or the ‘Christian Nationalist’ pastors who have been allowed to infiltrate Donald Trump’s inner circle in Washington.

Verse 6 is also one of the many examples of poetic parallelism or indiscriminately in the original Greek of the New Testament:

Μὴ δῶτε τὸ ἅγιον τοῖς κυσίν,
μηδὲ βάλητε τοὺς μαργαρίτας ὑμῶν ἔμπροσθεν τῶν χοίρων,

Do not give what is holy to the dogs;
And do not cast your pearls before swine.

The Didache (Διδαχὴ), or ‘The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles’, was an early treatise used by the Church Fathers (Διδαχὴ τῶν δώδεκα ἀποστόλων). In Chapter 9, the Didache quotes prayers that might correspond with what we might call the Consecration and Communion prayers at the Eucharist. But this text also parallels what may have been the Jewish blessing of wine and bread at the time and with which the prayers in Chapter 9 have a close affinity.

μηδεις δε φαγετω μηδε πιετω απο της ευχαριστιας υμων,
αλλ' οι βαπτισθεντες εις ονομα κυριου,
και γαρ περι τουτου ειρηκεν ο κυριος.
μη δωτε το αγιον τοις κυσι.

No one is to eat or drink of your Eucharist
but those who have been baptised in the Name of the Lord;
for the Lord’s own saying applies here,
‘Give not that which is holy unto dogs’ (Didache 9: 5).

If we share sacred truths with people who are actively antagonistic or indifferent to the core values of the Gospel, they will trample them and potentially turn and attack you. We should be as vigorous in denying the Christian claims and credentials of these dangerous political extremists, no matter what religious symbols and labels they abuse, claim and arrogate to themselves, and we should be as offended by this behaviour as we would be if they were to abuse sacramental communion in a similar manner.

2, The second saying in today’s Gospel (verse 12) is a positive way of expressing the ‘Golden Rule’: ‘In everything do to others as you would have them do to you; for this is the law and the prophets’ (verse 12). The Golden Rule is not exclusive to Christianity or the Gospel, and is known in many cultures. The Golden Rule may have been first codified in Babylon in the Code of Hammurabi stele and tablets (ca 1754 BCE). A partial copy exists on a 2.25 metre stone stele, now in the Louvre in Paris, and a copy is on display in the Pergamon Museum in Berlin.

The term ‘Golden Rule’ or ‘Golden Law’ began to be used widely in the early 17th century in England by Anglican theologians and preachers. The earliest known usage is that of Anglicans Charles Gibbon and Thomas Jackson in 1604.

Hillel the Elder (ca 110 BCE to 10 CE), cited this as the most important message of the Torah in his teachings. Once, Hillel was challenged by a gentile who asked to be converted on condition that the Torah was explained to him while he stood on one foot. Hillel accepted him as a candidate for conversion to Judaism but, drawing on Leviticus 19:18, told the man: ‘Do not do to anyone else what is hateful to you: this is the whole Torah; the rest is the explanation; go and learn’ (Babylonian Talmud, Shabbath 31a).

The Golden Rule is often expressed in a negative way: ‘Do not do to others what you would not like them to do to you’. If I lived by the negative maxim, I might observe it by doing nothing at all. But the positive maxim, which Christ teaches in today’s reading, can only be lived out by actively doing good to others.

3, In the third saying (verses 13-14), Christ contrasts the narrow gate with the wide road. To follow the wide road allows me to do just about anything I feel like doing, following my likes and dislikes, my instincts and whims, wherever they lead me along the road of greed and self-centredness, of lies and deceit, of violence and destruction.

But the narrow gate is not for the narrow-minded. It is allowing my life to be guided by truth, principles and values that are at the heart of Gospel teachings. It requires discipline, but in the long run, it is the easier way because it conforms more to the deepest human needs and desires.

‘Do not give what is holy to dogs’ (Matthew 7: 6) … the Famine sculpture on the Quays in Dublin (Photograph: Patrick Comerford)

Today’s Prayers (Tuesday 23 June 2026):

In Pray with the World Church, the prayer diary of the Anglican mission agency USPG (United Society Partners in the Gospel), the theme this week, from 21 to 27 June 2026 (pp 12-13), is ‘Land Taken, Land Remembered’. This theme was introduced on Sunday with a reflection by the Venerable Rosalyn Kantlaht’ant Elm, Director of Indigenous Ministries, Anglican Church of Canada.

The USPG prayer diary today (Tuesday 23 June 2026) invites us to pray:

Creator God, guide your church as it continues the work of truth and reconciliation with Indigenous communities. Give us humility to listen and courage to act with justice.

