Event - Graveyard Surveys at Laneham

Notts CC Community Archaeologists are looking for volunteers to help with the  graveyard surveying days at St Peter’s church, Laneham.

Dates: Saturday 9 , Monday 11 and  Tuesday 12 July
Time: 10am to 3pm
Location: St Peter’s Church, Laneham

We are looking for more people to come along and take part in these surveys, and all training will be provided.

We will be recording information from headstones, as well as their condition. Headstones suffer badly through weathering, and over time the information inscribed on them can be lost. So surveys like this are very important for providing genealogical information, as well as providing a benchmark by which the rate of erosion of stones can be measured.

If you are interested in coming along or finding out more please contact Emily Gillott, Community Archaeologist, emily.gillott@nottscc.gov.uk  Tel: 0115 977 2160.

From: http://trentvale.wordpress.com/2011/07/07/graveyard-surveys-at-laneham/

News - Parish church’s £50,000 grant for vital restoration (Royston)

A PARISH church in South Yorkshire is to benefit from a £50,000 grant towards vital restoration work.

The money will be used to fund repairs to a 15th century window at Royston Church in Barnsley, and repointing of the masonry.

The grant, awarded by not-for-profit company WREN, is part of a new heritage fund which helps to protect listed buildings across the UK.

Parts of the building date back to the 13th century and the church has previously been given grants from WREN to restore the roof and carry out community work.

Church warden Christina Cockcroft said: “We’re delighted WREN has recognised the importance of preserving one of the area’s most important historic buildings and continued its generous support of Royston Parish Church.”

Peter Cox, managing director of WREN, said: “Buildings like this are part of the historical fabric of the UK and we must ensure they remain intact for future generations to enjoy.

“We’re delighted to support the restoration.”

From: http://www.thestar.co.uk/community/parish_church_s_50_000_grant_for_vital_restoration_1_3321069

News - Sponsored event to save churches (Notts)

THE annual hunt for cyclists, walkers and "sitters" to raise money for old churches in Notts is under way.

It is hoped that more than 250 buildings will be included in the Sponsored Ride and Stride, organised by the Nottinghamshire Historic Churches Trust, which takes place on Saturday, September 10.

County organiser Mike Elliott says in the past some people have managed to fit in 20 churches on their route.

He said: "People can walk if they can't get a bike and, because a lot of churchgoers are elderly, we allow them to be sponsored for the number of hours they sit in their church, recording visitors on the day.

"The event also gives people the opportunity to visit smaller buildings which normally would not be open so often."

Cyclists and walkers are sponsored according to how many churches they visit.

Participants are asked to nominate a church or chapel to receive half of what they raise, with the other half going to the county Historic Churches Trust. For more information contact Mr Elliott on 0115 937 6506 or e-mail elliottnews@btconnect.com.

From: http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/news/Sponsored-event-save-churches/article-3276367-detail/article.html

News - Famous bells to be replaced in historic Shelford church

ONE of them dates from as long ago as the 14th Century, the other from the late 1400s to early 1500s.

But after centuries of ringing, two of the county's oldest church bells are finally in need of replacement.

This is the task facing the staff of the venerable Church of St Peter and St Paul in Shelford, near Radcliffe-on-Trent.

The two bells, made of bronze, copper and tin, weigh more than half a ton between them. 

The large tenor bell was made by the Mellours family of Nottingham between 1472 and 1508 while the other, known to bell-ringers as a third, was forged in around 1350.

Both are inscribed with Latin letters and, so far as anyone can tell, have been hanging in the church's Western Tower since they were made.

They have been rung to mark Sunday services, weddings, funerals and other special occasions throughout the years.

Now, they will be replaced by two comparatively new bells, which were made in the 1950s.

"When the clapper strikes it makes an indentation, and although you can turn the bells every few years the indentations are affecting the tone of the bells," said church warden Christine Mills-Kennedy, who comes from a family of Notts church bell ringers.

"The third bell is now in danger of cracking and the tenor bell doesn't have a very good tone."

Although both of the old bells are being retained for lighter uses, they still have to be removed from the church tower so that the new ones can take over their role.

This difficult task is being handled for free by Mrs Mills-Kennedy's son Andrew, who works for one of Britain's few remaining bell foundries, John Taylor and Co, of Loughborough.

The plan is to use block-and-tackle gear to lower the bells, and the heavy metal headstocks they are bolted to, through a trapdoor in the floor of the bell room.

They will then be lowered through a second trapdoor in the floor beneath. At this point, the bells will be dangling over the church's polished French organ, but must somehow be safely diverted to the floor.

"I'm very happy for the church and the village," said the Reverend Graeme Anderson, priest in charge at St Peter and St Paul.

