The Church of Hatley St George
Some history
Originally dedicated by the Bishop of Ely in 1352, when nine dedications of local churches
took place within 13 days, the current church was much larger until the late 1960s when
the chancel was demolished due to unsafe crumbling walls. A vast expanse of clear glass
window now fills the wall at the chancel end, making the church’s interior a much lighter
space. The tower was added in the 15th century and at the same time the nave was
redesigned. A late medieval piscina in the south wall of the nave indicates that there was
a secondary altar there. The top stage of the tower was rebuilt in brick in 1625, and later
in the century the earliest group of the wooden shields, which bear the arms of the St.
Georges with alliances, was hung on the walls.
The St George family held the Hatley estate, which largely made up the parish, for 14
generations. Sir Henry St George, Clarenceux King of Arms, was appointed senior herald
by Henry V111 and responsible for recording pedigrees. A brass effigy in armour of Sir
Baldwin St George, who died in 1425, hangs on the chancel wall; adjacent is another brass
plaque of Catherine Docwra (about 1535) which came from the now redundant and
closed church of St Dennis In East Hatley (the churchyard is now a nature reserve). The
two villages at one time shared the same rector and the old Rectory in Hatley St George
was demolished in the 1970s.
Memorial plaques on the walls are of the 18th and 19th century families who owned the
Hatley estate, which changed hands fairly frequently. Thomas St Quintin had been a
London glass manufacturer; the Cottons, a branch of the Landwade family, owned the
estate in the 17th century and added the diamond-shaped shields on the walls. They
donated bells to the church, made by Tobie Norris and which still remain in the tower,
and have inscriptions and coats of arms of Sir Robert Cotton and Sir Thomas Cotton. In
1748 the church was said to have the 'finest furniture for the altar and pulpit I ever saw,
being crimson richly fringed and laced with gold'. The building was much renovated
between 1873-8 by John Carbery Evans JP, a retired Kentish hop merchant. The nave was
restored, including new windows showing the 12 apostles, and new roof-beams installed;
the angels are thought to be of olive wood. The chancel was also re-built.
The church is now designated as a chapel of ease and has been combined with Gamlingay
parish since 1966. Pipistrelle bats reside at the church, as does various families of owls.
Hatley St George village was known as ‘Hungry Hatley’ in the 16th century and numbered
only 17 households in 1086, peaking to 164 individuals in 1861: today there are around
120 people in the village.
Abridged from information supplied by Ishbel Beatty and from 'Parishes: Hatley St.
George', A History of the County of Cambridge and the Isle of Ely: Volume 5
Restoration work now required at the church of Hatley St George
This Grade 11* listed building has undergone some major restoration work over its 650+
years. When the chancel was demolished in the late 1960s and the subsequent demolition
of the vestry to the north of the tower in 1980, the building was repaired both externally
and internally with cement render and plaster. These cementitious coverings are not
allowing the walls to breathe and moisture is trapped between the covering and original
walls which is creating rising damp. The concrete coverings need to be removed, the walls
underneath repaired and replastering as required with proper material, i.e. lime mortar. A
concrete skirt fitted around the external walls several years ago is also not helping the
base of the walls as water is trapped underneath and rising damp is being drawn up the
walls. This sill needs to be removed.
Work to repair and fix the external and internal walls and to alleviate the damp problems
is a major project for the church during the next two years. Other restoration work that
needs to be done includes:
 Repairing the roof of the tower
 Repairing and renovating the tower
 Repairing clay tiles on the nave roof and removing moss
 Replacing guttering and rainwater downpipes and creating proper soakaways
 Repairing and renovating brick buttresses around the building
 Yew trees near the church need to be cut back away from the building
 The electrical system needs to be upgraded
 The 28 painted heraldic arms to the St George families need special conservation
work to restore them. They are unique to the church and an important part of its
content
 Moss and soil need to be cleared away from graves and memorials and a churchyard
plan and record of graves needs to be done
All funds and proceeds from events at the church and donations will go towards these
urgent repair and restoration requirements. Some of the work involved could be carried
out by parishioners, whether working as individuals or as part of various working parties
that will be organised throughout the year.
If you would like to volunteer your time or give a donation to the restoration of this
special and unique church, we would be pleased to hear from you. There are lots of little
things that easily can be done for example, bees-waxing doors or oiling hinges that will
make a real difference to the fabric of the building, or you may be able to offer assistance
with some of the larger restoration projects. Please contact Philippa Pearson if you would
like to be involved.
Philippa Pearson: phone 01767 651253, e-mail philippa@philippapearson.co.uk