The Collect of the Day:

Eternal God,
who bestowed such grace upon your servant Etheldreda
that she gave herself wholly to the life of prayer
and to the service of your true religion:
grant that we, like her,
may so live our lives on earth seeking your kingdom
that by your guiding
we may be joined to the glorious fellowship of your saints;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.

The Post-Communion Prayer:

Merciful God,
who gave such grace to your servant Etheldreda
that she served you with singleness of heart
and loved you above all things:
help us, whose communion with you
has been renewed in this sacrament,
to forsake all that holds us back from following Christ
and to grow into his likeness from glory to glory;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Collect on the Eve of the Birth of Saint John the Baptist:

Almighty God,
by whose providence your servant John the Baptist
was wonderfully born,
and sent to prepare the way of your Son our Saviour
by the preaching of repentance:
lead us to repent according to his preaching
and, after his example,
constantly to speak the truth, boldly to rebuke vice,
and patiently to suffer for the truth’s sake;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.

Yesterday’s Reflections

Continued Tomorrow

‘Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road is easy that leads to destruction (Matthew 7: 13) … a narrow gate leading into the Church of Agios Georgios Grotta in Rethymnon (Photograph: Patrick Comerford)

Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicised Edition copyright © 1989, 1995, National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. http://nrsvbibles.org

Saint Etheldreda’s Church, a hidden church close to Hatton Garden, was once the chapel of the Bishops of Ely

Saint Etheldreda’s Church on Ely Place, once the chapel of the Bishops of Ely, is one of the oldest churches in England in use by the Catholic Church (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2026)

Patrick Comerford

On previous visits to the Holborn area in London, I have visited Hatton Garden and Ye Olde Mitre, which is one of the oldest, most hidden and discrete pubs in London. I found it down a narrow alleyway off Hatton Garden that is easy to walk by without noticing, yet it has a fascinating history.

Ye Olde Mitre was originally built in 1546 for the servants of nearby Ely Palace, although it was rebuilt in 1773. It is known for a cherry tree that Elizabeth I and Sir Christopher Hatton – who gave his name to Hatton Garden – are said to have danced around. A stone bishop’s mitre on one wall may be from either the old palace or the gatehouse.

But each time I visited Hatton Garden and Ye Olde Mitre in the past, I had neglected to continue on down the narrow alley to Ely Place. When I did so on my most recent visit to Holborn, I was rewarded not only with finding myself on Ely Place but also with a visit to Saint Etheldreda’s Church, once the chapel of the Bishops of Ely, who had their London residence at Ely Palace or Ely House. Today, it is one of the oldest churches in England in use by the Catholic Church.

Ye Olde Mitre in a hidden alley between Hatton Garden and Ely Place, is a reminder of the presence of the Bishops of Ely (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2026)

Ely Place is a gated cul-de-sac of terraced houses near Holborn Circus in the London Borough of Camden. The street is just a minute’s walk from the bustle of Holborn and the busy diamond and jewellery shops of Hatton Garden. The street is a quiet enclave and is privately managed by its own body of commissioners and beadles.

Ely Place sits on the site of Ely Palace or Ely House, the London residence of the Bishops of Ely from 1290 and 1772. The bishop’s palace and surrounding land was later sold and redeveloped into Ely Place, and only the bishop’s mediaeval chapel was preserved, which today is Saint Etheldreda’s Church.

John de Kirkby bought the land in this part of Holborn in 1280. He became Bishop of Ely in 1286 and he left the estate to the Diocese of Ely when he died in 1290. The mediaeval Bishops of Ely often held high offices of state requiring them to live in London and Ely Palace was their official residence.

The cloister steps leading to the upper chapel in Saint Etheldreda’s Church (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2026)

Shakespeare refers to Ely Palace or its grounds in two plays, Richard II and Richard III. John of Gaunt moved to the palace in 1381 after the Savoy Palace was destroyed during the Peasants’ Revolt. In King Richard II, this where he delivers the speech in which he refers to England as ‘this royal throne of Kings, this sceptre’d isle’.

Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon attended a feast given in 1531 by the Bishop of Ely, Nicholas West, which is said to have lasted for five days. The sumptuous feast is rumoured to have been one of the first public signs of trouble in their marriage as Henry VIII and Queen Catherine dined in separate rooms.

James Butler (1496-1546), 9th Earl of Ormond, was visiting London with his household on 17 October 1546, when they were invited to dine at Ely Palace as guests of the Bishop of Ely. Butler, who had served in the household of Cardinal Wolsey in his youth, had crossed Sir Anthony St Leger, the Lord Deputy of Ireland, and was poisoned along with his steward, James Whyte, and 16 of his household, probably on St Leger’s instructions.

