Churches Together

Introduction

Over time I became increasingly aware of Royston’s historic buildings. Seeking to learn about them, I looked for a comprehensive illustrated book, but one did not exist. I was challenged to write one and did so. ‘Royston’s Heritage Buildings’ first edition was published in 2017, the second (enhanced) edition in 2018. Adapted Extract My research started with Historic England’s text for each ‘listed’ building in the Parish of Royston. There were no photographs so I set about identifying and photographing all 161 buildings. I became aware of North Hertfordshire District Council’s ‘Royston’s Register of Buildings of Local Interest’ containing 32 unlisted properties and so photographed and included them. The real surprise was the omission from either list of the Royse Stone, from which the town derives its name (Roy-ston).

Royston’s history relates directly to its geography. Unlike Melbourn, Royston has no natural water course and did not develop until the technology for digging deep wells arrived in England in 1066. Also, the town is situated at the crossing (The Cross) of two ancient routes: the Romanised Ermine Street running north and connecting London (and continental Europe through Dover and London) to major settlements to the north and east of England such as Lincoln and York, and also to Edinburgh; it followed the path of the High Street and Kneesworth Street. The much older Icknield Way runs east – west from Norfolk to Stonehenge and Avebury, which followed the path of Melbourn Street and Baldock Street.

Royston’s position at The Cross probably accounts for the presence of Royston Cave, and the establishment of a chapel in 1162, later raised to a priory in 1184, when Lady Roysia also erected a wayside cross. Whether the Royse Stone was the base of that cross is a moot point. In 1189 Richard I granted the right to hold a Wednesday market; in 1242 Henry III granted an annual fair.

Until the Victorian age, Ermine Street, aka the Old North Road, remained the primary route north from London. Medieval and early modern monarchs and their courts were frequently on royal progress, and over the centuries most of the great and the good (and the not-so-good) will have journeyed to and through Royston, probably staying in the town and worshipping at the priory church.

ROYSTON’S HERITAGE BUILDINGS DESCRIPTIVE TEXT AND PHOTOGRAPHS ILLUSTRATING ALL ROYSTON’S HERITAGE BUILDINGS PETER RANSON PUBLISHED BY ROYSTON & DISTRICT LOCAL HISTORY SOCIETY 2017

From sparse records we know that some of those being at, or travelling through, Royston included Henry III in 1255, Edward IV in 1470, and Henry VI on many occasions between 1441 – 1449. The Duke of York and Earl of Warwick in 1455; when York was killed in 1460, the victorious Lancastrians marched south ‘Their progress could be plotted by the record of places plundered on the way: Grantham, Stamford, Peterborough, Huntingdon, Melbourn, and Royston’ Cardinal Wolsey was at Royston in 1530, as was James VI of Scotland in 1603, travelling to London to claim the English throne as James I. Charles I stopped at Royston in 1642, returning as a prisoner of the Parliamentary army in 1647, when Fairfax, Cromwell and Ireton signed and sealed at Royston a letter to the City of London demanding money.

Where the buildings detailed in ‘Royston’s Heritage Buildings’ fit in to this rich history is largely unknown. The construction date of most can only be guessed. However, and despite Covid-19, a project is currently underway to date accurately 14 carefully chosen ‘listed’ buildings through dendrochronology and AMS C-14 dating. The resulting evidence, taken with that from such documents that do exist, will enhance our understanding of the sequence and timing of the economic and social development of Royston and district, and the counties of Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire. Biography My wife Sue and I have lived in Royston for 35 years, in which time we raised three children, two boys and a girl, who as adults have between them presented us with three granddaughters. Of our adult children, one son, his wife and two daughters live in South Cambridgeshire, as does our daughter and her husband. Our other adult son lives in New Zealand with his wife and daughter. When I retired from a varied portfolio of careers in 2012, my deep and abiding interest in English history came to the fore, which eventually resulted in ‘Royston’s Heritage Buildings’. Peter Ranson

Are you or a friend an author with a published book? Tell the readers of Melbourn Magazine about how and why you came to write your book, provide an abridged extract, and some biographical details. Contact Melbourn Magazine for full details email: melbournmagazine@ gmail.com Telephone: 261144.

United Reformed Church

Worship We were pleased to start worshipping together in church on Sunday 30th August. It was our first service since 15th March and much time was spent on planning and riskassessing to enable this to happen and keep everyone safe. We have continued to worship on Sunday mornings at 11 a.m. Our services are different as we are unable to sing and we have to wear face coverings. There is hand sanitiser and social distancing, and no socialising afterwards. We are able to listen to music and hymns during periods of reflection. Gradually we are getting used to the different format which enables different styles of service, but above all we are worshipping our Lord. Harvest We celebrated harvest on Sunday 20th September. It was different to our usual harvest festival as we were unable to decorate our church in the normal way with flowers, fruit and vegetables. However, we were able to bring tins of food and dried goods which were later taken to Jimmy’s Night Shelter together with knitted blankets and hats made by our Craft Group. Jimmy’s Night Shelter were most grateful for our gifts. The Craft Group have been busy making items at home while they are unable to meet weekly in the hall. Shoe Box Appeal Despite the coronavirus we are able to support Samaritan’s Purse Operation Christmas Child. We have supported this charity for many years and are busy filling Shoe Boxes with gifts which are needed more than ever this year. There is also the option of filling a Shoe Box online. Our Sunday service on the 18th October was led by two representatives from the charity and we were able to see and hear first-hand the work of the organisation and how the Shoe Boxes mean so much to these children in poor countries. The Shoe Boxes will be blessed in our service on Sunday 15th November before going on their journey to needy children. Christmas We shall be holding a service on Christmas Day at 8.30 a.m., which will be led by Rev’d Robert Van de Weyer, but there will not be a service on Sunday 27th December. We wish you all a Happy Christmas in whatever way we are able to celebrate this year, and as Christians we shall be celebrating the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ as we do each year. Services Anyone wishing to join us in worship at our services and who is not a regular attendee, we ask you to contact our secretary a few days beforehand by emailing secretary.melbournurc@gmail.com to ensure we can safely accommodate you and advise you of the protocols we have in place to keep you safe.

