Church of St Mary the Virgin, Yielden

St Mary the Virgin is a Grade I listed church in the village of Yielden, Bedfordshire. Most of its fabric belongs to the Decorated style of the 13th and 14th centuries. The building began as a Norman church but every trace of that early work has vanished. A nave and chancel were added early in the 13th century. Later alterations produced the tower and broach spire that now dominate the skyline. The church’s history is tied to the Trailly family, who held the living from the monks of Thorney Abbey. In 1162 Pope Alexander III confirmed their rights by charter. Inside, the fabric shows continuous change from the 13th century to the present. The churchyard holds two Commonwealth war graves: one soldier from the Norfolk Regiment who died in the First World War and one airman from the Second World War. Visitors step into a quiet nave and chancel rebuilt in the early 1200s. The tower and broach spire rise above the roofline, marking the church out from the surrounding cottages. The churchyard is planted with yews and limes that frame the graves of the two war dead.