John Lesley, Bishop of Ross, was acting on behalf of Mary Queen of Scots when he was held at Ely House under house arrest from 14 May until 17 August 1571.

The crypt or lower chapel in Saint Etheldreda’s Church (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2026)

The estate was granted to Sir Christopher Hatton in 1577 and a new lease gave Hatton control of the freehold. He gave his name to Hatton Garden which now occupies part of the site.

The estate was sold to the Crown in 1772, and the cul-de-sac that is now Ely Place was built by Robert Taylor. Edmund Keene, Bishop of Ely, commissioned a new Ely House, built by Taylor on Dover Street, Mayfair.

Ely Place retained its anomalous status into 1920s, supposedly remaining under the jurisdiction of Ely in Cambridgeshire and not part of London. Beadles guarded the entrance and closed the gates to all strangers. Even the police had to ask permission to enter, and beadles’ voices could be heard calling out throughout the night.

Saint Etheldreda’s Church is dedicated to Æthelthryth or Etheldreda, the Anglo-Saxon saint who founded the monastery at Ely in 673 (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2026)

Saint Etheldreda’s Church was the chapel of Ely Palace or Ely House, the London residence of the Bishops of Ely. It is dedicated to Æthelthryth or Etheldreda, the Anglo-Saxon saint who founded the monastery at Ely in 673. The building dates from between 1250 and 1290 and is one of only two surviving in London from the reign of Edward I.

After the Tudor Reformations, the Bishops of Ely continued to oversee the chapel. Richard Cox, Bishop of Ely, leased part of the house and lands surrounding the chapel to Sir Christopher Hatton, a favourite of Elizabeth I, in 1576. Hatton borrowed extensively from the crown to pay for the refurbishment and upkeep of the property, and while he was the tenant the crypt was used as a tavern.

In the early 17th century, the chapel briefly became a haven for English Catholics when the upper church was granted to the Spanish ambassador, Diego Sarmiento de Acuña (1567-1626), Count of Gondomar, in 1620 to use as his private chapel. It was regarded as Spanish soil and so Catholics were allowed to use the church. But in the midst a diplomatic dispute between England and Spain, Gondomar was recalled to Spain two years later and his successor was not given use of the chapel.

Inside Saint Etheldreda’s Church, restored by Sir George Gilbert Scott (1811-1878) to its 13th century designs (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2026)

In an incident known as the ‘Fatal Vespers’, 95 people were killed on 26 October 1623 when the upper floor of Hunsdon House, the residence of the French ambassador in Blackfriars, collapsed when 300 people were gathered to hear a clandestine Catholic sermon; 19 of the victims were buried in the crypt of Saint Etheldreda’s.

Matthew Wren (1585-1667), Bishop of Ely (1638-1646, 1660-1667) and uncle of the architect Sir Christopher Wren, worshipped at Saint Etheldreda’s before he was imprisoned in 1641. The palace and the church were requisitioned by Parliament in 1642 for use as a prison and hospital during the English Civil War. During the Cromwellian era (1649-1660), most of the palace was demolished and the gardens were destroyed.

Legislation in 1772 allowed the Bishops of Ely to sell the property to the Crown. The site, including the chapel, was sold on to Charles Cole, a surveyor and architect. He demolished all the buildings on the site apart from the chapel and built Ely Place. The chapel was extensively refurbished in the Georgian style and was reopened in 1786. It was taken over in 1836 by the National Society for the Education of the Poor, which hoped to convert the Irish Catholic immigrants then moving into the area, but the church closed again a short time later.

The East Window by JE ‘Eddie’ Nuttgens is generally regarded as his finest work (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2026)

The Revd Alexander D’Arblay of Camden Town Chapel, a son of the novelist and diarist Fanny Burney, reopened Ely Chapel as a place of Anglican worship in 1836, but died within a year on 19 January 1837. The church was leased in 1843 to Welsh Anglicans, who held services there in the Welsh language.

When the chapel was put up for sale by auction in 1874, it was bought by Father William Lockhart, a former Anglican and a priest in the Rosminian order. The Institute of Charity or Rosminians had worked in Nottingham and Leicester and later in North London, and Cardinal Henry Manning wanted them to work in the slum areas of Holborn.

Lockhart, who was the Rector of the North London Mission, was chosen for the task. He had been a friend in Oxford of Cardinal John Henry Newman, and it is said that Lockhart’s decision had finally convinced Newman that he too should become a Roman Catholic.

Lockhart learned in December 1873 that Saint Etheldreda’s was about to be sold at auction. He faced competition from the Welsh Episcopalians, who had the backing of a Welsh steel magnate. But at the sale, the Welsh made a mistake: they thought Lockhart’s agent was theirs, they stopped bidding, and Saint Etheldreda’s was sold to the Rosminians for £5,400.

