There was recently an article in the Lincolnshire Free Press about work being underway at St Mary’s Church in Sutterton, Lincolnshire.
A nice photo within the church of many involved with the church as well.
You can read the article here by just viewing or tapping on the image to see the full size.
6pm Songs of Praise
7pm Ploughman’s Supper followed by Trifle.
We will be collecting tins and packets of food for the Food Bank which can be left in church in the basket near the font.
Please let Janice know on 01205460590 if you would like supper, just £5.
Open Day at St Mary’s Church: September 8 & 9 2018, 11am til 4.30pm.
Refreshments served throughout both days:
The organ will be played at intervals and will be available to the public. Sounds amazing.
The church will be decorated with flower arrangements and this year we are also holding an Art Exhibition.
Anyone who would like to exhibit their work should contact the organiser Christine Mason on 01205 461331.
Guided tours of the church will also be available.
We knew, before they even started, the first major work to be undertaken would be to install the drains from the north side of the church (the new kitchen) and from where the new lavatories are to be in the south transept. This meant laying waste pipes and water supply around the outside of the chancel and then down the south side of the building to the road and through it to the main sewer which is deep under far side of the road outside the Church. For it all to work properly there has to be a fall over the whole length of the installation. The point where the new drains meet the sewer the connection is almost 3 metres under the surface.
There have been difficulties. The route of the trench has had to be changed on a couple of times. As a result, from time to time the Church yard has resembled a battlefield, with trenches and all. Inevitably, some very old burials have been disturbed, but where this has happened the rules that govern these things have been followed carefully and respectfully.
Now we are happy to report that the foul drain is completely laid and ready for the completion of the facilities inside the building. Unfortunately, there is a little more disruption to be expected when Anglian Water connect the water supply; we don’t know when.
The new spaces within the south transept are taking shape with all the associated electrics and plumbing. We have already had a glimpse of the high quality finish that will, in time, mellow to compliment the oak that surrounds the organ.
Now they have been cleaned the three effigies are positioned in the Chancel resting on individual oak stands so they are about a foot above the floor. In fact, nothing will be fixed to the floor so they will be movable, so we will be able to change their positions if there is a need. The stands have been ordered.
So far this has been the re-pointing of the clerestory walls on the north side. As this is being written this is being completed and they are about to move to the south side. This re-pointing is necessary because before it was done, wind driven rain finds its way into the core of the wall and the water runs down through the wall, over the aisle rafters, into the building.
The impressive array of scaffolding is likely to be with us for most of the period of the project. The major work, on the north transept, is due to take place in September and October. This is to avoid disturbing the bat population. Please remember we have no choice over this; it is illegal to disrupt bats.
It will be recalled that three 14th C stone effigies used to be cemented to the floor and outside wall of the south transept. They had to be moved to make way for the planned lavatories etc.
A year ago, we had commissioned a report from a specialist which highlighted the importance of the effigies and that they should be conserved. As soon as we were granted the permission, the work to move and conserve began. It has all gone well. The effigies have been moved into the open where the air can circulate freely around them. They have been carefully cleaned.
For the time being they stand just off the ground which shows them off nicely.
Now it remains to decide where they should be placed.
We have a flower festival on until Monday 7th May, so we hope you will come along to visit and see the stunning displays.
If you need to call for information on times, facilities and or other questions, do please call us on the number at the foot of this page.
Here are some photos taken from this event.
Saturday 28th April to Monday 7th May 2018
Open from 10.30am to 5.30pm daily
SCARECROWS VISIT THE COUNTRYSIDE
What’s there to see at the stalls?
Tombola, competition to win a case of wine, find the bat competition for children
Disabled access, parking and toilet facilities
homemade soup of the day with roll £2.50
ham, cheese or tuna salad with roll £3.00
ham, cheese or tuna salad with baked potato £3.50
cheese/ ham toastie from £2.50
ham, cheese, tuna sandwich made to order £2.00
apple pie and cream £1.50
cream tea [includes tea/coffee] £2.00
sausage roll 50p
tea/coffee cup 50p
mug £1.00
hot chocolate £1.00
fruit drink 50p
We all look forward to see you there.
View our full poster here:
St Mary’s Sutterton awarded a substantial grant by the Heritage Lottery Fund.
