During the 13th century an early church for Woburn had been constructed at Birchmoor, and although the exact site is not known, in 1661 a reference is made to a garden termed the ‘churchyard’, near Birchmoor House. In 1308 the Woburn abbot then obtained a licence for the church to be served by a monk, whilst as for administering the sacrament, a secular priest was also appointed until, in 1399, the contemporary abbot acquired a licence to abolish this need. Following the demolition of the church the chapel at Woburn became the local centre of worship, although it was also used as a venue for bear baiting in 1612. However, as a reminder of Birchmoor materials from the old structure were used to rebuild the tower of the Woburn church by Sir Francis Staunton who, having been knighted at Bletsoe in 1621, was a descendant of Edward Staunton, of Birchmoor, the last steward of the monks. The Woburn church featured a tower, three aisles and a chancel, but later enhancements would be made by various Dukes of Bedford including the 6th, who had the tower rebuilt in 1830. Then in 1868 the 8th Duke of Bedford, William, decided to pull down the church and use the materials to build a mortuary chapel, styled in the fashion of the 15th century. Thus between 1865 and 1868 east of the town, alongside the drive into the Park, a new church was built from Bath stone, and with the design in the continental Gothic style having been by Henry Clutton, architect to the ecclesiastical commissioners, at a cost of £40,000 the work was undertaken by Myers and Co. of London. The building was duly consecrated in 1868, and during the year a large 55cwt bell, in fact the largest in the county, would be cast by Mears and Stainbank of London. As for the crypt, built in the Norman style this had been initially intended for family use, but in the event that of Chenies would continue to be used. Then in 1910 the several bells that hung in the old church of Woburn were taken down and, together with the 55cwt bell of the new church, melted down to form a new ring of eight bells. These the Duke then presented to the church on Christmas Day, but for reasons of safety the tower as presently seen is a reduced version of the original.