The granite church of St Thomas Becket is situated in the heart of the village, at the top of a 'lofty flight of stairs' and exposed to the elements. It is perhaps unsurprising that an 18th Century visitor described it as a 'damp church'. Like many churches it has undergone numerous changes through the centuries both in terms of renovation and 'modernisation' and also in how it is used by the community.
There is some characteristic in every church which somehow makes it distinctive and special. In St Thomas Becket it is its Rood Screen. Created in the first half of the 16th Century, it still has the power to impress 400 years later. Many efforts have been made to repair and preserve it. Its magnificence has been revealed most recently through restoration work by Anna Hulbert in 1975.
The screen would not have remained in such excellent condition today but for the care and skilful management by church wardens and parishioners through the centuries.
The Visitor's Guide available within the church gives much of the background to the screen.
These web pages take a different approach. They try to give a sense of being a parishioner of St Thomas Becket at two periods of time. Firstly in 1530, when Henry VIII is king and 100 years later in 1630, a few years before the English Civil War begins. Charles I has just started his period of 'Personal Rule', government without parliament.
Through both these periods the Rood Screen is in place, but the pattern of service within the church begins to change. At each period the Bridford Rector had to adapt to political and religious events as they impacted on life in the church and community. We do not know how he responded to these changes.
The Headline Coords will take you to the grave of
Dorothy Stoyel
Who Died A Dec 19B8 Aged CD
and
Hector Wallace
Who Died 2E Jan 19F7 Aged G7
Cache can be found at N.50.39.(C+E)(Ax2-D)(F-B) W003. 40 (D+A)(AxE)(G-(E+B))
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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@gmail.com.
See also the Church Micro Statistics and Home pages for further information about the series.
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