Friends of St-Mary's

The Friends of St-Mary's News - Autumn 2008

This is your village group responsible for the care of the fabric of the village church. We look after building and maintenance projects, including planning and funding, working to the Parochial Church Council. If you are interested in preserving the heritage of this historic building and village landmark and would like to get involved in whatever way, please contact me.

Our current project potentially relates to everyone in the village as we are seeking to extend the graveyard, which is used for anyone wanting a burial in a Christian tradition. Thanks to the Revd. Will Adams and Simon Proctor, Churchwarden, real progress is being made in the negotiations with the owners of the land, the Diocese of Peterborough. We are grateful to adjoining landowners and users for their patience and co-operation during the lengthy negotiations. The graveyard will be enlarged by over 500 square metres to south and east, and should now be sufficient for the village needs for the next quarter of a century at least. We will have to move a hedge - watch this space for calls for help!

Jane Mordue
Chair, Friends of St Mary the Virgin

The Friends – background information

The beautiful church of St Mary the Virgin is the first sight to strike you when approaching the village of Wappenham. It has been a part of village life and a peaceful place for Christian worship over many centuries. The Friends of St Mary the Virgin has been set up to look after the fabric of the Church, working closely with the Parochial Church Council, so that it will continue to stand for years to come.

The Committee

Pictured:
Jane Mordue (chair)
Dene Ayres
Rev Will Adams
John Bond (no longer with the committee)
Sarah Proctor
Anthony Tucker
Di Watts


Not pictured:
Jo Foden, Alastair Judge, Eliza Bond (PCC representative) and Rev Dorothy Micklethwaite also attend.


What needs to be done and what has been accomplished?

The Church has stood for 800 years and each generation has looked after it and made it ‘fit for purpose’ for their times. The 21st century is no different. So what are the projects that need tackling now?

The Church Clock

In 2004 the Diocesan Clocks Advisor, Mr John F.H. Smith, wrote that the clock was ‘of national importance’. It dates from the 1600s and is of “a wrought iron frame with two trains, end to end, the frame having curved scrolled finials on corners. The trains are capstan wound. On the going train the great wheel has forked iron spokes (an unusual and original feature). The going train is regulated by a pendulum and anchor escapement but there are redundant holes in the frame which indicate conversion from an earlier verge and foliot escapement”.

The pendulum was the breakthrough of its day in providing much more accurate timekeeping. The clock’s survival was due to a villager, George Gasson (pictured left), who, in 1952, restored it and climbed the tower every day to wind it. In 1975 the Northamptonshire Chronicle & Echo featured the then 83-year old George Gasson who was still climbing 30 steps a day (by candlelight) to wind the church clock.

The Wappenham church clock was finally restored to working order on Thursday 16th August 2007. For those parishioners that remember the clock working in the past, you might think that the strike is a little quieter than it was - you would be right! When the church bells were re-hung some years ago, they were lowered away from the louvre window in the church tower and, whilst not noticeable for a peel of bells, the single strike for the clock is now quieter.

We will be assessing the clock's timekeeping over the coming weeks. Initially, we will try and get it accurate to a few minutes a day and, if successful, we will then see how accurate it can be made. Please remember though, it is over three hundred and fifty years old!

Kitchen Area and Toilet

Other churches in the benefice have already upgraded their facilities to make them more sociable and comfortable.

A kitchen area for the preparation of coffee and teas is proposed at the north west corner of the Church and a toilet cubicle to go inside the Tower. All the work will have to be in keeping with the character of the Church but it does seem possible and would make it a much more welcoming place to visit.

Become a Friend?

If you wish to support our work in maintaining this valuable part of our heritage, please do subscribe as a Friend for only £12 a year. An annual subscription of £12 is worth is £14.40 thanks to the generosity of the Chancellor! As a Friend you will be kept up to date with projects and results, as well as receiving early invitations to some special events and private viewings of works as they proceed. You will also know that you are helping to safeguard a historic building for future generations.