Holy Trinity Church

The parish church is that of the Holy Trinity and there is a reference to a church on the site in the years 1135-1154 in the reign of King Stephen. The church registers, however, do not begin until 1563. A short history of the church was published in 1938 by Heywood Chiltern to celebrate the octingentenary of the church. In this booklet he describes the many and varied alterations that have taken place over the years. One major project was the rebuilding of the tower in 1868, but owing to the neglect of the builder the tower fell one week before Christmas Day of the same year, carrying with it a portion of the nave. Restoration work was started immediately and completed by 1870.

Picture showing the collapse of the Tower in 1868 and The Church today.

A memorial inside the church, known as the Cave Tablet, provides quizzical reading.

Here in this Grave there Lyes a Cave,
We call a Cave a Grave.
If Cave be Grave and Grave be Cave
Then Reader judge I Crave
Whether doth Cave here Lye in Grave
Or Grave here Lye in Cave?
If Grave in Cave here buried lye
Then Grave where is thy Victoria?
Goe Reader and Report here Lyes a Cave
Who Conquers Death and Buries his own Grave.

Theophilus Cave was an ardent churchman and his nephew Humphrey Babington (founder of the Old Men's Hospital) remembered all his life his uncle's deep devotion to the church, and in his will he provided for the supply of bibles to the poor children who could read; the words ‘The Gift of Theophilus Cave Esq.' to be impressed in gold letters on the covers