8 minute read
Church News & Services
from Village Tribune 128
19th Century Restoration for Northborough Church
By Gail Richardson
Advertisement
The Reverend Samuel G. Short became rector of Northborough in January 1891. To his dismay he found the church in a neglected state and in desperate need of repair. Green mould covered the walls, floor timbers were rotten, and damp and decay was evident everywhere. The Reverend Short made it his mission to restore the historic church and raise the money needed, estimated at £1,400 (today’s equivalent of £183,160).
Reverend Short began by requesting donations from affluent members of society, holding bazaars and sales of work. He also organised a successful grand garden party at the Bishops Palace Peterborough, on which a newspaper report was printed in the Peterborough Standard, 29 July 1893. In total, he managed to raise £400 (today’s equivalent of £52,300), enough to start the first stage of the restoration process. It was hoped that work would commence in the autumn of 1893. Plans were made by the Diocesan Architect, Henry M. Townsend of Cross Street Peterborough, and the work was carried out by the firm of John Thompson, the renowned ecclesiastical builder and restorer, of Wood Street Peterborough. Archives for the firm are held by the Peterborough Archives Service in the Central Library, the collection reference is PAS/JTA and consists of photographs, plans and manuscripts. The Specification Book (PAS/ JTA/3/3) contains details of the work carried out at Northborough. Work on the church exterior included a new buttress to be built on the NW corner of the north aisle to prevent the wall falling down [see photograph 1] and the existing drain altered. Work on the church interior was extensive. The stone paving in the central aisle, north aisle and south aisle was replaced with York stone. New floor supports, sleepers and joists were installed. New wood block flooring in the nave and new pews and seats were made from Red Deal (Scots pine). Plaster was cut away from all aisle walls and re-rendered, and any whitewash in the nave and aisles was removed and repainted. A six inch high cement skirting was created around the internal walls of the nave and aisles. Most of the detailed work was carried out on the Claypole Chapel. Internal and external work on the building fabric consisted of replacing broken mullions (a vertical post dividing a window), tracery (ornamental intersection stone work in the upper part of a window) and any other stone mouldings. Walls, tracery joints and sills were re-pointed. Broken window lead and glass was replaced using cathedral glass. A new surface drain was constructed around the exterior of the chapel walls using black Staffordshire bricks [see photograph 2], draining into the adjoining garden. On the west side of the chapel, a door had, in the past, been inserted under the window to allow access to the chapel itself. This was now weakening the window above and it was showing signs of collapsing. The doorway and wooden lintel was removed, the void filled with dressed Weldon stone and the window restored [see photograph 3]. Early photographs show this door in-situ. On the roof and battlements, the disturbed lead was replaced, the flashings fixed and all stone joints re-pointed. Internally, whitewash and all green mould was removed from the floor, walls and stonework.
The slab under the recessed arch was repaired and set in cement. Two new oak doors were fitted to the stair access and the window opening in the chantry room was glazed. It was made clear in the specification that the Claypole monument and the wall canopies were to be protected by wooden casings and not disturbed in any way. Three interesting discoveries were made during the restoration work. In the west wall, two small chambers, one each side of the bell turret and measuring 9” (23cm) square by 2’6” (76cm) deep, were discovered. It was assumed at the time that these were to accommodate the ties for a bell tower that was never built. In the north aisle wall, the sedilia (stone seats for the clergy) and an aumbry (a recess used to store sacred vessels) were found, the former backed with portions of the top slabs of old stone coffins. In the south aisle wall, eastward of the sedilia and behind a slab of hewn and bevelled stone, were found the remains of a very beautiful specimen of an Early English piscina (a stone basin set in a niche near and south of the altar for washing the Communion vessels with a drain). This had been partly broken into when the Claypole chapel was built, about 1350. So cleverly had this been covered over, the architects did not detect it, but a mason sounding the wall found it hollow, and on breaking the slab revealed the piscina. The defective roof of the church body could not be repaired due to the lack of money, also work was needed in the chancel, but it was hoped that further fundraising would raise enough to complete the restoration. Following this initial restoration work there was a re-opening ceremony led by the Bishop of Peterborough with many local clergy in attendance and a large congregation. A report on the ceremony was printed in the Peterborough Standard newspaper, 31 March 1894. In his address, the Bishop spoke of this church and its association with the past. He commented on how he hoped the congregation’s passion and devotion in restoring the church of their fore fathers was but an outward sign of their inward spiritual zeal.