John Francis Bentley, the architect of Westminster Cathedral, designed the choir screen (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2026)

Under Lockhart’s direction, the crypt and upper church were restored by the prolific Gothic Revival architect Sir George Gilbert Scott (1811-1878) to their original 13th century designs. John Francis Bentley (1839-1902), the architect of Westminster Cathedral, designed a choir screen incorporating a confessional, an organ and a choir gallery; his other works include Holy Rood Church, Watford. The royal coat of arms, added during the reign of Charles I, was moved to the cloister. A relic donated by the Duke of Norfolk was said to be a piece of Saint Etheldreda’s hand, and is kept in a jewel cask to the right of the high altar.

The restoration was completed in 1878, the year Scott died, and a Catholic Mass was celebrated in Saint Ethelreda’s for the first time in over 200 years. The upper church was reopened on the Feast of Saint Etheldreda, 23 June 1879.

Saint Etheldreda’s includes a chapel or upper church, and a crypt or undercroft, and is used for Masses, Baptisms, weddings and funerals. Because Saint Etheldreda was traditionally invoked for help with throat infections, the Blessing of the Throats is held annually in the chapel.

The Royal Commission on Historical Monuments scheduled the chapel as an ancient monument in 1925. But during the Blitz, the church was hit in May 1941 by a bomb that tore a hole in the roof and destroyed the Victorian stained glass windows. It took seven years to repair the structural damage.

The West Window by Charles Blakeman (1964) depicts Catholic martyrs during the Reformation era (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2026)

The interior of Saint Etheldreda’s is said to have the largest expanse of stained glass in London. The east window by JE ‘Eddie’ Nuttgens, generally regarded as his finest work, one of the few in which he ‘let his imagination take command and soar’, was installed in 1952. It depicts the Trinity (centre), the four evangelists Matthew, Mark, Luke and John (top row), as well as the Virgin Mary (left) and Saint Joseph (right), with Saint Etheldreda of Ely (far left) and Saint Bridget of Kildare (far right). At the base, Nuttgens has placed a sturdy version of the Last Supper mostly in bright golds and reds whose clearly articulated composition surely reveals the influence of his friend and neighbour Eric Gill.

Later, his pupil and friend Charles Blakeman created stained glass for the nave, west window and crypt. The West Window by Blakeman was added in 1964, depicting Catholic suffering during the Reformation. Three Carthusian monks and two other priests were put to death for refusing to acknowledge Henry Vlll as head of the Church are shown in the centre of the window, while Christ triumphant hangs on the Cross above the Tyburn Gallows.

The windows in the south wall depict scenes from the Old Testament, and the windows in the north wall show scenes from the New Testament.

Two groups of four statues of English Catholic martyrs from the reign of Henry VIII and Elizabeth I were installed along the north and south walls In the 1960s. They include Saint Edmund Gennings, Saint Swithun Wells, Saint Margaret Ward, Blessed John Forest, Blessed Edward Jones, Blessed John Roche, Saint Anne Line and Saint John Houghton.

For many years, Saint Etheldreda’s was the oldest Catholic church building in England, but since 1971 that place has been taken by the 12th-century church of Saint Leonard and Saint Mary in Malton, North Yorkshire. Saint Etheldreda’s has been fully restored and is an active church today. The crypt, also used as a chapel, is a popular, atmospheric venue for baptisms.

The steps leading down to the crypt in Saint Etheldreda’s Church (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2026)

Pilgrims visit the church as a stopping point on the London Martyrs’ Way, a pilgrimage route developed by the British Pilgrimage Trust and to venerate the hand relic of Saint Etheldreda.

Saint Etheldreda’s Church is open Monday to Saturday, 8 am to 5 pm, and Sunday 8 am to 12:30 pm. The nearest tube stations are Chancery Lane (Central Line) and Farringdon (Circle, Hammersmith and City and Metropolitan Lines). Ye Old Mitre is only open Monday to Friday.

Sunday Masses in Saint Etheldreda’s Church are at 9 am (English) and 11 am (Sung Latin); Weekday Masses are at 1 pm, Monday to Friday; Masses on holy days are at 1 pm and 6 pm.

Ely Court, a narrow alley running between Ely Place and Hatton Garden (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2026)

The Fenland Black Oak Table in Lichfield Cathedral and the call to build welcoming communities from which no-one is excluded

The Fenland Black Oak Table is ‘in residence’ in Lichfield Cathedral until Easter (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2026; click on images for full-screen viewing)

Patrick Comerford

The Fenland Black Oak Table is a spectacular 13-metre table made from a section of 5,000-year-old black oak, and is ‘in residence’ in Lichfield Cathedral until Easter, with opportunities to learn about the ancient black oak from which it is made and the many centuries of history it has witnessed.

