Sitting on a man-made hill, the beautiful church of All Saints' Odell is probably built on the site of an earlier church, since records of incumbents date back to 1220. It is a fifteenth century building of Northamptonshire limestone. in the Perpendicular Style.

The church was repaired and beautified in the years 1686 and 1687, and in December 1820 a church clock was put in the tower. In 1868 and 1869 more restoration work was carried out.

There are many interesting features in the church. The flooring of the nave and aisles is stone and has diamond patterns within straight borders. The pews are old, though there is some dispute as to their ages. The original rood screen is in a good state of preservation. The panels on the lower part of the screen are painted alternately in red and black and some old stencil work can just be seen. The doorway above the rood screen is the opening from the rood stairs originally leading to the rood loft, a gallery above the screen.

The medieval stained glass in the top part of the east window of the south aisle has recently been removed for restoration, for which a substantial amount of money is required.

The octagonal font dates back to the time when the church was built and the Jacobean pulpit is said to have been brought from another church in the 1650's. Two coffin lids in the corner of the south aisle are of thirteenth century origin and, therefore, predate the church. There are various memorials, hatchments and some wall niches, not all of whose purposes are known.

The western tower contains a ring of six bells, the treble bell having been added to the five seventeenth century bells in 1958. The people of Concord, USA joined with the people of Odell at that time in paying for the restoration of the church bells.

The most famous of the Rectors of Odell is Peter Bulkeley who, as a non-conformist, was unable to accept the "Laudian Discipline". He admitted that he did not wear a surplice or make the sign of the cross, and this resulted in his suspension. In 1635 he emigrated to America where he became the first minister of the new settlement of Concord.

Links with Concord have continued from that time and the people of Concord have often assisted with funds for repairs, and the church has many American visitors researching their roots.

In 1983 a large group came over from Concord to celebrate 200 years of peace with England since the end of the American War of Independence. They included members of a re-enactment society, the Concord Minutemen. The original Minutemen were members of the local militia brought together during that war, their name implying they could be ready for action at a minute's notice.

In 1998 the joint benefice of Odell and Pavenham was split and Odell now has a non-stipendiary minister. Currently the incumbent is Rev David Streater, who, together with his wife, Valerie, lives in Odell Rectory.

More details can be found on the Odell website:

www.kbnet.co.uk/odell