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History |
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1939 Marshalswick was a peaceful, rural place with a farm where the Quadrant now stands and a duck pond where the Sainsbury’s Local petrol station is today. Marshalswick Lane was too narrow for buses and trees met overhead like a tunnel.
In September 1939, just as the area was being developed with new roads and houses, war was declared. The building work stopped as did the Sunday morning buses, making it very difficult for people to get to the nearest church some two miles away.
Mrs Sabin, who lived in Marshalswick Lane, persuaded the Vicar of Sandridge to hold services in her house. Each Sunday there would be up to 20 people squashed into her drawing room and it was not long before a committee was formed to find a suitable building to serve as a church.
After much searching, a small wooden chicken hut was found. It cost £135 and local people erected it on some land in Kingshill Avenue which was lent to them by Nash Homes Ltd for the duration of the war. Some people were horrified at the idea of a chicken hut being used as a church but no chickens had ever used it. It had only previously been used for storing grain.
1943 By degrees, the hut was converted into a church - finally ready for its first Holy Communion in 1943. It served as a church for many years as well as a hall and social centre for the old and young alike. It was loved by a great many people.
As the war ended, our existing vicarage was built. With house building starting again across the Marshalswick area the hut had to be moved. It was repositioned on a piece of ground beside the new Vicarage. Parishioners then set about the task of raising money to build a new church. A large ‘thermometer’ appeared at the back of the hut and it slowly crept up to the target.
1955 The foundation stone for the new St Mary’s Church was laid on St George’s Day 1955 by the patron, Earl Spencer. Within a year it was finished and was dedicated by the Bishop of Bedford on 10th November 1956.
1972 From its beginning as a church, St Mary’s was a daughter church of St Leonard’s, Sandridge. It was not until 1972 that it took on a parish of its own. On 8th December 1972, St Mary’s was consecrated as a parish church by Bishop Robert Runcie. However, our church did not have a bell which was a legal requirement for a parish church. A bell was found in St Botolph’s Church, Shenley, which was being closed. It had originally hung at Shenley mental hospital where it was used to call the patients in from the fields. The bell was moved to St Mary’s where it now calls people to worship. |
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This large stained glass window above the church altar was designed and made by worshippers between 1987 and 1988. It was the idea of Fred Dupree who was a regular worshipper. He sought ideas for a design from others in the church. The result was a window showing a cross with a dove, representing the Holy Spirit, surrounded by radiating rays of the different colours of the church’s liturgical year.
Fred made the window, with help from other church members, in his garage. It was made in twelve panels. Each of the 893 pieces of glass were cut by hand as was the lead between each piece. Fred spent most evenings and weekends working on the window. After about 700 hours of work the panels were finished. The window was installed on 9th May 1988. |
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The Hope Window |
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The Hope Window is a beautiful focal point for those who worship in the church, as well as for those who pass by in the street outside. |
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History |