Facilities and features
Accessibility
The toilet is equipped for disabled but has insufficient room for a wheelchair alongside the toilet seat.
The toilet is equipped for wheelchair access but has insufficient room for the wheelchair alongside the toilet seat.
The church has no dedicated car parking space.
The nearby roads are narrow and congested. There can sometimes be a space or two in Church Hill, Church Green and Vicarage Hill and certainly in Main Street.
The entrance into the church from the road at the south gate in Church Hill is kerbless and stepless. Please park as above after dropping off a person with walking difficulties.
Nearest public unit is located on the outside of the east churchyard wall in Church Green, turn left going out of east gate. There is a second unit on the wall of the Village Hall on The Green NN11 3AF. Both are supplied by the parish council.
Access from the south gate into the building is step-less for everyone providing a wheelchair and buggie access to the nave, aisles, kitchen, toilet and font. There is one step down into the chancel.
The loop passes around the internal walls.
Assistance dogs are welcome.
Access to the church from Church Hill through the south gate is completely step free- no pavement kerb - no steps through the porch into the church's rear multi-purpose platform area. From the main door there is a ramp down to the main nave floor level which gives access to the kitchen and toilet, the font area and children's corner. There is a step down into the chancel.
Our Building
Several windows contain stained glass, which is late 19th or 20th century.
In the north aisle, east window, clear diamond shaped panes of glass surround two 15th century stained glass coats of arms. The shield of Evesham Abbey depicts three golden Mitres, and a silver Chevron, on a blue background, and the royal coat of arms as in use from 1405 to 1603, and fragments of writing Thomas and echaime. Sir Henry Dryden guessed in 1880-1 the latter to be from the name Bechaime. Could this refer to the 12th Earl of Warwick (1338-1401)? But why? This ancient glass was formerly in a central north side clerestory window, from which it was removed and cleaned in 1981. The top light contains a late 15th century roundel with an abbot's mitre and the initials TN. Thomas Newbold was the Abbot of Evesham from 18th July 1491 until 6th December 1514. This roundel was originally in the top light of the war memorial window in the chancel. A diamond pane at the bottom right hand corner records "Restored 1982 by The Worshipful Company of Glaziers". The work was carried out in his Haddenham, Bucks, studio by Michael C Farrar-Bell on behalf of the donors - The Worshipful Company of Glaziers & Painters of Glass - founded in 1328, of which he was a past master.
Daily: the main door and priests door are unlocked from 10am till 4pm.
Grade 2* listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest. It has Historic England list entry number: 1075276 from legacy data system LBS no: 360660.
Music and Worship
The fine ring of six bells, tenor 14cwt and 5th bell 13cwt is rung from the ground floor accessed by an external path direct into the south side of the tower. The tower floor is 6 ft higher than the nave floor! A cctv system enables people in the church to see the bells ringing high in the tower. Practice night Wednesdays 7.30 - 9pm except Holy Week. We ring before all 11am services from 10.20am and for weddings and funerals as requested. Check ringing times first on 01327 871806 before travelling.
Organised on a time to time basis.
The church has a PA system which can play DVDs.
The instrument made by Cathedral Organs of Maidenhead, has its console in the north aisle. It is a two manual Eminent Digital Computing System Organ DCS 386 with loudspeakers, amplifiers, bass speakers and a medium oak case. It was dedicated on 15th October 1995. The specification is:
Great (12 + 2): {Open Diapason 8’; Stopped Diapason 8; Dulciana 8; Principal 4; Flute 4; Twelfth 2 2/3; Fifteenth 2; Blockflute 2; Mixture IIIrks; Scharf IVrks; Trumpet 8; Clarinet 8; Tremulant; Alterable Voice 1; Alterable Voice 2}. Swell (12 + 2): { Open Diapason 8; Chimney Flute; Echo Gamba 8; Voix Celeste 8; Principal 4; Rohr Flute 4; Fifteenth 2; Mixture IVrks; Contra Fagotto 16; Cornopean 8; Oboe 8; Clarion; Tremulant; Alterable Voice 3; Alterable Voice 4}. Pedal (7 + 2): {Open Diapason 16; Subbass 16; Bordon 16; Octave 8; Gedack 8; Choral Bass 4; Trombone 16; Alterable Voice 5; Alterable Voice 6}. Couplers: {Great to Swell; Swell to Pedal; Swell to Great}. Total number of Stops is 31 + 6. It has a library of 64 Stops which can be programmed into the Alterable Voice Stops and it can link with other electronic musical instruments through a Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI).
Its loudspeakers are built into the vestry cupboard behind the oak screen with adjustable louvres to the chancel made by Alan Jenning of Braunston in 1997.
We use Common Worship format. There are regular Book of Common Prayer services in the Knightley Parishes at Charwelton and Fawsley. Some services at Preston Capes also use the Book of common Prayer
Groups, Courses and Activities
The bellringers welcome youngsters from age 10 upwards. Think about using bellringing in the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme for skills or community. Safeguarding arrangements will be arranged.
Currently we are running a Lent Course which it is planned will become a regular Bible Study Fellowship Group.
Monthly on the third Tuesday from 10.30am to 12 noon , starting in September 2018. Come and join us for refreshment, chatter and natter.
There is a companion Tea and Meet (now T 4 U) on the first Friday from 2.30pm to 4.30pm held in the village hall, The Green, NN11 3AF
Until it was cancelled by Covid in 2020, Badby Fayre was held on the first Sunday of September in every even year.
The Fayre aims to raise funds for the church while providing an opportunity for the village community to come together for an enjoyable event.
It has been replaced now with an annual scarecrow competition with stalls, games and music on The Green usually on the second Sunday of September.
Help for Visitors
Please book with Geoff Pullin 01327 871806 [email protected] who will be pleased to give you a guided tour of the building and to the top of the tower.
"A History of Badby Church" - 3rd edition (2018) is available in the Church at £3.
"A Quick Guide to Badby Church" is available free of charge in the Church. There is also a version in French.
There are currently display boards with information about the 2018 project reordering the church, the roof repair project of 2022 and history of the village.
Not so much a cafe as a monthly chat with home-made cakes at the coffee morning on each third Tuesday of the each month 10.30am to 12 noon!
The Church is open daily from 10 am to 4 pm in winter and from 9 am to 5 pm in summer.
There is usually a water bowl in the porch
Other Features
There is always a plastic container in the Church porch to collect canned or otherwise preserved food and toiletries for the Daventry Food Bank
There is a PA system with two speakers high at the sides of the chancel arch. There are fixed and radio microphones available.
The system is able to play CDs.
A cctv monitor showing the bells in operation can be deployed in the church.
See https://daventrydc.gov.uk/living/planning-policy/conservation-areas/
for a map of the Badby conservation area.
The church does not have a hall, but can be used itself for concerts, exhibitions etc by agreement.
Badby Village Hall is run by Badby Parish Council. See https://badby-pc.gov.uk/community/village-hall/