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:

1. From Exit 12 of the M11 take the A603/Cambridge Road heading towards Sandy
2. Turn right at the B1046/New Road
3. Continue to follow the B1046 for approx. 4 miles through the villages of Barton, Comberton and Toft
4. After leaving the village of Toft take the first right onto Main Street
5. After 500m the church is high on your right

There is limited parking in the layby outside the church, and the Barker Family very kindly allow extra parking at The Old Rectory next door 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. Alternatively please contact the churchwarden (see People)

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.

A note to relatives who tend graves:
One part of the churchyard development plan that we have not yet been able to implement is the mowing of paths through the graveyard area itself, due to the use of glass jars for flowers on graves, which have proved too dangerous for both the lawnmower operator and for the machine itself – jars have a habit of hiding in grass and causing havoc when the mower seeks them out! If you tend a grave in the churchyard, please don’t leave any glass containers on or near the grave, for the safety of all users of the church grounds.

The Churchyard Development Plan

The plan to develop the churchyard begins with three 'fixed points':

1. The public footpath, which runs along the north side of the church from the road to a gate in the north-east corner should continue to provide easy access to the public.
2. Several mature trees, and one or two younger ones, all of which are in good condition, should be preserved.
3. Access to the more recent graves and potential grave positions should be secured.

The plan involves three lengths of grass (mown regularly, infrequently and annually) used in different areas, to encourage a more diverse natural habitat:

1. Mown grass: A clear path from the entrance at the top of the steps to the south door, and two further paths from the door - one close to the south wall and one giving access to graves south of the church. A further area of mown grass should be kept at the north-west corner of the church, where wedding photographs are commonly taken.
2. Longer grass: will be left between and below these paths and around the area towards the hedge.
3. Flowery mead: developed along the north boundary with the Old Rectory, and cut annually to encourage wild flowers.

Further plans to create a quiet contemplative area in the south-east corner will be developed over the coming year.

Directions from Highfields Caldecote

1. Head north-east on Highfields Rd towards West Drive
2. At the roundabout, take the 2nd exit onto St Neots Road
3. Turn right at the Childerley Hall sign, just after you cross over the A428 bridge.
4. Follow the private road for 1.5 miles until you see farm buildings and offices
5. The chapel is accessed through the garden gate in the grounds of Childerley Hall, which is on your right.

Directions for travelling visitors

Childerley Hall is just just over 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.

1.  From Exit 13 of the M11 turn left onto Madingley Road/A1303 heading towards Bedford/A428
2. At the roundabout, take the 2nd exit towards Bedford onto the A428
3. Take the first exit towards Toft/Hardwick/Dry Drayton
4. At the roundabout, take the 3rd exit onto St Neots Road
5. Turn right at the Childerley Hall sign, just after you cross over the A428 bridge.
6. Follow the private road for 1.5 miles until you see farm buildings and offices
7. 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.

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.

1. From Exit 13 of the M11 turn left onto Madingley Road/A1303 heading towards Bedford/A428
2. At the roundabout, take the 2nd exit towards Bedford onto the A428
3. Take the first exit towards Toft/Hardwick/Dry Drayton
4. At the roundabout, take the 2nd exit onto St Neots Road
5. At the next roundabout (nearly 1 mile) take the 1st exit onto Highfields Road.
6. Go straight across three mini roundabouts
7. 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.

Caldecote Church partners with Hardwick Evangelical Church to support the Gateways Community, meets in the Village Hall on the second Sunday of the month at 4.30pm. Gateways is an all-age community built around values, spirituality and fun.

The Village Hall is also the venue for occasional special events including the Remembrance Sunday service, which is co-organised by Caldecote Church and a number of other village-based organisations.

At Caldecote Church we have a rolling programme of small projects that will make a tangible difference to the way we can serve church members and everyone who lives in the parish. Our first campaign was "Have a Seat!". We had a target of just over £200 to buy 24 new padded folding chairs to use at big services like the annual Carols by Candlelight. Thanks to the generosity of those who heard about the appeal, we raised the entire amount in just two days! We have two active appeals:

1. The Signs are Good!

2. In Memory or In Thanksgiving

There are three ways to do this: 1. Set up a monthly recurring credit/debit card donation through BT MyDonate,by clicking the donation button below and selecting the "Regular donation" option.

Payable to: Caldecote Church A/c number: 00191086 Sort code: 20-17-19

UK tax payers: If you pay Income Tax and/or Capital Gains Tax in the UK, we can claim back 25p on every £1 you donate through the Gift Aid scheme, recovered from the money you've paid in those taxes. To allow us to do this, please complete a Gift Aid declaration - available as part of this form, or by making a small donation via BT MyDonate and ticking the "Please reclaim Gift Aid" box. If you are a higher or additional rate UK tax payer and you give to Caldecote Church directly using Gift Aid, then through your tax return you may recover the difference between the basic rate tax and the higher or additional rate that you have paid. Alternatively, you can pass the full beneift to Caldecote Church through your employer's payroll giving scheme. See the Give-A-You-Earn tab for more information.

If you are a Higher Rate or Additional Rate taxpayer, you can increase your charitable donations by using Payroll Giving. This increases your donations by the amount of the tax you would have paid on the donation if you'd kept it as income - about 67% for Higher Rate taxpayers, or about 82% for Additional Rate taxpayers. (If you are a Basic Rate taxpayer, then Payroll Giving would increase your donations by 25%, which is the same as a Gift Aid declaration.) You can find out more about Payroll Giving at www.payrollgiving.co.uk

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