St. Andrew's Church, Oakington

[2] The church was rebuilt in the 13th century, with the addition of a narrow south aisle with tiny lancet windows, and larger ones in the chancel.

The stone cross built into the west wall of the south aisle was originally on the east end of the nave roof.

On the buttress of the south-east corner of the chancel, there is a scratch dial, a primitive medieval sundial used to determine the time for devotions.

The basis of the building fund was from earlier legacies but the major part of the cost was raised by the congregation at the time together with donations from the village community.

The purpose of the hall was to provide much needed meeting space, and the motivation was to further the church's ministry, and to offer a well-appointed venue for community groups.

The font was proposed to be removed from its present position in 1926, to be relocated near the south door and for its place to be screened off with a curtain for use as a vestry.

[9] The arcading of the south aisle with single chamfered, two-centred arches is supported by Early English circular columns, that used to be painted and were renewed in the 13th century, with moulded capitals and holdwater bases.

You may also notice the columns to both north and south aisles are out of plumb due to the outward thrust of the nave roof over many years.

The tenor weighs 5cwt, its inscription reads 'Miles Graie 1655' One bell was recast by Joseph Eayre of St Neots, it is inscribed 'Omnia fiant ad gloriam Dei (Let it all be to the glory of God).

In the ringing gallery there is a polished oak memorial tablet, in the shape of two bells and a photo dated 1977 below it, they record the installation of the six bells on a steel frame carried out by local bellringers and friends including Roger Kendrick, James Alexander, Ian West, Graham Miner, Tony Moore and Bunny Moore.

The treble's inscription reads 'Taylor Loughborough 1977 Non clamor sed amor in aure Dei cantat' (It is not the sound but the love that sings in the ear of God.)

It is a wooden tryptych with a sculpted Crucifixion scene inside with Christ, Virgin Mary and St John, under shields bearing the arms of Canterbury and Ely.

[10] In 1920, when the war shrine was first erected, there was a shelf under it for candlesticks with two hammered copper vases given by the boys and girls of the Sunday school.

The extra panel was made by Derek Hunt joiner in Mark Bury's Workshop in Longstanton Road, Oakington.

Under this window, there is a stone vase dedicated to the memory of Stuart Anthony Page who died at the age of 17, in a motorbike accident at the crossroads, in 1977.

In 1926, the Diocese of Ely gave permission to install an altar table designed by Leech &Son, Cambridge, with frontal and a curtain behind.

The present altar frontal was designed in 1988 by Rosalind Blundell-Jones local resident, based on a springtime Fenland scene with blue rear curtains on wrought iron rail.

Two Perpendicular image niches from the 15th century flank the Burdett window with cusped ogee arches and small vaulted canopies, suggesting that a chantry chapel was here.

The first pew on each side of the nave was removed and repositioned by the font in 2014 to create additional space for musicians and audio equipment, including cabling under the area of new floor tiling.

There is now a brass plate on the front pew opposite the pulpit, with the inscription 'Dedicated to the glory of God and in loving memory of Anthony John Waddelow 1939-2014'.

The chancel arch, with half-octagon responds, Perpendicular capitals and moulding, was widened in the 14th century around the time the nave arcades were built.

There is a stone plaque on each side of this window, commemorating the predecessor of Whittaker, Rev Thomas Webster (to the right) vicar for 31 years, until his death in 1840, and his widow Mary Ann (to the left).

W G Searle (1829–1913) was a fellow of Queens' College, the vicar of Oakington between 1858 and 1893, an antiquary, Honorary Curator of Coins at the Fitzwilliam Museum, and a historian.

The finely carved wooden middle part on the top of the panelling, right below the east window, is in memory of Philip Papworth of Westwick Hall who died in 1924.

During Rev Thomas Parker's time in 1960s, the altar was moved forward so the celebrant at holy communion could face the congregation.

The brass altar cross is in memory of Major Arthur Charles Littledale who died in France in the First World War.

The window with plate tracery at the east end of the south wall of the chancel with two scenes from the life of Jesus, is dedicated to James Theobald of Winchester who died in 1871.

The removable middle section was installed in 1972 in memory of Mrs Shuttleworth to bridge the gap between the existing rails during communion service.

The design of the lancet on the right of the priest door was based on a painting by William Holman Hunt, Pre-Raffaelite artist (1829–1910), called The Light of the World (1851-4).

On the clasp, there are the initials W G S, so it probably belonged to Rev William George Searle whom the St Andrew figure of the east window is modelled on.