Farndish
Encyclopedia
Farndish is a very small and rural village
in northwest Bedfordshire
, located about 500 metres east of the county border with Northamptonshire
which is also the postal county
. The village is near the Northamptonshire villages of Irchester
and Wollaston
and the Bedfordshire village of Wymington
. The name Farndish means fern-clad pasture.
Although previously a parish itself, today Farndish is within the civil parish
of Podington
(sometimes called Podington and Hinwick) and part of the electoral ward
of Harrold
in the Bedford local authority
in East of England region. Much property in the area is owned by the local Saxby family – once famous locally for their pork pie
s and pastry.
According to Samuel Lewis
The local author H. E. Bates
often would come through the village on his nocturnal walks in the 1920s and 1930s. It was on one of the night walks that he got the inspiration for his first novel, The Two Sisters
, when he saw a light burning in one of the cottage windows.
The tower was added in the 15th century within the nave and houses three bells:
The font dates to circa 1200 and is crowned by a 17th century wooden cover – this is itself covered in 19th century inscriptions and patterns. The very low pitched roof still has its original 15th century timberwork.
According to "Kelly's Directory
– the church is "a small building of stone, in the Transitional, Early English and later styles, consisting of chancel, nave
and a low western tower rising within the nave, and containing 3 bells : the south doorway is a rich example of the Transitional Norman style : a beautiful stained east window was presented by the late Mr. W. H. S. Adcock, of this village, one on the south side by the Rev. Greville Chester, late rector, and there are several other stained windows : in the chancel is a small brass to John Johnston, rector (ob. 1625), being then nearly 100 years old; and there are also inscriptions to the Clark, Adcock and Alderman families : the church plate includes an ancient chalice : there are 69 sittings. The register dates from the year 1587."
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
in northwest Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire is a ceremonial county of historic origin in England that forms part of the East of England region.It borders Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Northamptonshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the west and Hertfordshire to the south-east....
, located about 500 metres east of the county border with Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire is a landlocked county in the English East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the 2001 census. It has boundaries with the ceremonial counties of Warwickshire to the west, Leicestershire and Rutland to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshire to the south-east,...
which is also the postal county
Postal counties of the United Kingdom
The postal counties of the United Kingdom, now known officially as the former postal counties, were postal subdivisions in routine use by the Royal Mail until 1996. The raison d'être of the postal county – as opposed to any other kind of county – was to aid the sorting of mail by...
. The village is near the Northamptonshire villages of Irchester
Irchester
Irchester is a civil parish and village in the county of Northamptonshire, England. It is about 2 miles south-east of the town of Wellingborough and 2 miles south-west of Rushden, and equidistant from London, south, and Birmingham, to the north-west...
and Wollaston
Wollaston, Northamptonshire
Wollaston is a large village in the borough of Wellingborough. in Eastern Northamptonshire, England. The name is derived from the Saxon "Wulfaf's Town" - named after a Saxon chief of that name.-Wollaston Today:...
and the Bedfordshire village of Wymington
Wymington
Wymington is a village and civil parish in the Bedfordshire district of Bedford in England. It is in the north of Bedfordshire, near the county border with Northamptonshire, and the nearest town is Rushden in Northants, which it borders to the north...
. The name Farndish means fern-clad pasture.
Although previously a parish itself, today Farndish is within the civil parish
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
of Podington
Podington
Podington is a village and civil parish in northwest Bedfordshire in England, United Kingdom. The village is within the electoral ward of Harrold in the Borough of Bedford. Podington lies around northwest of Bedford and is about east of the county border with Northamptonshire...
(sometimes called Podington and Hinwick) and part of the electoral ward
Wards of the United Kingdom
A ward in the United Kingdom is an electoral district at sub-national level represented by one or more councillors. It is the primary unit of British administrative and electoral geography .-England:...
of Harrold
Harrold, Bedfordshire
Harrold is a civil parish and electoral ward in the Borough of Bedford within Bedfordshire, England, around nine miles north-west of Bedford. The village is on the north bank of the River Great Ouse, and is the site of an ancient bridge, linking the village with Carlton with Chellington on the...
in the Bedford local authority
Bedford (borough)
Bedford is a unitary authority with the status of a borough in the ceremonial county of Bedfordshire, England. Its council is based at Bedford, which is also the county town of Bedfordshire. The borough contains a single urban area, the 69th largest in the United Kingdom that comprises Bedford and...
in East of England region. Much property in the area is owned by the local Saxby family – once famous locally for their pork pie
Pork pie
A pork pie is a traditional British meat pie. It consists of roughly chopped pork and pork jelly sealed in a hot water crust pastry . It is normally eaten cold as a snack or as part of a meal.-Types:...
s and pastry.
History
Farndish was mentioned in the Domesday Survey as 'Fernadis'.According to Samuel Lewis
The local author H. E. Bates
H. E. Bates
Herbert Ernest Bates, CBE , better known as H. E. Bates, was an English writer and author. His best-known works include Love for Lydia, The Darling Buds of May, and My Uncle Silas.-Early life:...
often would come through the village on his nocturnal walks in the 1920s and 1930s. It was on one of the night walks that he got the inspiration for his first novel, The Two Sisters
The Two Sisters (novel)
The Two Sisters was the first novel published by English author H. E. Bates in 1926.-Background:It was his first novel, though he had published a one-act play The Last Bread earlier that year). The book was inspired by one of his midnight walks, which took him to the small village of Farndish in...
, when he saw a light burning in one of the cottage windows.
The church
The church of St Michaels & All Angels appears to have been built sometime between 1180 and 1210. The masonry used to build the church is mainly local rubble along with some rust-coloured ironstone; the window dressings are of local limestone.The tower was added in the 15th century within the nave and houses three bells:
- Treble – cast by Christopher Grave – 1663
- Second – cast by James Keene – 1625
- Tenor – cast by Newcombe – 1597
The font dates to circa 1200 and is crowned by a 17th century wooden cover – this is itself covered in 19th century inscriptions and patterns. The very low pitched roof still has its original 15th century timberwork.
According to "Kelly's Directory
Kelly's Directory
Kelly's Directory was a trade directory in the United Kingdom that listed all businesses and tradespeople in a particular city or town, as well as a general directory of postal addresses of local gentry, landowners, charities, and other facilities. In effect, it was a Victorian version of today's...
– the church is "a small building of stone, in the Transitional, Early English and later styles, consisting of chancel, nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
and a low western tower rising within the nave, and containing 3 bells : the south doorway is a rich example of the Transitional Norman style : a beautiful stained east window was presented by the late Mr. W. H. S. Adcock, of this village, one on the south side by the Rev. Greville Chester, late rector, and there are several other stained windows : in the chancel is a small brass to John Johnston, rector (ob. 1625), being then nearly 100 years old; and there are also inscriptions to the Clark, Adcock and Alderman families : the church plate includes an ancient chalice : there are 69 sittings. The register dates from the year 1587."
- The parish records for the church and village are available on microfiche for the period 1550-1812 from the Bedfordshire Family History Society.
- Since 1970, the Church has been redundantRedundant churchA redundant church is a church building that is no longer required for regular public worship. The phrase is particularly used to refer to former Anglican buildings in the United Kingdom, but may refer to any disused church building around the world...
but remains consecrated; since 1974 it has been maintained by the Redundant Churches Fund and the donations of visitors. Repairs to the Church have been carried out for the fund by the Bedford architect Victor Farrar. - There is a healthy population of bats living in the belfry of the church.