History and Description of
COVINGTON PARISH CHURCH

The porch is modern and contains the battlefield monument to Major C Barnet, a resident of the village who died in the Great War. The North door has a 12th century tympanum carved with a wingless griffin and a lion facing (mentioned in Bedfordshire Archaeology Volume 8 1973 - "The Tympana of Covington and Thurleigh (Richard Marks)". . High up at the eastern end of the south wall of the nave there is what the Victoria County History describes as a "blocked doorway" which originally opened on to the roof of the demolished South Chapel. It is also likely that this is a Rood Screen light - a window specifically installed to illuminate the top of the Rood Screen which separated the Nave from the Chancel - evidence of which can be seen in the form of mounting slots cut in the Chancel arch. During the reformation, when Rood Screens were ordered to be removed there seems to have been little guidance as to how much of the screens should go. Some churches merely removed any statuettes and perhaps some of the paint and other decorations - in this case it may be that that the screen was completely removed and the window was considered part of the screen and filled in.

On the west side of the Nave is a copy of the insurance plaque for the church - the original having been removed for safe keeping.

A exterior view of the south and east sides of the church.

The 12th century tympaniam on the north door of the nave.

The insurance plate - a copy, but a good one!

One of the numerous "embellishments" to the outside of the church. This seems to be part of a 12th century window frame, set into the eastern wall of the chancel.

The grave of John Head situated just outside the porch. This is one of four early 19th century mock mausolea lining the path to the old manor house which is situated just to the south of the churchyard.

The battlefield memorial to Major CAREW BARNETT, 6th Bn., Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry who died aged 48, on Thursday, 12th August 1915.
Major Barnett is buried at YPRES RESERVOIR CEMETERY, Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. This memorial was placed in the church by members of his family and is maintained by the village on their behalf.
Commonwealth War Graves Commission entry.

A general view of the filled arch entrance and roof access door to the demolished 15th century south chapel, which could also be a filled-in window.