The Church mouse ..issue 6

Issue 6. February 2017

St Mary’s,Beddgelert The typical Anglesey church is a very unprepossessing building; a chancel and nave with a small bellcote (often a later addition) may seem to be at a glance all there is to it.Indeed some writers have been quite dismissive of them. George Burrows (1854), for example, describes Pentraeth as a village consisting of ‘a few houses and a church, or something I judged to be a church, for there was no longer steeple.’ He seems to warm to these little places of worship, for on his return to Pentraeth from Llanfair-Mathafarn-Eithaf he has a look round the church. Llanfair he describes as ‘a small edifice with no spire, but to the south-west there is a little stone erection rising from the roof in which hangs a bell —here is a small porch looking to the south.’ The only other Anglesey church that he visits is Penmynydd. According to Burrows this is ‘a venerable chapel like edifice, with a belfry towards the west.’ Around the same time (1859) a newspaper reporter visiting Llanallgo to report on The Royal Charter disaster dismisses the church by describing it as little better than ‘a barn, with a small belfry at one end supplying the place of a tower or spire’ (Quoted by Alexander McKee in ‘ The Golden Wreck’ (Avid,2000)), All these are fair, if somewhat unenthusiastic, descriptions and could refer to the majority of the churches on the island, although in fact they almost all have many features of interest. The church in Beddgelert, which we visit in this issue, is a good example.

From the Editor’xs Desk The Light of the World. Like many graveyards in the area, when that at St Gwynin, Dwygyfylchi became inadequate for the need burials were transferred to new council cemetery near by. We have included this article about this unusual gravestone because Holman Hunt’s painting not only hangs in St Paul's, but replicas hang in many church buildings (one can be spotted in The Vicar of Dibley) 2016 was, of course, the 950th anniversary of the Battle of Hastings. In this issue we take a look at an outcome that is often overlooked in an article about the shrine and relics of Queen and Saint Margaret The Church Mouse is published as an e-magazine and no paper version is available. You may, however, print a copy for your own use; email for a .pdf file for the issue that you require.

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Issue 6. February 2017

The Light of the World

by Arthur J.Brown B.D. In the council cemetery in Dwygyfylchi, a village nestling into the mountains of North Wales, there is an unexpected and perhaps unique sculpture, a carved reproduction of Holman Hunt’s famous painting "The Light of the World" The original from which it was copied portrays Christ, lantern in hand, knocking on a door overgrown with briers, and was inspired by the verse in Revelation "Behold I stand at the door knock!" One remarkable thing is the amazing influence the painting itself had upon Hunt. For Hunt was a professed agnostic in his early twenties, but as the painting took shape so it gradually imparted to him a profound religious experience. So much so that when he completed it in 1853 his life’s mission became making it possible for people everywhere to have the opportunity of seeing it in the hope that they too might come under its influence. He was delighted when it was purchased by a private art collector who bequeathed it to Keble College in Oxford, but disappointed because he felt that the college had failed to hang it in a more prominent position. Three years later one of his pupils, F.G.Stephens, with Hunt’s approval and original sketch notes, produced a copy of the painting. Hunt’s own personal involvement was such that many people regard this painting, now owned by Manchester City Art Gallery, as Hunt’s own second "Light of the World".

There was yet to be a third. Feeling that his painting had still not realised its full potential he embarked on another copy, identical to but much larger than the first, this being completed in 1881. To ensure that as many people as possible might see it; he sent it on an extensive world tour, which lasted, for the best part of twenty years. This fulfilled Hunt’s highest hopes because many who saw the new painting were, inspired in fact, inspired to a religious experience similar to his own. Eventually it returned to London and in 1904 was hung in St.Pauls Cathedral where it remains to this day. Three years ago the St.Pauls painting was renovated and almost hundred years of London grime removed to reveal the picture in its original pristine glory.

Hunt was a skilful artist, and, doubtless the magnetic compulsion of his painting lies in the fact that no matter where people stand, the eyes of Christ seem to look directly at them, following them wherever they go. He was also meticulous in detail and wove his crown of thorns with briars brought specially from Palestine. Also, since he was painting a night scene, he preferred to work in darkness. This meant that his lantern was often blown out by the breeze, so he designed a special highly symbolic lantern representing the seven churches which was wind-proof. Recently a firm of auctioneers was contacted by the occupant of a suburban terrace house who claimed that he had this very lantern hanging is his front lobby. Somewhat dubious they sent an7 expert to examine it, and he confirmed that it really was the original lantern. At the subsequent auction it went to a private collector for £51,200, but was later bought by Manchester City Art Gallery.