But will anybody in the village hear an improved sound when the two new bells are ringing out?

"If you have a musical ear you will notice a difference," said Mrs Mills-Kennedy.

As well as its ancient bells, Shelford's church is well known for many historical associations, including an incident in the English Civil War when Royalist soldiers who barricaded themselves in the bell tower were smoked out by Parliamentarians.

Arthur Mee described the church as beautiful and "rich in fame" in his King's England guide to Nottinghamshire.

The old bells will be coming out in the next month or so. They are staying in the tower but are being moved to the side for other duties. The small third bell will be used occasionally as a sanctus bell for special services while the tenor will be rigged up to the tower clock and used to sound the hour.

The new bells are costing about £10,000, met by parish fundraising and existing church funds.

The two new bells will both be inscribed with the names of former Shelford residents.

The tenor will be named Betty in honour of Betty Cheetham MBE, the former parish councillor who gave years of service to the community and died in 2009.

The smaller bell will be inscribed with the name of Mrs Mills-Kennedy's late husband Brian. He is buried in the church graveyard, just yards from the tower where he helped ring out sound across Shelford. His headstone is in the shape of a bell.

From: http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/news/Ringing-changes/article-3233606-detail/article.html

 

News - Churches saved from falling into disrepair (South Yorkshire)

LIFELINES totalling more than £300,000 have been extended to four crumbling South Yorkshire churches.

English Heritage and the Heritage Lottery Fund have given St Leonard’s in Thrybergh, Rotherham, and St Michael and All Angels in Great Houghton, near Barnsley, much-needed grants to repair leaking roofs and damaged masonry.

Funds also go to two churches in Doncaster – St Mary’s in Sprotbrough, and St Mary’s in Tickhill.

The grants are part of an £18 million cash pot distributed to 138 places of worship nationwide.

Trevor Mitchell, English Heritage planning director, said: “We want our historic places of worship to have a secure future. Not only are they places of prayer and hubs of the community but they are also among this region’s greatest architectural treasures.

“Without the vital safety net of the repair grants scheme, many congregations would be faced with watching their beloved churches and chapels falling into ruin.”

St Leonard’s, thought to pre-date the Norman invasion in 1066, will receive £139,000 to fix the nave, south porch and vestry roofs, drainage, masonry and plaster. St Michael’s, a Grade II* church built in 1650, will get £180,000 to repair roofing, rain water goods and masonry.

Grade I listed St Mary’s in Sprotbrough – a parish which dates back to the latter part of the 10th century – gets £103,000 for repairs to its chancel and aisle roofs, masonry, glazing and drainage. Grade II* listed St Mary’s, Tickhill, gets £61,000 for repairs to statues, monuments, masonry and glazing.

Fiona Spiers, head of the Heritage Lottery Fund for Yorkshire, added: “Historic places of worship occupy a unique position at the heart of communities and are a focus for so many civil and social activities in addition to their central purpose as a place for prayer and contemplation.

“This is at the very core of what the Heritage Lottery Fund wants to achieve and the reason we have substantially increased our investment.”

From: http://www.thestar.co.uk/news/local/churches_saved_from_falling_into_disrepair_1_3087352

Event - Throapham Church - Open Weekends 2011

Throapham Church will be open on the following weekends during 2011 30 April -01 May, 28-29 May, 25-26 June, 30-31 July, 27-28 August, 24-25 September. 

The church will be open between 10.00-16.00 on Saturday and 13.00-17.00 on Sunday.  There will be guided walks on Saturdays at 11.00, 14.00 and 15.00 and on Sundays at 14.00 and 16.00.

For further information please contact the Friends of Throapham Church via e-mail pammd15@tiscali.co.uk (please mark any e-mails as Re: Throapham Church) or phone on 01909 732485.

News - Surprising ‘Finds’ in Throapham Graveyard

The Friends of Throapham Church have recently received funding from South Yorkshire Community Foundation which has enabled a group of volunteers to start clearing and cleaning up the graveyard round this Anglo-Saxon church which is run by the Churches Conservation Trust. They have also had the backing of the Parochial Church Council for the church.

 

They started work this last weekend clearing some of the brushwood and also the massive amounts of ivy which has run rampant round the graveyard. Imagine their surprise when the first thing they found was an ancient table tomb still in existence (many have been removed from graveyards). The next find was a large C18th gravestone where we didn’t expect there were any graves, it was covered by years of growth of grass over the top. The next finds were a chest tomb and even larger table tomb which is richly decorated on the ends and is very rare for our area of the county. Many people do not realise that this graveyard was where the early miners who worked (some of whom were killed) at Dinnington Mine were buried, the first one who was recorded in the register was Moses Wright aged 44 who was buried on the 9^th December 1904.

