The building now known as St Stephen’s church was originally built as a Wesleyan Chapel in 1837. By this time – John Wesley having died in 1791 – the tradition was widespread and Shefford Woodlands was a good centre for such a chapel. In those days the village stood at the intersection of the important highways from Salisbury to Oxford and the Roman Road from Speen to Cirencester, called Ermine Street.

The Chapel was built at the west end of the Wheelwright’s garden. These premises, then owned by one Stephen Waldron, are now known as Chapel House (previously Crossways). The Chapel was built as a plain rectangular building entered directly from the road to the west.

Sometime towards the end of the 19th century the chapel fell into disuse and it was not until 1910 that a Captain Burmester (resident of “Lovelocks”) acquired it from the trustees and proposed, to the Oxford Diocesan Registry, its use by the Church of England.... download the visitors booklet to read more