Church Of St Mary The Virgin

Church of St Mary the Virgin, Goldington

This church comprises 13th-century work in the south chapel, with a 15th-century tower, south porch, chancel and nave. In 1955–6, a major extension designed by architect Felix J. Lander involved demolishing the existing north aisle and adding a new nave and chancel. This transformation turned the original medieval nave into a south aisle, fundamentally reconfiguring the building's layout.

The medieval fabric is constructed of semi-coursed rubble. The new nave and chancel are brick-faced with stone salvaged from the old aisle. Lead is believed to cover the medieval roofs, with tiles on the porch. A single-storey vestry, kitchen and toilet block wraps around the east end of the new chancel in an L-shaped configuration.

Externally, the medieval church displays a Perpendicular west tower of typical design, featuring a west doorway, three-light west window beneath a four-centred arch, and belfry windows with standard two-light design. The parapet is embattled. The south elevation includes a heavily battlemented porch, with a small one-bay chapel to its east. The medieval aisle, chapel, nave and chancel all have plain parapets. Fenestration varies throughout, showing characteristic Perpendicular forms: two-light square-headed windows in the chancel south wall, three-light windows with panelled tracery for the east window, and three-light windows with more elaborate tracery in the chapel south window. The nave has a clerestory with plain, square-headed two-light windows. The new nave and chancel span six bays with two-light Perpendicular-style windows reused from the old aisle, positioned beneath tall rectangular clerestory openings of stark simplicity. The new chancel east window is a four-light composition with restrained detailing, representing a mid-20th-century reinterpretation of a 15th-century design. At the west end, high above, is an emblem of St Mary with winged pair (representing the Annunciation) and a sword-pierced heart (representing Simeon's prophecy).

The interior is now dominated by the 1950s extension, which forms an airy rectangular volume with clean, simple lines and bright lighting. Two-light windows reused from the old building are set into the north wall beneath plain pointed arches, evidently designed to echo the arcade of the original nave. The old clerestory is preserved unglazed, with larger, completely plain two-light mullioned windows above. The roof trusses appear to be shallow-pitched reinforced concrete. Walls throughout are plastered and whitened, except for the stripped chancel. The four-bay arcade between the two principal spaces has moulded arches with both round and octagonal piers. The oldest element, the arch to the south chapel, features semi-circular responds. The chancel arch carries a double-chamfered arch dying into the responds. Above the nave runs a cambered tie-beam roof, probably incorporating late medieval timbers, while the chancel has a plain tie-beam roof of 1876. Flooring comprises red and black Victorian quarry tiles in the nave, wood-blocks in the chancel, and beige tiles in the extension.

Among the principal fixtures, a 14th-century female effigy is mounted into the wall beside the entrance to the south doorway. The south door retains late-medieval woodwork and strap hinges. Inside, a plain circular font of indeterminate date but probably 13th or 14th century stands at the entrance. The chancel contains a stepped, drop-sill double sedilia integral with an angle piscina. Two brasses commemorate a priest, Richard Ffysher (died 1507), and a kneeling figure of Robert Hatley (died 1585). A fine wall tablet to Benjamin Haselden (died 1676) features attractive black and white marble detailing with a scrolled pediment. The new nave includes a west gallery housing a modern organ. Victorian pine seating displays typical square ends with buttress detailing. A royal arms in the nave bears two dates, 1838 and 1875. The stained glass in the chapel east window is by Marion Grant, dating to around 1949.

Historical records document vicars from the early 13th century, though no fabric survives from that period. The standing church was erected in the later 13th and 15th centuries. The Dukes of Bedford have served as church patrons since the 1750s. Significant 19th-century changes include the removal of a short lead-covered spire in 1853 and major restoration in 1859–60 under architect James Horsford of Bedford, who rebuilt and enlarged the north aisle, restored the chancel and reseated the building. Further extensive work was undertaken in the chancel in 1876 when it was reroofed. In 1898, architect Lacy W Ridge of London designed an organ chamber and vestry built on the north of the chancel. Following Goldington's incorporation into the borough of Bedford and subsequent extensive housing development, the church underwent restoration in 1948–9. The significant enlargement of 1955–6 followed a faculty granted the previous year. The Duchess of Bedford laid the foundation stone on 7 July 1955, and the enlarged church was dedicated on 23 March 1957.