The Church Glass

The earliest glass in the church is the bold design in the Lady Chapel to the south of the High Altar which dates from the period of the 1858 restoration. In the Nave the oldest glass is the window of the ‘Raising of Lazarus’ in the North Aisle, followed by the copy of Holman Hunt’s very famous ‘Light of the World’ picture in the South Aisle.

The window depicting the ‘Sermon on the Mount’ is generally thought to be the best glass in the Church and dates back to 1896. ‘The Presentation of the Infant Jesus’ is by the font and is in memory of Dr Colby, who died in 1912. It is a fine example of its time, and has a moving inscription below it. The glass at the east end of the Church and in the tower dates from the restoration of 1883.

The shields of the Lords of the Manor can be seen in several windows around the church. These start in the north west corner, after the Norman Conquest, with Tyson, and end with Fitzwilliam in the south west corner by the Font. They were formerly set in some rather garish glass and filled the clerestory, thus making the church very dark. They were put in their present positions and set in glass in 1966.

The Victorians used a lot of yellow coloured glass, which has now been removed wherever possible. This, together with the dark pitch-pine pews, had the intention of giving ‘a dim religious light’. Lighter coloured woodwork would seem more natural to us today, as can be seen in the Altar, Altar Rails, Choir Stalls, Lady Chapel and the entrance porch.