 

There are many people from Thurcroft, Laughton, Firbeck, Letwell also buried there and also one of the Athorpes who were Lords of the Manor of Dinnington, and many of the owners of the ancient Manor of Throapham. There are also three War Graves in the Cemetery, at least one from the First World War. As this was the first day at the graveyard we do not know what else we will find when we continue, we do know there is a railed tomb still to clear. The Parish Registers record the history of the local area from the C16th and the new growth at Dinnington because of the opening up of the Colliery.

 

If anyone is interested in joining the group or willing to donate to our work please contact Pam Cook 01909 732485 in the first instance. If you cannot work you could help by making tea and coffee for the workers or help in the church dusting etc. or at our open days throughout the summer.

 

By Pam Cook (Friends of Throapham Church)

 

New project to research history of our churches (Hucknall)

A SMALL team has begun the challenging task of researching the history of Hucknall’s Anglican churches.



The members have been recruited by Professor John Beckett, of Nottingham University. The ultimate aim of the project is for details of all churches in the Southwell and Nottingham Diocese to be included on the diocesan website, freely available to interested researchers and tourists.


Hucknall’s local historian Maureen Newton, who has been appointed as team leader, said: “This is a pioneering project because, so far, no-one has really worked on the churches in Hucknall.


“We are looking at the history of the buildings, any alterations, stained-glass windows, monuments, bells, organs, fonts and gravestones or, in fact, anything that might be of interest.


“We will be taking photographs and notes of anything we deem is important evidence around and inside the buildings. So if you see any of us crawling, climbing or wandering round your church like lost sheep, please come and have a chat since you might know of something we are unlikely to find.


“We are starting with the newest, St Peter and St Paul’s Church on Ruffs Drive, and we will also take in the former St Peter’s, which hsd been converted into Watnall Road Community Centre.


“We will next deal with St John’s Church, which has played an integral part in the life of the Butlers Hill community for many years. Of course, there is also the parish church on the Market Place, which is dedicated to St Mary Magdalene.


“The parish church is obviously world-famous as the last resting place of the poet Lord Byron but there is much more to it than that.”


The church is grade-two listed by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport and has been described by many experts as a “particularly significant building of more than local interest”.


The church was built on the site of an old Saxon church and the tower, which stands high above the town, was built in stages between the 12th and 14th centuries.


The Lady Chapel has been praised as a “beautiful example of 19th-century craftsmanship” and the Victorian baptistry, which used to contain the 14th-century font, has now been converted into a popular visitor-centre.


The parish church is also notable for having the largest collection of stained-glass windows by Charles Eamer Kempe, a key figure in 19th-century decorative art, of any building in the country.


Anyone able to help with the survey is asked to contact Maureen by writing to her at 64 Bestwood Road, Hucknall, Nottingham, NG15 7PQ or by phoning her on 0115 9631705.


“We would appreciate any information anyone is able to offer about any of these churches,” said Maureen.


“For instance, there is not a lot of documentary evidence about the old St Peter’s Church, so any details about its history would be gratefully received.”#


From: http://www.hucknalldispatch.co.uk/news/local-news/new_project_to_research_history_of_our_churches_1_2920287

Thieves Use Google Earth to Target Churches

It has been reported that thieves are using Google Earth to target churches to enable them to steal lead.  With the value of lead now worth nearly three times the value it was in 2008 organised gangs are using satellite images to find churches with the largest amounts of lead on their roofs.

Over eight thousand churches have made claims with insurance companies for over £23 million in the past three years according to the Church of England.  Most churches which are listed have to replace the original lead which has meant many are targeted more than once and several churches in our area have been affected.

If you see anyone around a church or on a church roof acting suspiciously please phone the police immediately.

For the full article please go to: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6B155C20101202

Beautiful Blyth (Village Auction 1929)

From the Worksop Guardian Friday, November 29, 1929 Page 3:

Not without reason has Blyth, near Worksop, been termed "Beautiful Blyth."  There are other villages in North Notts., and just over the South Yorkshire border, which are picturesque and unspoilt; but Blyth, with its spacious green shaded by noble trees, its houses with garden fronts joining up to the very road itself, has that indescribable charm which the storied past alone confers.

Stand where you will in Blyth, the old grey tower of the great Church is a visible reminder of the days that are no more.  Blyth is described as a village, and a village it is, one of the old-fashioned ones which are the glory of the English countryside; yet in days past it ranked as a town, and had its half-yearly fares for live-stock and other forms of merchandise.  Pens and stands were set out on the green, and likewise on the greensward near the Church, now neatly railed off, as shown on the photograph, and dealers  and itinerant vendors, with a whole company of musicians and other folk who thrived by ministering to the amusement or the folly of their fellows, foregathered at the fair.

