St Mary the Virgin Church

The Church of England parish church, dedicated to St. Mary the Virgin, is the only remaining place of public worship in Tasburgh.

The church is situated to one side of an ancient early settlement. It is thought that the original church was destroyed by the Danes but later rebuilt by King Cnut. Of this rebuilt church only the tower and parts of the west wall currently remain. It has a round Saxon tower with five bells, which were restored for year 2000 millennium celebrations and are regularly rung.

Historical documents reveal that in 1375, Sir Adam de Clifton widened the church by four feet on either side, inserted nave windows, and rebuilt the upper stage of the tower.

A Guild Chapel was added on the south side of the nave with a stone altar, a statue of the Virgin Mary, and piscina - a shallow basin placed near the altar. All of this was destroyed and covered over at the Reformation, but the piscina was re-opened in the 19th century.

When the stone altars were replaced by wooden tables, Thomas Baxter of Rainthorpe Hall used the stone of the side altar for the top of the grave of his wife, Elizabeth, who died in 1587. He painted his family crest on the wall and a memorial brass for his daughter, also Elizabeth who died in 1586, in the sanctuary.

In 1611, Thomas Baxter was secretly buried by night, unknown to the Rector, in the chancel, where his body remains to this day. A library extract reads: "1611 Thomas Baxter of Rain Thorpe, gent, was buried ye iiiith day of December in ye night by whom I knowe not. Ano p'deo."

In 1670, the church was stripped of its lead roof in order to raise money to pay bills. Under Rev. E. Burroughs of Long Stratton Manor, also Rector of the two Stratton churches, Tasburgh church was robbed of its glass, altar rails and font cover, an interior door and other fixtures.


Page last updated on 16 April 2019 by NP
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