St. Mary’s Church, Turville

In 796 AD, Egfrid, the son of Offa, King of Mercia assigned lands to the Abbey of St. Alban. They became known as “Turville,” which comes from the Anglo-Saxon “dry fields.” It is thought that the first church was built in Turville in the 12th century. It was made of flint, since it was readily available in the vicinity. The Nave of the present church is from this time. The church was rebuilt in 1340, adding the present tower. In 1733, a north aisle was added with a grand pew for the Perry family, and it includes a memorial to William Perry. Further restoration work has been carried out several times since then. The four bells date from between 1640 and 1744; in the 1990s they were rehung and retuned and one was added. There are some stained-glass windows, one in commemoration of the closing of the church at nearby Turville Heath. Another pane shows part of a Tudor coat of arms. The church is surrounded by a graveyard, which contains graves and tombstones that are old and coated with lichens.

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