In still older days, when the prior of Blyth was a person to be reckoned with-for he had the privilege of hanging those worthy in his judgement of condemnation on the gibbet - the fares of Blyth must have presented a brave and picturesque spectacle.  Strangers would make the fair the occasion of piety and pleasure. They would enter the church of the Benedictine brethren and kneel and pray, and would, perchance, be shown the treasures the monks had been able to amass for the glory of their convent.  Yet we may be quite wrong, inasmuch as the monks and the townspeople did not get on well together; and disputes were frequent and prolonged.

In still earlier days, many a gallant cavalcade of knights and squires, such as that which met the eyes of Gurth and Wamba in "Ivanhoe" must have passed through Blyth on the way to the tourney field at Styrrup.  Blyth was the nearest "town" to the tourney, and no doubt many a noble guest was entertained by the Prior in the Guest House of the monastery, and many a gallant soldier found hospitality at the "Angel", the foundations of which suggest that it was inn existence in the Middle Ages.  Tradition has it that a subterranean passage led from the "Angel" under the Priory and came out at some point near Styrrup.  There are others who cherish the belief that Roger de Busli, the first Norman Lord of Blyth, as he was of Worksop and Tickhill, had a castle here, but inasmuch as the valiant Roger had his place of strength at Tickhill, it is hardly likely he would build a castle near the monastery he founded at Blyth.

Much could be written concerning Blyth and the many notables associated with it.  The late Rev. John Raine wrote quite a large book on the subject, and though changes in the social life of England were beginning to manifest themselves in his time, the erudite vicar could never have contemplated the idea that the village as a whole would one day be offered for sale by auction.  This momentous change in the long history of Blyth has now come about, and on Thursday next the Blyth Hall Estate, comprising 3,216 acres, including the Hall, will be offered by Messrs. John D. Wood and Co., London, in conjunction with Messrs. Henry Spencer and Sons, Retford and Worksop.  This has come about by the death of the late owner, the first lord Barnby.  When he purchased the estate 40 years ago, Blyth did not present the neat and attractive apperance it does to-day.  Most of the houses were in a bad state of repair; farm buildings were in a similar condition; and the entire aspect of the village was one of neglect and decay.  How all this was changed is well-known, and the one regret the inhabitants have is that the present Lord Barnby has decided to sever his connection with the place.

The Sale catalogue comprises 130 lots, including the mansion, Wilto Lodge, Blyth; The Friary, Tickhill; four other residences, 15 mixed and dairying farms, two fully-licensed hotels, over 100 cottages, shops and business premises, and 250 acres of woodlands, etc.  The sale takes place next Thursday, at 11 a.m. The solicitors are Messrs. Holditch, Anstey and thompson, Southernhay. Exeter.

From the Worksop Guardian Friday, November 29, 1929 Page 9:

_________________________________

____________Sales by Auction________

__By Messrs.HY, SPENCER & SONS.__

BLYTH, NOTTS.

To be SOLD BY AUCTION, by

MESSRS HENRY D. Wood & Co., and

MESSRS. HENRY SPENCER & SONS

(in conjunction), on 

THURSDAY NEXT, DEC. 5th,

in the

MEMORIAL HALL, BLYTH.

AT ELEVEN A.M., THE

BLYTH HALL ESTATE,

3,323 ACRES.

For Illustrated Particulars and Plans apply

to-

Auctioneers:-

JOHN D. WOOD & CO.

6, Mount Street, London. W.1.;

HENRY SPENCER & SONS,

20, The Square, Retford, and 12, Potter

Street, Worksop.

Solictitos;

Messrs. HOULDITCH, ANSLEY & THOMSON.

Southernhay, Exeter 

Medieval Room Found under Lincoln Castle/Loss of Historical Church Records

The recent excavations around Lincoln Castle have now revealed a medieval circular room under the current ground level.  The room was discovered during work to install a lift to enable visitors to gain access to the curtain wall more easily. Hopefully when the feature is completely excavated its use will become known.  This could also indicate that other previously unknown early structures could survive within the area.

http://www.thisislincolnshire.co.uk/environment/Tunnel-vision-reveals-buildings-castle/article-2935933-detail/article.html

A survey has recently been carried out after concerns over the loss of important historical documents from churches in the past several years.  The problem seemly arises when the building runs out of storage space for keeping the documents in and lack of staff training.  

We have noticed this locally when one of our members retrieved lots of historical Victorian documents from a local church in a skip.   
http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/Religious-archives-at-risk.6638179.jp