Heritage sites in the rain!

They say that the British are good at complaining and at talking incessantly about the weather. This summer’s wet weather has certainly given us plenty of opportunity to indulge in both! Having embarked on a long cycle ride at the end of June, I was pleased to see a little sunshine after an unpromising rainy start to the day. I left Saxilby after seeing the Olympic Torch Relay pass through the village on its way to Nottinghamshire. As I made my way to St.Edith’s church at Coates-by-Stow, one of my favourite Lincolnshire churches, the skies began to darken but thankfully, I was able to take shelter in the church from the rain that soon followed. (For those readers who have yet to visit this beautiful church, I strongly suggest that you put it on your list and to enjoy the lovely atmosphere of the place and the sense of peacefulness that the building and its location offer.) Over an hour after I had arrived, the thunderstorm finally receded. In the intervening time I had the chance to have a good look around the church and to read the literature left out for visitors.



Stained glass – detail. St.Edith’s,Coates-by-Stow

Among this was a fascinating professional report on the condition of the church’s medieval glass that was completed earlier this year. I learned much from the report about the history of the decorated glass and the techniques employed by the early glaziers. For example, as colour pigment for stained glass was expensive in those times, glaziers made great use of black paint “cross-hatching” to cover much of their designs. I also learned a little about conservation of the material: the negative effects caused by ultra violet light, mould-laden moisture and 600 years accumulation of dust and how such factors can seriously degrade its condition. The purpose of the report was two-fold: to establish the date and type of glazing in the church and to provide a baseline assessment of its condition so that a programme of conservation can be planned.

A recent short holiday to the Derbyshire Peak district provided an opportunity to visit a medieval hall at Norbury Manor, near Ashbourne, a property of the National Trust. Adjacent to the hall is the church of St. Mary’s and St.Bartok, remarkable for its C15 chancel and the almost complete original stained glass in its East window, from the same period. An area of the West nave was occupied by a husband and wife team who dedicate much of their time to the church: he acts as a guide to the church’s history and his wife sells homemade cakes and tea to visitors! The proceeds from the sales are used to maintain the church’s fabric.

Norbury Hall and Church

As an on-going progress report on the wretched subject of metal theft, I happened to notice a short article in the newspaper this week. Evidently a Bill on scrap metal legislation is to be heard in Parliament this week. As bodies who have met much of the cost of this type of theft, councils want a renewable license to be issued to scrap metal dealers to regulate the trade. The chairman of the Local Government Association’s Stronger Communities Board asserted “we can’t afford for Parliament to stall any longer”. The benefits of such regulation should hopefully be shared by custodians of heritage sites throughout the country, too.

I have just enough room to mention the recent Summer Volunteers’ Event which took place at Gunby Hall near Spilsby at the end of June. The unseasonal weather made an appearance again but did little to deter the intrepid volunteers who attended! The NT house manager and the head gardener provided very informative tours of the house and its extensive grounds and the cream tea afterwards in the former stables gave us much appreciated refreshment and shelter from the cold wind!

Once again, thanks to the Trust for organising this enjoyable day out.

Colin, Heritage Steward