Wymersley Benefice
About Us
Get in touch
Our Churches
St Peter’s, Cogenhoe
How to find us
The village of Cogenhoe is a few miles south east of Northampton. From the M1 junction 15 follow the A45 East towards Wellingborough and Cambridge and you will see the signs for Cogenhoe (same exit as Billing Aquadrome). Go across Billing Bridge and turn left into Station Road, which is the main street through the village. Church Street is on your left opposite the Royal Oak pub.
Limited car parking is available adjacent to St Peter’s Centre, which is opposite the Church.
Postcode for satnav is: NN7 1LS
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Church Bells
Our Tower Captain is Marcia Morgan Tel: 01604 891869
St Peter’s bell ringers are affiliated to the Peterborough Diocesan Guild of Church Bell Ringers. New members are always welcome. Our regular practice night is Monday at 7.30. New learners will usually have individual tuition at first.
St Mary the Blessed Virgin, Great Houghton
Our mission at St Mary’s Great Houghton is to foster a stronger bond between the wider village community and the Church.
In 1997 we became part of the United Benefice of Cogenhoe and Great Houghton and Little Houghton with Brafield on the Green.
How to find us
Postcode for satnav is: NN4 7AF
St Mary the Virgin, Little Houghton
How to find us
Our postcode for satnav is: NN7 1LS
History
The Domesday Book does not record a church in the village, but around AD1100 there is evidence that one was founded by William de Hohtone. No traces of the original building, probably of wood, remain. Of the present church, the south door arch and the font are thought to date from about AD1200.
The original tower, of three storeys dating from c1225, is of fine proportion with an upper arcade of five openings on each face. It is likely that they were filled-in, creating a ‘blind’ arcade, when the fourth, belfry, storey with parapet and finely decorated limestone frieze, was added in about 1425. The blind arcade is considered to be an unusual and special feature of the tower, the whole of which underwent a complete restoration in 2010.
The church was substantially rebuilt in the Gothic style in 1873-74, when the nave was heightened, with clerestory, and the north aisle added. The tower arch, heavily restored during the Victorian rebuilding, and the chancel arch together with an adjacent, smaller arch in the south wall of the chancel, are the only parts that remain of the early thirteenth century work. An extension to the west end of the north aisle was added in 2000, to provide kitchen facilities.
The only mediaeval furnishings to survive are three misericord seats in the chancel; they have heads of men and monsters as arm-pieces. The tower contains five bells, the oldest dating from 1625, and the ingenious wooden bell-frame, set diagonally in the window recesses, was installed in 1637; such frames are now rare.
The glass is mainly late Victorian, and is considered to be of good quality. An early William Hill organ was acquired from a redundant church in Birmingham in 2000, when it was rebuilt to its original 1846 specification; it is listed as being an instrument of historic national importance.
St Laurence’s, Brafield on the Green
How to find us
Brafield is on the A428 a few miles SE of Northampton. The Church is in Church Lane.
Postcode is NN7 1BA and parking is available close to the church.
Stonework
St Laurence
Look over the porch on the South side, approached by the main path through the Churchyard. There we see a small statue of St. Laurence, with his instrument of torture, the Gridiron. Notice also that he is depicted wearing a garment known as a Dalmatic. This is the characteristic garment of the Deacon. St. Laurence was the chief Deacon of the Church in Rome.
Some of the capitals on the columns are worth close inspection. The one nearest the Font has carvings of foliage in which lies a serpent.
Bells
There are six bells at St. Laurence’s, with the tenor weighing 12 cwt-0 qr-7 lbs. The oldest bells are the 5th and 6th which were cast in 1676. The newest bell is the treble, cast in 1952 as the Peace Bell. Practice night is Wednesday from 7.45 pm to 9.00 pm, and the bells are rung for Sunday services.
In the late 14th century the tower was given a new bell-chamber stage, which necessitated the erecting of buttresses. The introduction of change-ringing in the 18th century placed further strain on the tower, and during the 18th and 19th centuries further buttresses were added. Additional strengthening is given by the iron rods which cross the tower in both directions.
The words of the inscription on the Peace Bell are particularly evocative of the village:
“Her ways are ways of pleasantness; and all her paths are peace”.
Tower Captain: Mr Ray Henman.
The Sargeant Memorial Hall
First opened in 1955 the hall was built by Miss Eveline Grace Sargeant in memory of her brother Charles Henry Sargeant.
The 108 m2 hall can accommodate 80 people and is well equipped with chairs, tables and a medium sized kitchen with serving hatch into the hall. The hall has full access for disabled users, including a disabled toilet.
Since September 2020, Little Houghton Play Group have operated every weekday morning for three hours. Other regular activities include:
- Yoga
- Kick Boxing
- Knit and natter group
- Indoor bowls
- Musical Theatre Group rehearsals
The hall is often used for children’s parties as it has a grass area outside that is secured by fencing all round.
Enquiries for booking the hall should be made to Ian Goddard on 07789 073451 or by email
Our booking form with conditions of hire is here.
To assist you in planning your event you can also download our hall fire plan and risk assessments.
See also our inventory of furniture and equipment.
The hall has benefited from upgrades and improvements over the years (some funded by National Lottery grant schemes) and we are very proud of the current condition of the hall and its furnishings. Recent works include:
- Full redecoration throughout
- Renewal of suspended ceiling
- Replacement of chairs and tables
- New gutters and fascias
How to find us
Church Lane
Brafield on the Green
Northampton
NN7 1BA
