About Us
St Mary Leighton Bromswold is one of a group of seven rural churches known as the West Leightonstone Benefice. The churches are in the villages of Brington, Bythorn, Catworth, Keyston. Leighton Bromswold, Molesworth, and Old Weston. They are part of the Diocese of Ely. Our rector Rev Philip Howson also oversees the Benefice of South Leightonstone. The two Benefices are increasingly working together and have formed a partial Joint Council, which will employ a Schools and Families' Minister.
We usually have our services at St Marys on the second Sunday of the month at 11.00a.m. All are welcome. There is a weekly home group on Wednesdays at 19.45 and a men's prayer breakfast on the second Saturday of the month at 8.00. Please contact Jon Saunders for details at [email protected]
We often have groups touring the church to see the unusual features of a double pulpit and reconnect with the history of George Herbert's time here. King Charles III has visited the church to see these features while he was Prince of Wales.
Should you wish to donate the bank transfer details are as follows St Marys Leighton Bromswold Sort code 08 92 99
and account number 65626759
Please use the 'Get in touch' facility to find out specific details for these events or if you need further assistance.
This church also has a web presence on the Leighton Bromswold village web site at - http://www.stmarysleightonbromswold.btck.co.uk/
HISTORY OF ST MARY'S THE VIRGIN LEIGHTON BROMSWOLD
St Mary’s Leighton Bromswold is a Grade One listed building and was first built in 1248 and extended in 1310 into a traditional two isle, two transept village church. By 1598 the roof and walls had caved in, and it could not be used for worship. In 1606 attempts were made to rebuild the church but was stopped due to lack of funds. The poet Rev. George Herbert was given the prebendary of Leighton Ecclesia in 1626 and he vowed to rebuild the church. Towards this end, he sought the support of the Ferrer brothers who had founded the adjacent Giddings community and also many of his friends and this enabled sufficient funding to start the rebuilding which was completed 1632. The north aisle was demolished, and new north and south walls built to extend the line of the chancel, which reduced the space available for the seated congregation and turned it into a pronounced cruciform shape. It is believed that the altar would have been at the centre of the cross-reflecting George Herbert’s poem ‘The Cross.’ The nave and transepts are cross gabled with squatter projecting wings. The west and south walls were rebuilt, and the original window mullions and tracery restored. The most significant feature in St Mary’s Nave are the almost unique remaining twin pulpits from the Jacobean period. The equal height twin pulpits, one for reading from the Prayer Book (on the south), the other for preaching (on the north). These twin pulpits are in substantially original condition, with their original hinges and locks. The church also contains one of the most complete sets of Jacobean pews and woodwork in England in the Chancel, nave and transepts. In line with Herbert's views, the Chancel screen is low enabling the congregation to see the proceedings. A tower was completed in 1634-1641 and the church has been preserved as George Herbert had designed to this day. It was updated by Ewan Christian in 1868 retaining all the Jacobean features but adding, sympathetically, replica woodwork. The bells are the largest operational five bells in Cambridgeshire. In 2021 and 2022 the whole church was re-roofed. Conducted tours are available on request and there is a 49 page full-colour brochure available inside.