Ashendon

The building

St Mary's church stands on high ground on the southwest side of the village. The earliest part of the church is the nave, built in the 12th century and having, at that time, a narrow south aisle that was lengthened, together with the nave in around 1200. About 90 years later the chancel and the old part of the south aisle was widened. Towards the close of the 15th century the west tower was built and a clerestory added to the nave, which had, at that time, a northeast chapel. The chancel was rebuilt in the 19th century.

In the 800 years it has stood here, many changes have taken place in our national history: plague, civil war and industrial revolution have all played their part and during all that time people have turned to it for spiritual comfort.