Events - Lunchtime lectures return (Eastwood)

LUNCHTIME lectures will return to Eastwood this month with a presentation on the history of Annesley at the DH Lawrence Heritage Centre.

Local historian, David Amos will talk about Annesley Hall, the Chaworth and Chaworth-Musters families, as well as the newly renovated ruins at the Grade 1 listed Annesley Old Church.

The talk on May 18 will start at 11am and displays will be on show for the Annesley Old Church Project. The Project Story Group will be doing a story telling session from 1.30pm.

Standard admission costs just £2.50, £2.00 for Broxtowe Leisure Card Holders and £1.50 with a DH Lawrence Annual Membership.

from: http://www.eastwoodadvertiser.co.uk/news/eastwood-kimberley-news/lunchtime-lectures-return-1-4509871?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitterfeed

News - Historic Annesley church is hit by vandals

MINDLESS vandals have attacked an historic church in Annesley which is being restored.

Annesley Old Church, which has links with Lord Byron and D.H. Lawrence, was targeted earlier this month and large pieces of stone work were ripped from a wall some time between 5th and 9th January.

The damage is going to cost ‘thousands of pounds’ to repair and will delay the project by at least a week.

Site foreman Peter Howes said he believed adults rather than children were responsible because the stones are so heavy and they were fixed securely.

He said: “What I can’t understand is why there is no damage anywhere else - the graves are all right. It’s just constantly on that wall.

“It’s going to cost thousands of pounds to put right and more than likely they will come and do some more damage.”

He also fears that if people who are not authorised to access the site do so, they could also hurt themselves.

The site has previously been targeted by vandals in July 2009 and then again in August last year when vandals destroyed the same stretch of wall.

Ashfield District Council secured £450,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund to restore the church which dates back to 1356 and is mentioned in D.H. Lawrence’s 1911 novel The White Peacock.

Local history expert Dick Starr, from the Friends of Annesley Church group, said: “It’s obviously a historic site along with Annesley Hall. If they are caught, they ought to pay for it.”

Meanwhile, deputy leader of Ashfield District Council John Wilmott also criticised those responsible for the damage.

He said: “This is part of Ashfield’s heritage and it is fantastic that organisations and Ashfield District Council officers have worked so hard to get the funding to preserve this building.

“I just pray and hope that these people are caught and brought to account.”

His views were echoed by Annesley ward councillors Helen Smith and Don Davis.

Coun Smith said that the project should be instilling pride in people because it would bring tourists to the area.

She added: “We will be replacing these stones and if the council finds out who has done this, we will be prosecuting them.”

And Coun Davis said: “It just beggars belief that someone could do that. We are trying to do some good work here - I can’t understand why anyone would do this.”

The church held its last service in 1942 and was sold to the council in 1981. Restoration work began on 5th September last year.

Anyone with information can contact Nottinghamshire Police on 101 or Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.

From: http://www.chad.co.uk/news/local/alfreton/historic_annesley_church_is_hit_by_vandals_1_4148426

News - Lottery revamp for ruined Annesley village church

A RUINED church in Annesley with links to Lord Byron and DH Lawrence is to be transformed with the help of £450,000 of lottery cash.

All Saints’ Church - known locally as Annesley Old Church - is set for a new lease of life following the award by the Heritage Lottery Fund, with Ashfield District Council also contributing cash.

The church, built in 1356, is in a sorry state after falling into major disrepair since the building of the newer Annesley All Saints’ Church in 1874, a response to the needs of miners working at Annesley Colliery.

The roof collapsed decades ago and the site is normally off limits to the public because of safety issues.

But now there are plans to bring the site into the 21st Century by making it safe for visitors and using its redevelopment to provide training and skills for local community groups.

Dennis Hill, heritage development officer for Ashfield District Council, said: “This is fantastic news and we cannot wait to get started on the project.“

The site’s historic links to the poet Lord Byron stem from his romantic involvement with Mary Ann Chaworth, who lived yards from the old church at Annesley Hall.

Mary ended up marrying another man, John Musters, in 1805 at the church. Lord Byron wrote about Annesley in some of his early work.

The church also gets a mention in the work of Nottinghamshire writer DH Lawrence. In The White Peacock, published in 1911, he has some less than kind words to say about the ‘rotting’ old building.

The church held its last service in 1942, despite being in poor condition and was sold to Ashfield District Council in 1981.

The authority lowered the roofless walls and part of the tower.

Gregory Pickup, grants officer for the Heritage Lottery Fund, said the project would have a number of benefits for the local area.

“This is going to be a project that will involve the whole community,” he said “Credit must go to Ashfield District Council who put the time and money into putting the application together for this grant.”

Ashfield district councillor Steve Carroll said: “We must thank our officers who worked so hard to secure this money.”

Ashfield MP Gloria De Piero said it was time more local groups benefitted from lottery cash.

The district ranks 339th in the country in terms of total grants received since the Lottery scheme was set up in 1995. Mansfield is ranked 225th and South Nottingham is 31st.

“This is a great deal of money and it is about time this area started to get its fair share. We have got so many areas of huge historical interest which need this funding.”

from: http://www.chad.co.uk/news/lottery_revamp_for_ruined_annesley_village_church_1_3545980