St Nicholas' Church
St Nicholas’ Church on the hilltop is the oldest building in Stevenage and was at the centre of the original Saxon village of Stigenace. It is likely to have begun as a wooden structure but by 1120 there are records of villagers beginning to collect flint to start building the tower. St Nicholas’ Church had to look after the same amount of land and people from 1100 to around 1950, during which time the church was enlarged and improved. During the 16th century in the time when King Henry VIII broke from Rome and started the Church of England, Stevenage was lucky to have the Revd Thomas Alleyne as the rector who was managed to keep his living and escape persecution for being a Catholic, although he had to now teach Anglican views in Stevenage.