During my visit to Lichfield Cathedral, as well as taking part in the daily cycle of liturgy and prayer, and spending time at the exhibition of icons by Hanna-Leena Ward, I also spent time on Mondat afternoon viewing the ‘Table for the Nation’, which has been on display or in residency in the cathedral since last May.

The table is a magnificent piece of craftsmanship and also provides a focal point for community events, hospitality, worship, and services. Visitors are invited to discover more about the table from accompanying information panels. But is not merely an object to be looked at and admired. The table has been designed to be used and it has become a focal point for a number of events and activities throughout its year, organised by the cathedral, and by charities, businesses and community groups.

The accompanying exhibition offers insights into the project and a timeline of events across 5,000 years, and panels detail the history of black oak or bog oak and the 10-year project that turnrd the wood into a functioning table.

In her introduction to the exhibition, the Dean of Lichfield, the Right Revd Jan McFarlane, speaks of being fed at Holy Communion with ‘the living bread in whom all our hungers are satisfied’ and she points out that the table is at the heart of every church, including Lichfield Cathedral:

‘It’s a place of meeting, of hospitality, of being. It’s a constant reminder that God calls us to live in communion with him and with one another, building inclusive and welcoming communities from which no-one is excluded. It’s a reminder of God’s abundant generosity towards us, and how in response to that generous love, we’re to go out and care for our world, seeking to give rather than expecting to receive.’

The Fenland Black Oak Table is a 13-metre table made from a section of 5,000-year-old black oak (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2026; click on images for full-screen viewing)

The Fenland Black Oak Table is made from a 5,000 year old tree and Dean McFarlane sees it as a reminder of ‘the wonder of God’s creation and the future of our fragile world, together with our responsibility to care for, and conserve, it for future generations. And as we reflect on the skill of those who have created such a stunningly beautiful table we can be gently challenged to consider the impact our lives, our actions, and the right use of our God-given gifts, might have on those around us.’ She sees the table’s place in the cathedral ‘as a constant reminder of all of this, and as a meeting place for feasting, conversation and gentle challenge.’

The Jubilee Oak Table was made from a 5,000-year-old sub-fossilised black oak tree found in the Fens. It is believed the tree was originally more than 55 metres tall, before falling into the peat where it lay undisturbed for 5,000 years. By comparison, a present-day oak tree is around 20 metres high. The project was 10 years in the making with a team of furniture makers, led by the project leader, Hamish Low, the lead designer Mauro Dell’Orco and the craftsman, Steve Cook.

The Fenland Black Oak project carefully dried and processed the wood and worked with designers to find the best way to preserve the rare discovery. They chose a table as it allowed the wood to be kept at its full length, and to be viewed in all its glory.

This unique example of black oak is one of the rarest forms of timber in the world. It was discovered in 2012, the year of Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee, during routine cultivations on a farm in the Wissington Fens in south-west Norfolk. After its discovery, a team of specialist craftspeople successfully milled and dried 10 beautiful, consecutive planks that were unlike anything ever seen before.

The Jubilee Oak Table was designed to display the length of those planks, and to illustrate and evoke the sense of wonder at the scale of the ancient high forests. This effect was achieved by reducing the visual impact of the under-structure. The design of the top has remained sympathetic to the integrity of the Jubilee Oak. The planks have retained their full length and techniques were developed to enable their individual shapes to be highlighted.

The table has only two pairs of narrowly shaped pedestals joined by a long and slender curved spine that cantilevers by more than three meters at each end. Fourteen ribs are fixed each side of the spine to support the planks. The material is bronze, chosen for its embodied permanence and archaeologists fix it in a transitional period between the Stone Age and the Bronze Age. The bridge construction is both functional, to support the top with the minimum number of parts, and metaphorical, to cross 5,000 years of history.

Because of the length and size of the table, size, the two outer planks can be folded down reducing the width of the table to just 900 mm. Twelve sets of casters positioned under the pedestals allow it to be moved silently and by just two people.

The project was completed in 2022, the year of Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee, and the table was unveiled at Ely Cathedral by Princess Anne on 17 May 2022. It remained at Ely Cathedral until February 2023, then had a year’s residency at Rochester Cathedral from March 2023, and in Lincoln Cathedral from April 2024 as part of ‘Our World; God’s Creation’, a year-long celebration of sustainability, communities and the environment. King Charles visited Lichfield Cathedral in October 2025 to see the table.