A little over a year ago Sutterton Parochial Church Council (PCC) received funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) to pay for the planning of repairs and additions to St Mary’s Church. This Development phase was completed last autumn which enabled the PCC to make a second stage application to HLF for funding the Delivery of the Project.
This is to announce that the PCC’s second stage application has been successful and the PCC is to receive a confirmed grant from HLF of £182,200 which will pay for necessary repairs to the building and together with Church’s own funds will pay for improvements to the facilities within the building. Also, the grant will fund the cost of the provision of interpretive material to describe the rich heritage of the building and its place in the history of the village. The work should begin in the spring and be complete in late autumn this year. It is hoped, that with some restrictions, the Church will be able to function reasonably normally throughout the process. The famous Flower Festival will take place as usual at the end of April.
Repairs to the Church will consist of renewal of the lead roof and some timbers of the north transept roof. Also extensive work is necessary on the masonry of the north transept and the clerestory walls of the nave. The Project will include installing lavatories and a proper servery. The consequence of the provision of these facilities will be to ensure the continued and widened use by the building by the whole community of Sutterton
Local MP Matt Warman has said:
“I am delighted to hear that funding of a Heritage Lottery Fund bid has been secured by St Mary’s Church Sutterton. The inclusion of the church in the 2015 East Midlands Heritage at Risk register highlighted the poor condition of this Grade 1 Listed Place of Worship and the need for repairs to safeguard its future. I am pleased that this has been recognised with a funding award to allow repairs to take place and progress to be made on installing facilities.”
Speaking on behalf of the Parochial Church Council, Church warden, David Mossman says:
“Over the last year or so, for those of us directly involved with the Project, the Development phase has been an absorbing and deeply interesting process. There seems to be no end to the things to be discovered about the building and its associations. We can now look forward to the reality of seeing the repairs and improvements implemented and making the unfolding story of St Mary’s accessible to everyone.”
“We are incredibly grateful to the players of The Lottery, without whom, buildings such as St Mary’s would face a bleak future. The PCC is determined that when the Project is complete, players of the Lottery will be proud and happy with what they have contributed to.”
About the Heritage Lottery Fund.
Grants programme applications are assessed in two rounds. A first-round pass is given when HLF has endorsed outline proposals and earmarked funding. A first-round pass may also include an immediate award to fund the development of the project. Detailed proposals are then considered by HLF at second-round and as long as plans have progressed satisfactorily and according to the original proposal, an award for the project is confirmed.
Thanks to National Lottery players, we invest money to help people across the UK explore, enjoy and protect the heritage they care about – from the archaeology under our feet to the historic parks and buildings we love, from precious memories and collections to rare wildlife.
Candlelight Christmas Eve Service with Father Charlie at 9pm in a warm church beginning with mulled wine and mince pies from 8.30pm.
A traditional service including the opportunity to light a candle to remember someone who can’t be with us this Christmas, for whatever reason.
Lovely meaningful start to Christmas.
This is a quiet time while we wait for decisions to be taken elsewhere.
Our second stage Lottery Application was submitted on schedule at the end of September. It was accepted for consideration by HLF and we know that the Application will go before the decision maker at HLF on 14 December. To finally complete our Development Phase we await the production of one more report. This is concerned with the origins of the stone that was used to build the original medieval church.
The object of the report is to assist with choosing the stone to be used to replace that which has perished. The fact we await this report should not have a negative effect on our Application.
We have applied for a Faculty (which is the Church’s equivalent of applying for planning permission) and this will be considered by the Diocesan Advisory Committee (DAC) also on 14 December. The way that works is the DAC will advise the Chancellor of the Diocese on the merits or otherwise of the Project. We have been careful to work closely with the DAC as our plans have evolved so we hope the process of obtaining a Faculty will go smoothly.
Meanwhile, the task of exploring the heritage of the church continues. We have always known that parish accounts for the years 1483 to 1537 are kept at the Bodleian Library in Oxford. Recently, we have attempted to discover more of what these documents contain. There is much to be done.
An interesting question is; how did these documents find their way to Oxford? We know that they were bequeathed to the Bodleian in about 1770 by a man called Rawlinson but how did he come by them? We know that there have been thoughts in the past that the accounts should be returned to this part of the world. However, we understand they have survived in wonderfully good condition in Oxford. The probability is they would not be in such a good state if they had remained in Sutterton. The solution is probably to leave them in a place where they are properly cared for and to have copy near at hand.