Sources: The Journal of the British Archaeological Association, Volume 5, 1899. Peterborough Standard newspaper, Peterborough Archive Service, Peterborough Central Library John Thompson Archive (reference PAS/JTA), Peterborough Archive Service, Peterborough Central Library. St. Andrew’s, Northborough PCC is most grateful to Gail Richardson for her continued research and longstanding interest in the history of St. Andrew’s. We were amused to hear that over a century ago, the vicar was battling with the same problems faced by our Church today (plus ça change!) which as you may have heard, has been placed on the “At Risk Register” on account of many of the same issues. One hundred and twenty years later, we are embarking on the mammoth task of fundraising to restore our Church to keep it functioning as a hub in the community, hopefully for a further century. Sadly, our plans for an extension have had to be postponed because of the need for urgent roof repairs. Should you be interested in assisting our efforts in any way, please get in touch with St. Andrew’s treasurer – Carole Spinks – 01778 343585 or make a donation using the QR code below. Use your mobile to read the QR code below to visit our Give A Little campaign page at
https://bit.ly/3d1RTQd
For other ways of helping, visit:
https://bit.ly/3davrVn
Services ChurchTribland
JUNE/JULY
St Stephen Etton Sun 6 June Sun 13 June Sun 20 June Sun 27 June Sun 4 July
10.00am Parish Praise Mark Hotchkin No Service 8am Holy Communion Rev'd Mark-Aaron No Service
10am Parish Praise Mark Hotchkin
St Peter Maxey No Service
St Benedict Glinton
10.30am Holy Communion Rev'd Mark-Aaron
10.30am Parish Praise Mark Hotchkin
10.30am Holy Communion Rev'd Mark-Aaron 10.30am Joint Parish Worship with St. Pega's Derek Harris
10.30am Holy Communion Rev'd Mark-Aaron
9am All Age Holy Communion Rev'd Mark-Aaron 10am Family Service Village Hall Mark Hotchkin and Freda Skillman 9am Holy Communion BCP Rev'd MarkAaron No Service
St Andrew Northboro'
9am Holy Communion Rev'd Mark-Aaron
10.30am All Age Praise Freda Skillman 9am Holy Communion Rev'd Mark-Aaron
10.30am Family Communion Praise Rev'd Mark-Aaron and Freda Skillman 9am Holy Communion Rev'd Mark-Aaron
St Pega Peakirk
6pm Evensong Rev'd Mark-Aaron
10.30am Holy Communion Rev'd Mark-Aaron
11am Morning Prayer Derek Harris Joint Parish Worship in St. Benedict's, Glinton 6pm Evensong Rev'd Mark-Aaron
CHURCH ADDRESSES:
St John the Baptist Church Main Street, Barnack PE9 3DN St Mary’s Church Church Lane, Bainton PE9 3AF St Botolph’s Church Church Street, Helpston PE6 7DT All Saints Church Church Road, Wittering PE8 6AF St Andrew’s Church Main Street, Ufford PE9 3BH St Stephen, Main Rd., Etton PE6 7DA St Peter Main St. Maxey PE6 9HF St Pega Chestnut Close, Peakirk PE6 7NH | Glinton St Benedict High St., Glinton PE6 7JN St Andrew Church St., Northborough PE6 9BN
The 9Bridges Benefice
St. Andrew’s - Northborough, St. Benedict’s - Glinton, St. Pega’s - Peakirk, St. Peter’s - Maxey & St Stephen’s - Etton
Sunday services in the Benefice during May
While the churches remain closed the following Sunday services will be accessible on line. Holy Communion 10.30am - Rev Mark-Aaron leads a live-streamed service of Holy Communion on the Benefice Facebook page and afterwards uploaded to YouTube. (Search Benefice rector and click on the Nine Bridges icon/logo). Compline 9pm - Compline is also live-streamed on the Benefice Facebook page and will also be uploaded to YouTube. Sunday 23rd May (Pentecost) – Benefice Holy Communion 10.30am - This will be held on Peakirk Village Green. The following churches will also be open for private prayer and reflection: St Peter’s Maxey : each Saturday afternoon from 2pm to 4pm St Benedict’s Glinton : each Sunday afternoon from 2pm to 4pm St Pega’s, Peakirk : each Wednesday morning from 10.30am to 12.30pm. Details of all services and other activities in the Benefice are published on line and can be emailed to you as a Monthly Newsletter. To sign up to receive emails of the Newsletter and weekly updates of the upcoming services please contact Jane Harris on 01733 574311 or email your request to
