Dring Family Research

It is not known when the first church was built in Woodhurst. In the Domesday Survey there are two churches mentioned in Slepe (St Ives) one could have been Woodhurst but there is no confirmation of this. The oldest part of the present church dates from the 12th century. The church consists of a chancel, nave, south aisle and a south porch. The walls are of pebble and stone rubble with dressing of Barnack stone, the chancel is brick. The roofs are covered with tiles and lead. There is a timber bell turret. The north wall of the nave dates from the late 12c, it has a late 12c doorway, and an early 14c two light window. The 15c 3 light window on the west wall was replaced in 1990. A red skeleton was painted on the wall at the north-west corner of the nave. It was visible in the early years of the 20c, however it can no longer be seen. On the south side of the nave dividing it from the south aisle are four bays with pointed arches and round columns with moulded capitals and bases. These show evidence of having been painted at some time. On the column nearest to the altar in the south aisle a consecration cross may be seen if you look very closely. The south aisle was built in the late 14c. It has a 2 light east window, three 2 light south windows and a single light west window which is of a later date. The main door of the church is in the south wall, it leads into a porch which is of a later date than the south aisle. In the south window by the altar there is a late 14c piscina with an octofoil basin. To the right of this in the wall is a plain locker. The brick floor of the nave and south aisle was laid during the latest restoration in the 1980s. The present chancel, which is of yellow brick, was built in 1848. This is confirmed in the Parish Magazine of 1898 where it says "The 23rd November 1898 was the golden Wedding Day of James and Charlotte Beck of Woodhurst. A special interest attaches to the fact that Mr and Mrs beck were the first couple to be married in the newly built chancel of Woodhurst Church." Nothing is known about any previous chancel. The arch leading into the chancel rests on re-used 13c corbels. The chancel has two one light windows on the North wall and one on the South. There is a large three light window on the East wall containing a coloured patterned glass. The door in the South wall is not used at the present day. The chancel screen was brought to Woodhurst from All Saints Church, S Ives about 1916 Taken from the Church Handbook.