© Copyright Nigel Cox and licensed for reuse under Creative Commons Licence.
The Church of St. Mary's at Apsley End is a Grade 2 Victorian listed building, consecrated in 1871. It was the vision of of Charles Longman a senior partner in John Dickinson's paper mills which dominated the old industrial village of Apsley. The consecration ceremony was on 31st August 1871, conducted by the Bishop of Rochester. The first Vicar of St. Mary's was Rev. D. Ingles M.A. This church was built by Messrs. Bell and Son of Saffron Walden, to a design by Diocesan architect Joseph Clarke F.S.A.
The village was the birthplace of paper’s industrial revolution, now being preserved as a unique industrial heritage site. The church is a fine gothic, flint building, with spire and six bells.
The main structure of St. Mary's has rough flint walls and quoins with dressings of Ancaster stone. To this day, its impressively proportioned shingled spire dominates the surroundings. The tower of the church has six bells with a combined weight of 55 cwt. The donor list for these bells reads like a who's who of the leading lights of Victorian Apsley. The tenor bell was the gift of Charles Longman (1809-1875), the High Sheriff of Hertfordshire, the second bell was given by the First vicar, Rev. Ingles, the third was the gift of John Evans FRS (1825-1908), the fourth donated by Frederick Pratt Barlow (1815-1885), who had married John Dickinson's eldest daughter Frances in 1840, and the fifth was the gift of John Dickinson Junior (1815-1876) the only surviving son of the founder of Apsley Mills.
The village of Apsley in recent years has changed beyond all recognition with the disappearance of the paper mills and very significant housing development taking place.
You will need to visit the churchyard and find the following:
Walter King born July 1A 1841
Find in loving memory of Daniel Wootton whose wife Mary died November 15th 19DD aged 6B
Find Isabella Stuart died CE June 1921
The cache can be found at N 51.43.ABC W 000.28.DCE
The photo below was taken at St Mary's on our wedding day, 13th June 1970.
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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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