Church of St Mary, Kensworth

The Church of St Mary the Virgin stands in the village of Kensworth, Bedfordshire. Built mainly of flint in the early 12th century, it began as a Norman church. The tower and chancel were added later in the 15th century using clunch from Totternhoe. The chancel was repaired in the 1630s after falling into poor condition. A flat lead roof was replaced with patterned slate from Westmorland in 1854. The church has a Grade I listing, granted in 1967. The church’s history includes several restorations and additions. Five bells cast in 1717 were stolen in 1967, but six new bells were hung in 1971. Relief carvings on the capitals show scenes from Aesop’s Fables, including The Wolf and the Crane. Stained glass windows were installed between 1898 and 1935 and restored in 1987. A World War II memorial was added in 2010 beside the earlier World War I memorial from 1920. Visitors find a church shaped by centuries of change. The tower’s south face bears a plaque from 1747. The north side has a porch built in 2000. Inside, the walls show re-plastering and cleaning from the 19th century. The patterned slate roof and restored windows remain visible today. The church’s setting in Kensworth offers a quiet place to see these features.