St. Mary, Bletchley
The Parish Church of St. Mary is at the north east of the village standing on higher ground and is built of limestone rubble. The south doorway is the remaining detail from the 12th century and has been reset in the south aisle, probably taken from the aisleless nave of that date. Between the end of the 13th century and the 15th century many enlargements and much rebuilding took place, the first, being the chancel, in the 13th century, which was rebuilt and enlarged to its present size. This was followed by the addition of the south aisle, circa 1300, and the north chapel early in the 14th century. Later in this same century, the first three bays of the north aisle were built. The 15th century saw the building of the west bay and the west tower and the reconstruction of the clearstorey. The south porch is believed to have been built possibly in the 14th century but has been either completely rebuilt or restored since.Subsequently the whole building has been restored twice, first in the 18th century and again in the 19th.
The font is of uncertain date, not medieval, but possibly 17th century. It has a circular bowl and an octagonal spire shaped font cover, with arabesque panels.
In the chancel, under the north arcade, is a particularly fine 15th century alabaster effigy of a knight in armour resting upon an altar tomb.
Under the north east window in the north chapel is a 14th century, much defaced, recess for a tomb, with segmental pointed head of two moulded orders. There is another recess, of the fifteenth century, in the north aisle at the east end for an altar, the wall is cut away from the floor for three or four feet, the overhanging part carried on moulded corbel-course.
In the chancel there are four, 13th or early 14th century, recesses, much scraped and restored, one was probably originally a piscina, the the three seats of the sedilia are divided by circular columns with moulded capitals and bases.
There is a small opening with trefoiled head, now blocked, in the chancel between the north doorway and the east respond of arcade. Scratched onto the butress east of the north doorway, in a small circle, is a sundial.
Carved on the parapet of the east wall is a chalice and wafer in low relief.
St. Martin's, Fenny Stratford
The parish church of St. Martin stands in the middle of the town. The original chapel, erected in 1726 by Browne Willis replacing an older derelict chapel, was later, in the mid 1900s, incorporated into a larger church, Browne Willis's chapel now being the north aisle of the new building and his tombstone has been moved and is now affixed in the north east corner of the aisle, on the east wall.
