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Church of St Peter & St Paul, Flitwick

Coordinates: 51°59′49″N 0°30′08″W / 51.9970°N 0.5022°W / 51.9970; -0.5022
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Tower and porch

The Church of St Peter & St Paul is the Church of England parish church in Flitwick, Bedfordshire, England. It became a Grade I listed building on 23 January 1961.[1]

History

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It is likely that a wooden church and then a Saxon stone one stood on the same site.[2] The current church was built in the 12th century and in the 14th century the south aisle was added. The nave clerestory and timber-framed porch were added in either the late 15th or early 16th century.[3] The monks of the Ruxox Cell acted as priest for the church until the Dissolution of the Monasteries when the abbot of Dunstable Priory surrendered to the king.[2]

Rebuilding in 1835 included the dismantling and reassembly of the Norman doorway in the north wall of the nave.[2] During the second half of the 19th century further restoration was undertaken including a new roof on the chancel.[2]

The chapter house was added in 1983.[1]

The parish and benefice of Flitwick is within the Diocese of St Albans.[4]

Architecture

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The ironstone building has ashlar dressings and clay tile roofs.[1] It consists of the chancel, nave with north and south aisles, south porch, and vestry on the north side.[1] The three-stage west tower is supported by buttresses and has an embattled parapet.[3][1] The tower has a ring of seven bells, five of which date from the seventeenth century.[5]

The font is Norman and has a circular fluted bowl.[5] The pulpit is part of what was originally a three-decker.[5]

The memorials in the church include one to the men of Flitwick who died in World War I and World War II.[5]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e "St Peter & St Paul, Flitwick". British Listed Buildings. Retrieved 1 December 2011.
  2. ^ a b c d "Flitwick Church History". Flitwick Church.
  3. ^ a b "Flitwick – St Peter and St Paul". Bedfordshire Parish Churches. Archived from the original on 24 December 2016. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
  4. ^ "St Peter & St Paul". A Church Near You. Church of England. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
  5. ^ a b c d Brown, Joan. "The stoy of the Parish Church of St Peter & St Paul Flitwick". Flitwick Church.

51°59′49″N 0°30′08″W / 51.9970°N 0.5022°W / 51.9970; -0.5022