churchtour

Ahead of you is the main door. It is made of oak and very thick and heavy. The fantastic iron work is believed to have been made by John of Leighton in the 13th century. He famously made the ironwork that adorns the tomb of Queen Eleanor (wife of King Edward I) which is in Westminster Abbey in London. He also worked on the church doors of Eaton Bray and Leighton Buzzard churches.

The key to this door is nearly a foot long!

Please be my guest on a tour around this most beautiful of churches. Where I have additional details available you will see a hyper-text word (written in blue and underlined). I hope you can feel some of the amazing peace and specialness of this lovely building through this page.

On the West wall (to your left), you will notice this nicely carved memorial to the Turvey men who died in the First World War. Click the image to find out more about them. There are a few carved heads in here but they are very worn now.

Through the iron gates and we are standing in the 13th Century South porch. A board on the East wall lists Benefactors who have donated generous gifts to the village.

This picture shows the view down the South aisle.

The great arches of the nave are clear, as is the window of the Lady's Chapel in the South aisle. Above the central arch you can just see the remains of one of the original Saxon windows (dating from around 980 CE). To the middle of the right of the picture you can also see the tomb of Sir John Mordaunt and Lady Edith Mordaunt. If you want to know more about this monument (and the others you will see in a few minutes) then please click here to see loads of piccys!!!

We are standing in the area of the church known as The Baptistery. This part of the church dates from the 13th Century. Take a second to turn around and admire the back of that great main door! There are also some interesting old pictures of the church on the walls here.

To its right is a stone bowl called a stoup. This held Holy Water, mixed with salt, for church-goers to anoint themselves with in the pre-Reformation days when this church was Roman Catholic.

Here is the late Norman pedestal font (12th Century). I was baptized in this very font! It has a lockable flat cover with a big lock on it!

Lets turn right and move down the South aisle. A pierced screen would have once stood halfway down this 13th Century aisle. Notice the beautiful Oak pews, many of which are graced by hand-embroidered kneelers - made by the ladies of Turvey over the years.

On the right hand (South) wall, together with many memorials to Turvey families (click here for more details!) are two of Turvey Church's greatest treasures.

The fresco show on the right is from the 13th Century and shows the crucified Christ, together with his mother, Mary and Saint John. This remarkable piece of art was hidden beneath plaster for centuries until discovered during the major church renovations on the 19th century. The Times newspaper said of the discovery that this fresco is 'the finest painting of its subject and time in the country'.

A fresco is painted into the wall's plaster before it dries. It is difficult and skilled work.

To the left of the fresco, beneath the south-east window, is this rare trio of trefoiled sedilia. The priest, deacon and sub-deacon would sit in the three bigger alcoves (called a sedile) whilst the smallest held a piscina - a drained basin for washing sacred vessels.

This section of the church is known as The Lady's Chapel.. It houses a three well preserved floor brasses and of course an altar. There is also another Mordaunt tomb between the Lady's Chapel and the choir stalls.This one is for John, 1st Baron Mordaunt and his wife Elizabeth. It dates from 1562.

Look above the vestry door and you will see the brass Weather cock. He has the date 1630 pierced on his tail and he has been in the church since he was knocked off his more usual perch when the tower was hit by lightening in 1858.