The Fenland Black Oak Table – a ‘Table for the Nation’ – has inspired ‘Come to The Table’, this year’s Lent Course at Lichfield Cathedral. The course on Wednesdays in Lent runs from 25 February to 1 April. It explores how Jesus brings healing, builds community and gathers people together around the table. The weekly sessions, from 7 pm to 8:30 pm, include open discussion and space to reflect on how we might become a force for good in a community in need of faith, hope, and love.

• ‘A Table for the Nation’ is in residency at Lichfield Cathedral until Easter.

The Fenland Black Oak Table – a ‘Table for the Nation – has inspired ‘Come to The Table’, this year’s Lent Course at Lichfield Cathedral (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2026; click on images for full-screen viewing)

Saint Mary’s Church in St Neots, the ‘cathedral of Huntingdonshire’, and its Victorian stained-glass

Saint Mary’s Church in St Neots is one of the largest mediaeval churches in modern Cambridgeshire (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2024)

Patrick Comerford

The parish church in St Neots is – surprisingly – not dedicated to Saint Neot. Instead, like the neighbouring parish churches in Eynesbury and Eaton Socon, the church is dedicated to Saint Mary the Virgin, the mother of Christ.

The church been called the ‘Cathedral of Huntingdonshire’ and it became one of the largest mediaeval churches in modern Cambridgeshire when the former country of Huntingdonshire was incorporated into Cambridgeshire.

Saint Mary’s is a late 12th-century parish church that was almost completely rebuilt in the 15th century. The tower is a distinctive local landmark and a symbol of the town, and church has an impressive collection of Victorian stained-glass windows.

Saint Mary’s is a late 12th-century parish church that was almost completely rebuilt in the 15th century (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2024)

The remains of Iron Age settlement have been found in the town centre. Later, a Roman encampment was located there, and in Anglo-Saxon times it became known as Eynesbury, after Ernulf, a local leader.

A priory was established immediately north of Eynesbury in the late 10th century. The landowners, Leofric and his wife Leoflaed, sometimes called Alric and Ethelfleda, realised the relics of a saint would attract pilgrims and their money to the priory. They acquired the remains of Saint Neot, a ninth century monk who had founded a monastery near the present-day Cornish village of St Neot and who died ca 877.

The saint’s relics were moved to the priory near Eynesbury ca 974-980, leaving only his arm in Cornwall. Soon, pilgrims were visiting the priory in large numbers and a separate town grew up around the priory.

The Benedictine priory in Eynesbury was a dependency of Ely Abbey and may have been nearer the river, north of the Market Square. But an alternative view suggests the priory was on the site of what became Saint Mary’s Church. When a future Archbishop of Canterbury, Saint Anselm, was Abbot of Bec (1078-1093), he visited the priory ca 1080 to see Saint Neot’s remains and initiate the refoundation of the priory.

The priory became rich and famous, and the area became known as St Neots, which developed by the river. St Neots became a separate parish from Eynesbury sometime between 1113 and 1204.

A market developed close to the priory ca 1120. When this parish church was first built, it was staffed by priests from the priory. The priests from the Priory were followed in the 13th century by vicars. It is not clear whether there was an earlier place of worship on the site of the church before then.

The oldest parts of the church are the lower walls of the east end (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2024)

The oldest parts of the church are the lower walls of the east end, including a blocked north window and a simple arched vestry doorway, and date from the late 12th century, possibly ca 1180.

The earlier, smaller church, was completed before 1200, was extended from time to time, and was in use for 200-250 years. Most of the rest of the church was built in the mid-15th century, and the 15th century nave belongs to the Perpendicular period of architecture. The tower was completed ca 1530, and is 39.6 metres (130 ft) high to the top of the pinnacles.

In mediaeval times, the chancel arch had a wooden screen, and fragments of it were found in the 1960s. Above the screen was a gallery, reached by a spiral stair through a now-blocked doorway. On this stood the figure of Christ on the cross (the rood) with the Virgin Mary and Saint John at either side. These were removed during the Tudor reformations in the 16th century.

Other wooden mediaeval screens remain in place, including the four screens that divide the two east-end chapels from the chancel and the side aisles. They date from ca 1480-1500.

The chancel is the oldest part of Saint Mary’s Church (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2024)

The chancel is the oldest part of the building. It dates from the late 12th century, but is also the part of the church most affected by Victorian restoration. The east wall was rebuilt in 1855. The altar rail, the altar and its surrounds, the choir pews, the tiled floors and the three stalls and front were all installed in the 19th century. The chancel roof was restored in 1901.

The mediaeval windows were systematically destroyed during the 16th century Reformation and by Puritans in the 17th century. The installation of new windows began after the pews were refurbished in 1847, and a new organ was installed in 1855, and the present windows have a notable planned scheme. The vicar at the time (1854-1864), the Revd Charles Lyndhurst Vaughan, was a prominent Tractarian and he was supported by the Rowley family.

