There has been a village church in Clifton since 1326 and much of the original 14th Century church remains, although substantial alterations were made in the Victorian period. Neither is it a museum piece, as a thriving congregation remains to witness to the people of the village today.
The outside of the church is dominated by its 60 foot tower, protruding from which are two grotesque 15th Century gargoyles 'yelling their soundless blasphemies and derisions to the wind.' In the days before lead pipes, rainwater was thrown clear of the church walls by means of a projecting spout. The gargoyles were said to represent human vices and sins, and these were looked upon as a warning to all who entered the church to leave their evil thoughts outside and so to come into the church in a fit frame of mind to worship God.
Inside, the glory of the chancel is the the 14th Century east window, enhanced by the modern stained glass.
Beneath the south-east window are the fourteenth century piscina and sedilia. The piscina is a drain in a niche in the wall for the celebrant to wash his hands during the Mass. The second piscina was used for rinsing the communion vessels. Sedilia are seats, nearly always of stone. They are invariably found to the south of the altar and were used by the celebrant and his assistants.
There is also a 600 year old priest’s doorway which allowed the priest direct access to the sanctuary.
A Victorian restoration often resulted in the chancel becoming more elaborate near the altar. In All Saints, the sanctuary has a rich design of Maw tiles (1874). There is a mosaic of the Lamb with its Banner of Victory and the words 'Agnus Dei' - the Lamb of God being a title given to Christ in the New Testament. There is also a substantial reredos behind the altar, from the workshops of Thomas Earp made of Caen stone. The centre consists of a raised panel, carved in high relief, representing the Crucifixion and the women standing by, with the Apostles Peter and Paul on either side, the whole surmounted by a canopy. Marble shafts separate the panels.
A trap doorway in the Nave gives access to an interesting charnel house, a safe and reverent deposit of bones from the churchyard - something of a rarity for a small village church.
The 14th Century chancel arch is particularly interesting being of wider span than the chancel itself. This architectural arrangement is managed skilfully.
The clock was installed in 1863. It was made by John Moore of Clerkenwell. It is of a type known as a cast iron four poster with three trains, deadbeat escapement and rack striking. In 1867 Henry Miles added the Cambridge Quarter Chimes. In 1879 the carillon machine was also commissioned from John Moore. It is still in use and is the only working carillon in Bedfordshire. It plays four tunes on eleven bells at 8 am, 12 noon, 4 pm and 8 pm.
(With thanks to the authors of the church guide - you can download the full version here.)
The rest of the village is also worth a tour - there is a lovely duck pond, a quaint little almshouse cottage, a restored forge and a village pump that doubles up as the war memorial. More details about Clifton can be found on the village website
The Cache
To find the cache (which is NOT hidden in the church or churchyard itself), you will need to make a tour of the churchyard, answer the following questions to calculate the final position using the formula below:
North 52 degrees 02.AB(C-4) West 000 degrees 18.0(D+1)E
1. Approach the south door at the end of the main path to the church and look to the heavens. How many sheep surround the Good Shepherd? Answer: C
There are at least two graves for military heroes in the church yard, which you need to visit. Both headstones have very clear letters upon them so you won't need to squint. (Don't miss the church yard extension to the rear of the church!)
2. PETER JULIAN BATES TUCKER was an airman who died aged A4 years. His wife, JEAN WINIFRED, was 8B years old when she died.
3. WILLIAM HENRY COOPER was killed in action on September 4th 1916. How old was his son, ARTHUR, when he died in 1969? Answer: DE
****************** ********************
For full information on how you can expand the Church Micro series by sadexploration please read the Place your own Church Micro page before you contact him at churchmicro.co.uk
See also the Church Micro Statistics and Home pages for further information about the series.
****************** *******************
Congratulations to Seeker Badger on the FTF and to Sadexploration on receiving Groundspeak's geocacher of the month award in July 2014 (the month this cache was first placed) for services to the caching community as Church Micro series curator.
Read more about the Historic Geocaches Campaign