St Peter, Stantonbury, Milton Keynes

A trip to MK today for a walk and a visit to the Go Outdoors shop.

As you can see this Church is now a ruin, with the Parish Church now being in New Bradwell.

In 1883 and 1907 it was recorded in Kellys Directory that the Church was not used. In 1915 it was recorded that it had ceased to be the Parish Church on 1st July 1909, after which it was discovered that the rights to be the parish church had not been given to New Bradwell!! This effectively invalidated the 1000 or so marriages performed in the new church and an Act of Parliament had to be secured the make these marriages lawful. As part of the act the old Church became a chapel and was then know as St Peter, Stanton Low. By 1950 it had been stripped of all its fittings, had no glass and a damaged roof. In 1956 the remains of the roof collapsed and at this time the Chancel arch was removed to New Bradwell church. The Church has continued to deteriorate into the state you can see in the photo.

It sits below the Grand Union Canal which passes through the top of Milton Keynes, as I have said before MK is a very diverse place with very modern housing, huge open public spaces and open countryside, it has a poor reputation which is a little sad.