PIPEWELL ABBEY 

From 1143 until the dissolution of the monasteries in 1539, there was an abbey in nearby Pipewell. The abbey was run by the Cistercian order of monks founded in Citeaux near Dijon in Burgundy in 1098.The monks were self-sufficient with their own infirmary, brewhouse, bakery, granary, kitchens, warming house, gardens and fishponds. The abbey also created watermills on Harper's Brook and, much later, a windmill, one of the first to appear in England.  The monks also looked after the sick, old and poor - services that were sorely missed when the reformation closed the monasteries down.

Nothing remains of the abbey now, the last remnants having disappeared by 1720. However, there are remnants to be found in the church at Great Oakley (floor tiles set in the floor of the chancel, glazed green tiles, some Flemish glass and a screen), an elaborately carved screen which went to the church at Brigstock (pictured above) and a keyhole shaped window at the former manor house (now manor farm) in Little Oakley.

Until the 16th century, Pipewell was the site of Britain's third biggest abbey and all of the settlements are built around three fields where it used to be, which contains the Harpers Brook, a tributary of the river Nene, running right through the centre.

Pipewell church is reputably the smallest church in the diocese of Peterborough, it was originally the old school house where the teacher had a house and one small classroom.

The house was part of the Hambrough estate and in 1880 Mrs Hambrough who resided in Pipewell hall decided she would like a church in the village and through public subscriptions £600 was raised to convert the house into a church.

The East and West wings were added to the existing building to form the shape of a cross and it was named Pipewell Abbey Church. At a later date the name was changed to its current name of Abbey church of Saint Mary.