Then there is the missing door handle, which many people thought the artist had forgotten! But, as Hunt would explain, this was indeed no oversight. It was in fact, he told them, the painting’s primary message. That Christ cannot force His way into our lives for the door of the heart can be opened only from within.

There are a number of copy variations of Holman Hunt’s painting around the world, mainly as stained glass windows in churches, but this unusual sculptured copy is probably unique. The cemetery where it can be seen is on the road into Dwygyfylchi, which is clearly sign-posted off the A55 Expressway.

[The late Major Arthur J. Brown was a well-known Salvation Army preacher and writer in North Wales]

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Issue 6. February 2017

A Crooked Spire Not a curiosity in a church or churchyard, but a curiosity that is a substantial part of the church, that is a landmark and has become a symbol of the town.

There are about a hundred churches in Europe that claim to be twisted or crooked, but none can compare with the spire of St Mary and All Saints church in the Derbyshire town of Chesterfield. Built in the 14th century the spire rises to a height of 228 feet above the ground and leans about 9 feet.

The question that everyone asks is "How did the spire become crooked?”. Of course, like most medieval buildings and structures, legends abound, usually involving the devil. Actually the most likely scenario is that unseasoned timber was used and the heat of the sun split the green wood of one of the main supports. As a result the spire has gradually tilted and bulged. The effect of twisting is heightened by the lead plates (32 tons of them!) being laid herringbone fashion, causing the eight flat sides to appear to be channelled and twisted.

The twisted spire is a prominent landmark and a tourist attraction, but the church itself is an interesting building and place of worship well worth spending some time in.

Daily tours of the Tower to the base of the 'Crooked Spire' take place Monday to Saturday from Easter to Christmas (weather and staff permitting)

Virtual Grieving With a Smartphone Dick Eastman A church in Kent will allow friends and family all over the world to mourn the passing of their loved ones by live-streaming their funerals. The Kent and Sussex Crematorium and Cemetery, in Tunbridge Wells, is installing a camera so that mourners who are unable to physically attend a funeral will be able to pay their respects by watching it from their laptops, tablets or smartphones.

Registrar Ken Dry said: “The webcasting facility is a service that we hope will be of help to families and friends who are unable to attend a funeral, perhaps because they live too far away.

I like technology but must admit that some old-fashioned ideas are still best. I am not sure I would attend a funeral virtually. Would you?

Details may be found at https://goo.gl/2IAkgR. (From Eastman’s Online Genealogy Newsletter. - http://www.eogn.com by kind permission. )

The editor comments: Although the article refers to ‘a church in Kent’ you will note that it is actually a crematorium andcemete+

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Issue 6. February 2017

The Bodelwyddan War Graves.

Traffic speeding along the North Wales Expressway (A55) views the ‘Marble Church’ in Bodelwyddan as a landmark. Few, I would imagine, would think of turning off to visit a Commonwealth War Cemetery, after all the rows of white gravestones are what you expect to see on the battlefields of France and Flanders not in a North Wales village.

There are 116 graves, 80 of which are of Canadian soldiers who were at nearby Kinmel Camp awaiting repatriation. You may be told that they were killed during riots at the camp; in actual fact it is only true of four of the graves, the others having died during the Spanish Flu pandemic. The following press release from St Asaph diocese may be helpful if you want to visit.

Plaques give history of Bodelwyddan war graves War Graves Commission at Bodelwyddan Two plaques to commemorate the war graves at the Marble Church (St Margaret’s) in Bodelwyddan have been unveiled in the Churchyard. 116 soldiers – the majority of them Canadian – are buried at St Margaret’s Church and their graves are looked after by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC). The plaques explain that many of the Canadian soldiers died from Spanish flu as they waited for transport home at the end of the First World War. The plaques next to the war graves in the Churchyard at St Margaret’s tell the story of the soldiers buried there in Welsh and English. They have been installed by the north-west branch of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission On Thursday 22 January 2015, Victoria Wallace, Director General of the CWGC visited Bodelwyddan to see the graves for herself. She took a tour of the Marble Church with the Vicar Revd Ian Day before visiting an exhibition about the 1914 Christmas truce at Bodelwyddan Castle.