Most of the windows are by John Hardman & Co of Birmingham, and were designed by Hardman’s nephew John Hardman Powell, a son-in-law of the architect AWN Pugin. Three of the windows appeared at Paris exhibitions in 1867 and 1878 and one appeared at the Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia in 1876.

The Great East Window by Hardman shows in the upper level shows Christ enthroned in majesty, and in the lower level depicts the Crucifixion (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2024)

The Great East Window by Hardman was given by subscription after the wall was repaired in the 1860s. The upper level shows Christ enthroned in majesty, with the symbols of the four evangelists at his feet, and angels and archangels in attendance at his side, and a choir of angels is above.

The lower level depicts the Crucifixion. The cross appears to sprout leaves, as a symbol of the life that flows from it. The sky above Jerusalem turns dark red. Angels gather the precious blood flowing from Christ’s wounds. At his feet are (from left): the soldiers gambling for his clothes; the Beloved Disciple comforts the Virgin Mary; Mary Magdalene and another woman look on; the Centurion confesses his faith; and several men, possibly members of the Sanhedrin and perhaps Joseph of Arimathea.

The Resurrection window to the south of the High Altar in the chancel (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2024)

The Resurrection window (1859) to the south of the High Altar in the chancel is by Hardman and in memory of David Rowley. It shows three scenes: the angel telling the women that Christ is risen; the startled guards; and Mary Magdalene meeting Jesus in the garden. It was the first window in the Victorian scheme of windows in the church.

The flamboyant Rowley family memorial tomb in the chancel is mediaeval in style, but was installed in 1893 and the gold-painted gates were added later. It was designed by the architect Frederick A Walters, and was the last work of the sculptor Thomas Earp. Charles Percival Rowley was closely involved in the creation of the tomb and the stained glass windows throughout the church.

In front of the chancel, the square nave altar was made in 1998 using elements from older altars and a local table. Its shape was inspired by the 20th century continental liturgical movement.

The square nave altar in front of the chancel was made in 1998 (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2024)

The two side chapels beside the chancel at the east end of the church were built as part of the 15th century expansion of the church, and each belonged to a guild.

The Jesus Chapel belonged to the Guild of Jesus. It was built with a more elegant dressed stone exterior, but the decoration in the roof was simpler than in other parts of the church.

When the Nave was filled with pews in 1847, the Jesus Chapel became the home of the main organ. Later cupboards and equipment obscured or hid several memorials. The window in the Jesus Chapel, depicting the Trial before Pilate, was designed by Charles Eamer Kempe and is in memory of Caroline Rowley, who died in 1900.

The Lady Chapel once belonged to the Guild of Saint Mary and was reordered in 1961 (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2024)

The Lady Chapel, which belonged to the Guild of Saint Mary, was reordered in 1961. The small late-Elizabethan communion table in the Lady Chapel may have been the main altar in the church until the High Altar was installed in the 19th century. Two mediaeval stalls in the Lady Chapel came from Milton Ernest in 1848, and may have come from Warden Abbey originally.

The east window in the Lady Chapel depicting the Adoration of the Magi (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2024)

The east window in the Lady Chapel depicting the Adoration of the Magi is by Hardman and the gift of CP Rowley. It was exhibited at the Paris Exhibition in 1867.

The Annunciation window in the Lady Chapel (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2024)

The Annunciation window in the Lady Chapel is by Hardman and is a memorial to Vaughan’s successor, the Revd Charles Collier, who died of epilepsy after only a year in office.

The south window in the Lady Chapel depicts the Nativity and the Adoration of the Shepherds (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2024)

The south window in the Lady Chapel depicting the Nativity and the Adoration of the Shepherds is by Hardman and is the gift of CP Rowley.

The Presentation window at the east end of the south aisle (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2024)

Moving from the Lady Chapel down the south aisle, the Presentation window by Hardman is in memory of William and Elizabeth Day (1869).

The Wedding at Cana … a window in the south aisle (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2024)

The Wedding at Cana window by Hardman is the gift of CP Rowley.

The Samaritan Woman at the Well … a window in the south aisle (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2024)

The Samaritan Woman at the Well, a window by Hardman and the gift of CP Rowley, was exhibited at the Paris Exhibition in 1878.

The Widow of Nain … a window at the west end of the south aisle (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2024)

The window with the Widow of Nain and smaller panels with miracles by Jesus, is by Hardman and is the gift of CP Rowley following the death of his father and brother on the same day in 1878.

