Saint Dunstans church Bolnhurst Bedfordshire by Katey Jane

Saint Dunstans church Bolnhurst Bedfordshire

A lovely little 13th-century church surrounded by trees sits in the middle of a farmer's field and, on a fine day, looks so beautiful.

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Saint Dunstan's Church sits among the trees on a small hill near the village of Bolnhurst and dates back to around the 10th century. It is about 7 miles north of Bedfordshire and was one of the first churches I visited after moving to Bedfordshire from the bleak Cambridgeshire Fens in 2013.

I used to drive past this little church and would think, "Wow, that looks nice; how the bell tower seems surrounded by the trees within the landscape."

My first visit was on a sunny but cloudy day, and I soon found a few public paths through the cornfields. Unlike the Fens where there is nowhere to walk, this area felt like a small leap for someone like me, haha. I took a walk in the area and was taken aback by the beautiful views of the church. For the first time in my life, I saw a church on a hill. So, I sat there and just took in the views.

I watched the clouds turn the church and countryside into art before my eyes. I wanted to capture the peacefulness of the day and the moods of black and white, both fitting in perfect harmony with the church and landscape.

A rare sight for me was seeing fog and snow. When it did snow, I was shocked to see so many people struggling to get their cars up a small hill with just an inch of snow on the ground. Luckily for me, I was stuck in a traffic jam on my way to photograph the winter landscapes just outside the church, so I managed to grab some snowy photos. This church is stunning to shoot in all kinds of conditions.

I often wondered why the church was a distance away from the village, so I started doing some research, and this is what I found.

The church's isolated position is the result of the medieval village of Bolnhurst being wiped out by the Black Death in 1348. The dedication of the church to St Dunstan is probably the result of the manor of Bolnhurst being held until the Dissolution by the monastery of Thorney, with which St Dunstan was intimately connected. Oddly, I used to live just 10 miles from Thorney Abbey in the Cambridgeshire Fens.

Now, this was one of my first churches. I didn't know you could go inside, and I had no idea about the architectural subjects that surround the building. My interest has expanded to include the information and various beautiful items inside and outside of churches. I would love to go back and explore the churches near where I lived in Thurleigh.

Wrote 2017 by Katey Jane Andrews updated 2023
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