Commenting on her visit to North Wales, Ms Wallace said: “War graves in the UK are quite an unusual thing because we didn’t have battlefields, so places like this are really special. The stories of what happened here are very significant for the long term because of how the people buried here died – it is not necessarily what you would expect.

The War Graves Commission tends the graves of those who died in the two World Wars so we can ensure there is a perpetual memorial to the fallen”

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Issue 6. February 2017

Battle Abbey After the Battle of Hastings William the Conqueror founded a monastery at the site of the battle. Supposedly the abbey church’s high altar was placed upon the spot where Harold died. There is some doubt about this. Contemporary accounts and modern research tell us that the battle took place on a nearby hill here at Senlac (Hastings is seven miles away) not down on the comparatively level ground where the church now stands. It seems probable that the builders looked for a piece of ground that was easier to build on than the hillside.

At the time of the dissolution of the Monasteries, Henry VIII gave the monastery and lands to his friend and Master of the Horse, Sir Anthony Browne, who demolished the church and parts of the cloister, turning the abbot's dwelling into a country house. was sold in 1721 by Browne's descendant, Anthony Browne, 6th Earl of Montagu, to Sir Thomas Webster, MP and baronet. After passing through several owners it was brought back to the family in 1901 by Sir Augustus Webster from whose descendants it came to the nation in 1976. The site which includes the abbey building and ruins, and the monks' gatehouse is now managed by English Heritage.

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Issue 6. February 2017

Cathedrals secure £5 million for repairs as part of First World War Centenary Fund In November 2016 Heritage Minister Tracey Crouch announced that cathedrals across England will benefit from over £5 million for urgent repairs.

The grants have been awarded to 24 Church of England and Catholic cathedrals for repairs to stained glass windows, stone pinnacles, and roofs as well as drainage and lighting. It is the final phase of a two year grants programme to fund repairs to English cathedrals..

The Heritage Minister, Tracey Crouch said: The First World War Centenary Cathedral Repairs Fund has done fantastic work to help revive and restore stunning cathedrals across the country. Po Cathedrals are not only beautiful pieces of architecture, they hold centuries of our nation’s history and are centrepieces in our communities. This important fund will help maintain and repair these historic buildings so they can be enjoyed for years to come by everyone.

Tracey Crouch visited Southwark Cathedral on 29 November. The cathedral has benefited from grants from the Fund for re-roofing works to prevent leaks and damage to internal stonework and improvements to drainage. Standing at the earliest crossing point of the tidal Thames, Southwark Cathedral is the oldest Gothic church building in London.

In total, £40 million has been allocated through 146 awards to 57 cathedrals. The average award was £274,000, with 12 cathedrals receiving more than £1 million each. The largest number of projects approximately one third - are for roof repairs, followed by high-level stonework repairs, then repairs to towers and stained glass windows. A number of essential infrastructure projects, such as rewiring, drainage, heating systems, have also been supported. In in Dr John Inge, Bishop of Worcester said: Cathedrals are not only the jewel in the crown of our built heritage, they are at the heart of our nation’s common life – through commemoration, remembering, celebration and grief. People can find space and solace in them, both in large acts of worship and solitary contemplation. These welcome grants ensure that they continue to enrich our society in the future.

The Church of England’s 42 cathedrals are estimated to contribute around £220 million to the national economy every year through employment and tourism. They welcome more than 11 million visitors annually, employ more than 7,000 people and are supported by 15,000 dedicated volunteers.

Dame Fiona Reynolds Chair, Cathedrals Fabric Commission for England, said: These grants have enabled our Cathedrals to take another step forward in the task of ensuring they are in good shape to offer future generations the extraordinary experiences that inspire so many of us today. The grants have brought work to specialist trades such as stonemasonry and glazing as well as training partnerships such as at Southwark where the work from the grants will include a training partnership with the City and Guilds of London Art School.

Caroline Spelman MP, Second Church Estates Commissioner, said: This announcement shows the Government’s continuing commitment to supporting the national role of cathedrals as community centres, places of education and training, as well as peaceful retreats and places of great beauty. The £40m Fund is a farsighted investment that will bring a return to cities across the country.

Sir Paul Ruddock, Chair of the Expert Panel of the First World War Centenary Cathedral Repairs Fund, which assessed the grant applications, said: England’s cathedrals are at the heart of its communities and this second tranche of funding has enabled essential repairs for buildings, some of which are almost 1000 years old. In every case, the repairs funded have prevented much more costly problems developing and we are very grateful for the government’s continued support. © Crown copyright

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Issue 6. February 2017

It may not be the biggest or the most famous but it’s...