Melbourn Baptist Church

Remembrance this year was marked nationally and locally in unfamiliar ways, with the usual crowds unable to gather for the annual Remembrance Sunday march past the cenotaph in London, and our own meeting at the cross in Melbourn not being advisable. We hope that in its own small way, the poppy display created at the front of our church helped the village to remember the service and sacrifice of the Armed Forces. One person commented that the wet paper poppies, that looked so messy after the rain, were actually a fitting reminder that the sacrifices many made were not pretty.

Advent and Christmas 2020 will be different for everyone, and with an uncertain future many of us may

feel that this year the festive season will not be a time to celebrate. Family gatherings may need to be smaller and we will not be singing carols or watching the children’s nativity play at Melbourn Baptist Church. It is very sad that our traditional ‘Carols by Candlelight’ service will also be different and we may have to sing along at home online.

But one thing that has not changed is the central story of Christmas: Jesus’ birth in those humble surroundings in Bethlehem. We believe that He came to our world as Immanuel – God with us, as those words, familiar to many, from Isaiah 9 say: “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned. For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end.” After a tough year, the good news is that God is not far off but has come to walk with us and be at our side as Immanuel – God with us, and we believe that is as true now in 2020 as it has always been and He is the light in this current darkness.

There have been many moments of light within this crisis, both around the country and in our own community, with generous giving towards the local foodbank being just one example. People have clapped for carers on their doorsteps and met neighbours’ needs in acts of love and kindness. We hope and pray for light at the end of this dark tunnel of global pandemic – maybe this darkness will make us look harder for light wherever it may be found, in our own community of Melbourn and beyond.

Our online services are available to all via our website: www.melbourn-baptist.org.uk or via our YouTube or Facebook page. Do join us virtually as we celebrate Advent and Christmas from our homes. We are also now gathering in person at the church on the first and third Sundays of each month at 6.30pm for a ‘Time to Reflect’. For more information or to book to join us please email: secretary@melbourn-baptist.org.uk

Happy Christmas and New Year from all at Melbourn Baptist Church. All Saints’ Church, Melbourn and Holy Trinity Church, Meldreth

At the beginning of July, we were delighted to be able to reopen both churches for private prayer and public worship. Of course, before this happened, the Vicar and churchwardens had to study the reams of guidance and put in place the necessary safeguards. Now, after a few months, we are getting used to the one-way systems, distanced seating, hand sanitising, mask wearing etc. We miss those members of the congregations who are not able to join us in church at the moment. We are glad that some of them join us through the live-streamed service on our Facebook page each Sunday at 9.45 a.m.. We also welcome those who join from further afield and, on some Sundays, have extended our congregation as far as California! Melbourn’s Thursday 10 a.m. Holy Communion service restarted in September and is a quieter alternative to Sunday services.

Our Wednesday afternoon services on Zoom, previously fortnightly, will happen once a month from November and we are also planning an all age Zoom service on the third Sunday of the month at 11.30 a.m. Zoom has proved invaluable for all sorts of meetings and for fundraising events including All Saints’ Dahlia Day and Independence Day Quiz! We are grateful to our fundraising groups. It’s good to know that not everything has to stop.

We miss singing in church. It has been good recently to hear the choir again but it is likely to be a long time before congregations can join in. This year, instead of the usual carol services, we shall be having services of Christmas music and readings on: Sunday 20th December (4 p.m. at Meldreth and 6 p.m. at Melbourn) We regret that the Christmas services will need to be ticketed this year but would like to avoid having to turn anyone away because ‘there is no room at the inn’! Our Christmas services include: Christmas Eve Midnight Mass Melbourn 11 p.m. Christmas Day Sung Eucharist Meldreth 10 a.m. Please contact the Vicar, the Revd Lizzie Shipp, about attending Christmas services, to sign up to the churches’ weekly e-letter or to ask for our prayers. vicar. melbournmeldreth@gmail.com

The ministry team is looking at other ideas for Advent and Christmas so watch this space! However different Christmas is this year, it will still be Christmas and a time to focus on the wonderful examples of kindness, generosity and care we have seen in our communities this year.

I wish you the joy and peace of Christmas and hope that, whatever your circumstances, you will hear the song the angels sing of ‘peace on earth, goodwill to all’ and that it will echo into the New Year. Mary Price, Associate priest www.allsaintsmelbournholytrinitymeldreth.co.uk Facebook @ASMHTM

The Word of God

When The Lord Jesus was twelve years old He said to His Mother: I must be about My Father’s business, (Luke 2. 49). Later in life The Lord Jesus said: I am from above, I am not of this world. I am not alone, The Father is in Me. Before Abraham was, I AM. I and My Father are one. (John 8, 23, 27, 58) from David Burbridge