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The small church with plenty of room to be yourself
At Caldecote Church we take you as you are, and you find us as we are! We put the emphasis on giving people room to be as involved as they wish to be; you're equally welcome whether you come once a year or every week. And one of the characteristics of Caldecote Church is that you can become involved in ways that you might never get the chance at another church; if you want to play the organ once in a while at a service, or lead the prayers, or help with churchyard maintenance, you're always welcome to give it a go without feeling under pressure to continue.A big vision
Jesus teaches us to love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength, and our neighbour as ourselves. At St Michael’s we believe we can do this not because we're super holy people or the best church around but because of God's grace; he loves us even when we fail. Our vision is not just to love each other but also to care for our church building, a beautiful Grade II* Listed building we have inherited from generations of worshippers dating back to the 1100s. Back in 2009, when our congregation was still counted in single figures, we decided to think big and we set up The Friends of Caldecote Church to raise money for urgent work on the building. Since then we have had water installed, and the walls replastered; and the work continues.Safeguarding
The parish of St Michael and All Angels, Caldecote is committed to the safeguarding of children, young people and adults. We follow the House of Bishops’ guidance and policies and have our own Parish Safeguarding Officer (PSO) - Fiona Whelan. The Diocese of Ely’s safeguarding pages contain vital links and information including contacts for the Diocesan Safeguarding Advisor (DSA) who advises all diocesan PSOs. If you are concerned that a child or adult has been harmed or may be at risk of harm please contact the DSA. If you have immediate concerns about the safety of someone, please contact the police and your local authority’s Children or Adult Services. The PCC of St Michael's and All Angels, Caldecote have adopted for use all of the policies available to view here.People
Rev'd Clare Coates
Vicar
Rev'd Clare Coates is the Team Vicar responsible for Caldecote with Childerley, Dry Drayton and Hardwick. She can be contacted on 07818 618795 or at clarecoates@lordsbridge.org.
Fiona Whelan
ALM and Parish Safeguarding Officer
Fiona is an Authorised Lay Minister in Worship Leading and Preaching, as well as the Parish Safeguarding Officer.
The Lordsbridge Team of Churches
Caldecote Church is part of the Lordsbridge Team of Churches
Donate Online
To donate today to the work of Caldecote Church, please click here. Donations are handled by Give a Little, who take no commission, so more of your donation goes straight to good use. Please remember to check the Gift Aid box if you are eligible.Donate by Cheque, Cash or Standing Order
To make a single or regular donation by cheque, cash or standing order, use our donation form.Donate through the Parish Giving Scheme
The Parish Giving Scheme allows you to donate regularly to the church through managed Direct Debits. More information is available here..If you are considering making a bequest to Caldecote Church or have already included a gift to Caldecote Church in your will and would like to talk to somebody or require more information, then please feel free to contact us . This information will be treated in confidence and is not binding in any way. General information is also available from churchlegacy.org.uk
One church, three venues
St Michael and All Angels, Caldecote:
The church of St Michael and All Angels is on Main Street in “old” Caldecote. The church is about 1.5miles from the modern village centre of Highfields Caldecote.
Directions for travelling visitors
The church’s postcode (for the purposes of satnav) is CB23 7NU. Please note the church address is for access, and is not a mailing address. The church is just over 5 miles from Junction 12 of the M11, close to Cambridge:- From Exit 12 of the M11 take the A603/Cambridge Road heading towards Sandy
- Turn right at the B1046/New Road
- Continue to follow the B1046 for approx. 4 miles through the villages of Barton, Comberton and Toft
- After leaving the village of Toft take the first right onto Main Street
- After 500m the church is high on your right
There is some parking in the layby outside the church, and the family at the Old Rectory next door very kindly allow extra parking in their driveway for people attending church services. Weather permitting, for special services local fields are opened up by permission of the land owners to allow for overflow parking.
If you would like to visit the church outside service times, a key is held at The Old Rectory, next to the church.
For over 900 years the church has been part of village life, right back to those in 1092 and before who paid tithes to the canon appointed by William the Conqueror’s knight Pycot, Lord of Bourn and Madingley. By the 1300s the villagers through their tithes had developed a chapel into a church with a tower, with bells and a nave. During Victoria’s reign the tower and nave were rebuilt and a chancel added.
The organ in Caldecote Church
A history of Madingley Church, near Cambridge, mentions a photograph c.1875 showing the old organ in the north aisle. The photograph is still displayed in the church. By the end of the century, however, the organ had been moved to the west end of the church. Colonel Harding, who bought nearby Madingley Hall in 1905, wrote in the Church logbook “the singers gathered in the western pews near the old organ, which was quite worn out and gave out sounds extremely distressful. Mr Bishop, the London organ builder, told me that it probably dated from 1720 and though perhaps of some slight interest as a piece of furniture, that its musical value could not be rated at above £5 and that it was not worth repairing.”
Col. Harding gave a new organ for Madingley Church, built by Bishops, in 1908 and “the people of Hardwicke [sic] begged for the old one and it was given to them.” Harding was “never tempted to go there to listen to its sighs in that new home.”
