By 1360 it had fallen in disuse and ruin. It is a good example of a village church mainly in the Decorated style. Originally the Trailly family received it from the monks at Thorney Abbey early in the 12th Century and was confirmed to them by a charter of Pope Alexander III in 1162. Although Norman in origin its shows no indication of this in its construction. It consists of a Nave and Chancel dating back to the early 13th Century and had been considerably re-modelled since then, the most notable feature being the tower and broach spire. World War II was a significant time in the history of the village because of its close proximity to Chelveston Aerodrome, which was originally built with three runways in 1941. An Airborne Forces Experimental Establishment detachment began flying from the aerodrome in 1942 with Horsa gliders towed by Short Stirling aircraft. Later in 1942, following the entry of the United States into the war, it eventually became the home of the United States Army Air Forces 305th Bombardment Group, which had four squadrons of Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses pioneering the daylight formation and bombing procedures of the time. There were almost 2,000 personnel based at the aerodrome flying a total of 337 missions between November 1942 and April 1945. During these missions, a total of 22,362 tons of bombs were dropped on enemy targets and 332 enemy aircraft were claimed shot down at the expense of 154 Allied aircraft and 810 men. During the aerodromes construction, a series of buildings were erected in the village near the church as quarters for the Women's Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF) but instead became the sergeant's mess for the Americans. In more recent times these buildings, known locally as "the camps," fell into rack and ruin and so were demolished to make way for a new housing development. Today Philips Medows, Stanbrook Way and Forge Gardens stand on these sites. On 24 March 1944 a Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress bomber belonging to the US Army Air Forces 422nd Bomb Squadron, 305th Bomb Group (Heavy), crashed on take off from RAF Chelveston, killing the entire crew of 10 and 11 persons on the ground. Today Forge Gardens stands on the crash site. In May 2009 a service was held in the village church and a tablet recording the names of those who died in the crash was dedicated. Two children, Keith (aged 14) and Monica (aged 4), were killed during the crash when the aircraft hit the house they were sleeping in.