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General
Segenhoe has always been a small place with few inhabitants and dominated by Segenhoe Manor and the church, dedicated to All Saints, (now a ruin) though it was once a village. It is effectively part of Ridgmont which was the birthplace of the Countess of Strathmore, Mother to the present Queen Elizabeth, the late Queen Mother.
Segenhoe was the original Saxon village and it was renamed Ridgemont (Rougemont) after the Norman conquest of 1066 (at the time its name was Segenehou). In the 2001 Census the population of the Ridgmont civil parish, in which segenhoe lies, was 418.
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All Saints' Church
This ruined church is located just off the Eversholt Road six hundred meters from the A507 southwest of the centre of Ridgmont. The church was built in the eleventh century close to Segenhoe cum Ridgmont (Segenhoe Manor on the map). Over the centuries the church was adapted so that it includes architecture from the eleventh, fourteenth, fifteenth and nineteenth centuries. The church eventually suffered from structural problems and was decommissioned and a new church was built in nearby Ridgmont. The old church started to decay and was going to be demolished but Bedfordshire County Council bought it in 1982.
One paranormal group reported “Just as the evening came to a close we decided to give it one last sit within the church. Within 10-15 minutes I witnessed a flash of light that kept appearing at the top of a pillar and moving quite rapidly across the width of the church, this happened about 3-4 times”.
The church at Segenhoe is now just a ruin which lies on its own away from the village of Ridgmont. The area is quiet and deserted except for one house a hundred metres away. As the church lies on a back road it is also very dark. As you enter the church through the north porch you are presented with a number of columns running the length of the nave from the tower to the chancel thus creating a north nave aisle. The columns and arches in between seem rather elaborate for such a small church but make it architecturally very interesting. The main roof over the chancel and nave has gone but the tower is still sealed. Recently the floor has been cleared of its accumulated dirt which has greatly improved the interior.
To view a map of the area click on the button below
To view images see:
Segenhoe - All Saints' Church Album
To view a report about All Saints' Church see:
25-02-2005, 27-08-2010 & 25-11-2011
Segenhoe, All Saints' Church
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