Beddgelert I was surprised when visiting the church in Beddgelert to see that service times listed on the notice board gave not only the times of worship for the Church in Wales congregation, but also times for Roman Catholic mass; how times and ecumenicalism have changed over the centuries.

The Priory and Parish Church of Valley Saint Mary, Beddgelert is a name that evokes in one's mind a picture of a great monastic settlement, but as you approach it or view it from the riverside you can grasp little of its past glory. It was in the beginning a Celtic Christian community or clas. Like other similar communities, such as Penmon and Bardsey, in the early 13th century it became a priory of Augustinian Canons.

Such a settlement would have been built, most probably, to the south side of the church but, unlike Penmon, there is little trace of it today.

In the transition from priory to the present day parish church several changes have taken place. The most significant being the loss of the north aisle which gives the interior a lopsidedness. We cannot blame the dissolution for everything, as the loss of the north aisle, oak carvings and mediÌval stained glass were the result of 19th century 'restoration’.

An exploratory walk round the outside of the church will reveal a number of clues to alterations; some of these traces of the past are a gritstone door base, the blocked up door to a West gallery and the point where there was an east window in the north aisle.

Although this church is at the end of Stryd yr Eglwys ( Church Street) its location is not immediately obvious, walk down from the National Trust shop right to the end of the street. It's well worth a visit and there is much of interest.

In our next issue: Amazing discovery at deconsecrated Lambeth church. Workmen have uncovered the previously unknown tomb of five archbishops.

Museum Churches. Not churches that are museums, but Churches that are in museums.

Why is my parish church now a minster?

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Issue 6. February 2017

Place of Worship or Museum?

I read the other day about St Isaac's Cathedral in St Petersburg, the world's third largest domed cathedral after St Peter's in Rome,and St Paul's in London. It has become the centre of a controversy between the Russian Orthodox Church and city cultural authorities. A government decision to restore control of the cathedral to the Church has created a division between those keen to re-establish St Isaac's as the central place of Orthodox worship and cultural bodies and anti-Church elements alarmed by what they deem the Church's undue power. Orthodox Church policy is to restore for public worship as many as possible of the cathedrals, monasteries and parish churches closed or converted to secular use in the Communist era.

We have a problem here in Britain, not quite the same as St Petersburg's but a problem nonetheless.

The question seems to be, “Are our churches and cathedrals museums or places of worship?” Many churches and chapels are no longer in use for their original purpose, but what about those that are?

As I travel around the country I see more and more of the museum attitude. Many of the Great Churches charge an entry fee and in one instance I found manned gates to the cathedral close with ticket sellers.

But more disturbing is the attitude of tourists. Arriving at Lichfield a little before the regular prayers at St Chad’s shrine, I made my way to that part of the building. When I got to the foot of the steps to the chapel I found that my way was blocked by a large crowd of chattering overseas tourists, who seemed to have no idea what they were looking at. Talking to the priest later, she told me that a few days earlier she was part way through the prayers when a similar group crowded into the small space between her and the congregation.

But it is not just those from another culture, many people come along just to see an old building, as they would a castle or stately home often without much thought about the significance of the church or its artifacts. I am very aware that raising money is a very important factor, but we must strive to make people more aware that our churches are “open for business” and that the business is the worship of God.

Margaret, Queen and Saint A side effect of the Norman conquest was that an English princess became a Scottish Queen and a saint. After the Battle of Hastings her father Edgar Æthling fled with his family to Scotland. In 1070 Edgar's 25 year old sister, Margaret, married the Scottish King, Malcolm III. She devoted herself to good and charitable works. She is the queen in the towns of North and South Queensferry named after the ferry she established at that point on the Firth of Forth.

She died in 1093.As a reward for her good works, she was canonised in 1250 by Pope Innocent IV , and her remains were reinterred in a shrine in Dunfermline Abbey in Fife, Scotland. Her relics were dispersed after the Scottish Reformatin.Most of her remains are now lost. Her head which was kept as a holy relic by Mary Queen of Scots was subsequently preserved by Jesuits in the Scottish College, Douai, France, from where it was lost during the French Revolution. But a portion of her shoulder blade is venerated at the Catholic church in Dunfermline which is named after her.

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