The great West Window shows the Four Doctors of the Western Church and four figures in the history of the English Church (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2024)

The windows at the west end are by Clayton and Bell. The great West Window is in memory of the Revd Charles Collier, Vicar in 1865-1866. At the upper level, it shows the Four Doctors of the Western Church: Saint Ambrose of Milan, Saint Jerome, Saint Augustine of Hippo and Saint Gregory the Great. T the lower level shows four figures in the history of the English Church: Saint Alban, Saint Augustine of Canterbury, Saint Ethelbert, King of Kent, and the Venerable Bede.

The south-west window showing the Baptism of Christ (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2024)

The other two windows at the west end are in memory of local doctors. The south-west window showing the Baptism of Christ is in memory of Dr Samuel Allvey and Mrs Sarah Allvey.

The north-west window showing the Transfiguration (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2024)

The north-west window showing the Transfiguration is in memory of Dr Joseph Rix and Mrs Helen Rix (1879).

The Miraculous Catch of Fish … a window at the west end of the north aisle (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2024)

Moving from the west end along the north aisle, first window with the Miraculous Catch of Fish is by Heaton, Butler and Bayne and in memory of Collier’s successor, the Revd George Bowes Watson (1866-1875). Robert Bayne had previously worked with Clayton and Bell. The whole window is filled by a single striking picture. br />

The healing at the Pool of Bethesda … a window in the north aisle (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2024)

The Hardman window showing the healing at the Pool of Bethesda is the gift of CP Rowley and was exhibited at the Paris Exhibition in 1878.

Mary anoints the feet of Jesus … a window in the north aisle (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2024)

The Hardman window with the Anointing of Jesus’ feet by Mary of Bethany was the gift of CP Rowley after the Philadelphia exhibition (1876).

The Entry into Jerusalem (Palm Sunday) … a window in the north aisle (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2024)

The Hardman window of the Entry into Jerusalem was the gift of CP Rowley (1869).

There are also windows by Hardman and CE Kempe in the Jesus Chapel, but they are hidden by a curtain.

The windows in the south clerestory depict Old Testament figures (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2024)

The windows by Clayton and Bell in the south clerestory depict Old Testament figures accompanied by angels: Moses, Miriam, Barak, Deborah and David (1879).

Apart from the chancel ceiling, all the roofs date from the 15th century. They are filled with intricately carved woodwork on all the main crossbeams, as well as on the cornices.

The eight-sided font at the west end of the church (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2024)

The eight-sided font at the west end of the church is a crude and rough structure on a squat round base, and is believed to be as old as the first church on the site.

The carved pulpit dates from the 1860s (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2024)

The pulpit dates from the 1860s and has carvings of Saint Peter and Saint Paul and the four evangelists with their traditional symbols.

Throughout the church, there are memorials to local families, including the Fowler, Hatley, Gorham and Day families, and to some former clergy.

The 18th century royal coat of arms above the south door (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2024)

The 18th century royal coat of arms above the south door originally sat at the top of the organ case. The church had an organ before the Reformation. The first modern organ was built by Justinian Morse in 1749. It stood in the arch of the west tower until 1847, when it was moved to the Jesus Chapel.

The organ was replaced in 1855 with an organ built by George M Holdich of London. It has been restored in 1900, 1972 and 2006. The small organ, beside the entrance to the Lady Chapel was built by the Revd Roger Henthorne in 2003 from second-hand materials.

The 15th century south porch with a room above the porch (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2024)

The south porch dates from the 15th century. A room above the porch is known as the Dove chamber, after a 17th century vicar who used it as his study. But it has been the home of the heating system for several decades and cannot be used for access.

The north porch, now the main entrance to the church, was first built in the 1480s (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2024)

The north porch, now the main entrance to the church, was first built in the 1480s and was rebuilt in the 19th century.

The War Memorial in Saint Mary’s churchyard (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2024)

The War Memorial in the churchyard was dedicated in 1925. The oak tree next to it was a Millennium gift from the village of St Neot in Cornwall.

The parishes of St Neots and Eynesbury were in the ancient Diocese of Lincoln until 1837. Since then, they have been in the Diocese of Ely. The Revd Paul Hutchinson has been the parish priest of St Neots and Eynesbury since 2020.

The Eucharist is celebrated on Sunday mornings at 8 and 9:30 in St Neots and at 11 in Eynesbury, and at 9:30 on Wednesdays and Fridays in St Neots. More details about the church and parish life are available on the parish website: www.stneots.org

Looking from the chancel towards the nave and the west end of Saint Mary’s Church in Saint Neots (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2024)

• Further reading: Paul Hutchinson, St Neots Parish Church (St Mary the Virgin), A brief history and guide (St Neots, 2024)