So in 1908 the old chamber organ, probably first used in the music room at Madingley Hall, left Madingley for nearby Hardwick Church. After a sojourn there it moved to the Chapel at Childerley Hall. In 1966 the owners of Childerley Hall, Mr & Mrs John Jenkins, gave it to Caldecote Church where it was restored by the firm of E. J. Johnson thanks to an appeal by the Rector, the Revd Robert Smith.
The 18th century origins of the organ, are, however, lost in time and remain obscure. The case is similar to the smaller, earlier style of Samuel Green (1740-1796) and therefore the earlier date suggested by Mr Bishop of 1720 seems doubtful. Case-makers were often subcontracted at that date and this adds to the difficulties. There is a tradition that the organ may have originated in Germany. The wooden pipes are constructed in blocks, not individually, whilst the metal pipes are mostly replacements. The keys have also been replaced but it is possible that the stop-knobs are original. Their setting, however, facing inwards, is unusual but not unknown.
The organ remains, however, an interesting survival in concept from the 18th century, and thanks to its restoration still serves a musical purpose in Caldecote Church, its fifth home!
Compiled by José Hopkins, February 2014
The churchyard
Since 2016 we have begun to implement a plan for our churchyard to make it welcoming for wildlife and people alike. The plan seeks to define areas of shorter and longer grass and wildflower meadow to encourage a natural habitat for flora and fauna while making it a place of beauty accessible to all who visit or pass through the grounds, whether as dog walkers using the public footpath, as relatives tending graves or those simply wanting to spend some time soaking up the tranquility of the place.Childerley Hall Chapel:
This Elizabethan private chapel is situated in the gardens of Childerley Hall, which is off the A428, just west of Dry Drayton.
Directions from Highfields Caldecote
- Head north-east on Highfields Rd towards West Drive
- At the roundabout, take the 2nd exit onto St Neots Road
- Turn right at the Childerley Hall sign, just after you cross over the A428 bridge.
- Follow the private road for 1.5 miles until you see farm buildings and offices
- The chapel is accessed through the garden gate in the grounds of Childerley Hall, which is on your right.
- From Exit 13 of the M11 turn left onto Madingley Road/A1303 heading towards Bedford/A428
- At the roundabout, take the 2nd exit towards Bedford onto the A428
- Take the first exit towards Toft/Hardwick/Dry Drayton
- At the roundabout, take the 3rd exit onto St Neots Road
- Turn right at the Childerley Hall sign, just after you cross over the A428 bridge.
- Follow the private road for 1.5 miles until you see farm buildings and offices
- The chapel is accessed through the garden gate in the grounds of Childerley Hall, which is on your right.
There is some parking in the driveway of Childerley Hall, and a large field is regularly made available for those attending services. Please folllow the parking signs on the day.
Childerley Hall, the surviving redbrick wing of a celebrated Elizabethan House where Charles I was once held under house arrest, sits in a famous garden that has been created by the present owner, and is adjacent to one of the longest timber-framed barns in England. The chapel dates back to the early 17th century, possibly built for the fourth Sir John Cutts (d.1615), and said to have been consecrated by Bishop Heaton (1600-1609). It is a Grade II* listed building, and the interior includes five late 15th-century roof trusses, reused possibly from the hall when it was reconstructed in the 19th century. The chapel was used as a smoking room in the C19, and later as a cottage before its use today as a private chapel. Childerley is a valued part of our parish and holds a very special place in our hearts. We are grateful to the Hall's owner Chloe Jenkins for her generosity in making it available for occasional services throughout the church year.
The Village Hall, Highfields Caldecote:
Caldecote Village Hall is in the centre of Highfields Caldecote, just behind Caldecuts Hair on Furlong Way, off Highfields Road (see map below). Please note the hall is not owned by the church - it is run by Caldecote Village Institute Ltd. If you are interested in hiring the hall, contact Jan Roberts on 01954 210779 or janmike.roberts@talktalk.net.
Directions for travelling visitors
Caldecote Village Hall's postcode for sat nav is CB23 7NU. Caldecote Village Hall is just just under 6 miles from Junction 13 (northbound) of the M11, close to Cambridge. If you are travelling southbound, come off at Junction 12, rejoin northbound and continue with the directions below.- From Exit 13 of the M11 turn left onto Madingley Road/A1303 heading towards Bedford/A428
- At the roundabout, take the 2nd exit towards Bedford onto the A428
- Take the first exit towards Toft/Hardwick/Dry Drayton
- At the roundabout, take the 2nd exit onto St Neots Road
- At the next roundabout (nearly 1 mile) take the 1st exit onto Highfields Road.
- Go straight across three mini roundabouts
- At the next mini roundabout, take the 2nd exit onto Furlong Way. The Village Hall car park entrance is on your right after the shops.
The village hall has ample parking on site.
The Village Hall in Highfields, Caldecote is the venue for Cafe Church on the third Sunday of the month and occasional special events such as the Remembrance Sunday service, which is co-organised with a number of other village-based organisations.