“Friends of St Edmund’s Church”

THE ST EDMUND’S CHURCH BUILDING TRUST

LATEST NEWS

Owing to the current situation – the pandemic and resulting restrictions our usual events, have had to be postponed or cancelled.

The AGM has of course been postponed. As to the Annual Open Weekend, we hope that by next y ear, our 25th anniversary , we may be back to normal- or nearer so.

Please be assured that the Trust and the governing body , the Friends of St Edmunds is still at work.

To our members and supporters– Your support is always valued and appreciated . Thanks to you we have managed to raise funds sufficient to enable a whole series of works and renovations totalling in cost over £50,00 .

Our lovely Parish Church is now in a condition worthy of its ancient heritage

A brief survey of the history of the Trust and some of the works we have been able to fund

Due to changes within the Church of England there was in the mid 1990s, a threat to close some churches. Wootton , having two buildings serving the same Parish was vulnerable.     

St. Edmunds Church building could not be expanded, so that the sister church of St.  Mark’s would become the main worship centre, and St. Edmund’s would be made redundant and closed.

Because of this possibility, the Archdeacon of the time, the Revd Tony Turner suggested that we set up the St Edmund’s Church Building Trust , a charitable Trust to help maintain the building and keep this valuable spiritual and historical heritage for the village. In the event of the church being declared redundant under the Pastoral Measures Act the Trust would have legal rights regarding the use of the building.

The Trust was launched at our first Annual Open Weekend, August Bank Holiday 1996.  A Friends section was initiated whereby members of the public could join and produce support and funding for the Trust, with a Management Committee as controlling agents.

If you would like to join the Friends of St Edmunds please download and complete the application form.

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SOME OF OUR PROJECTS OVER THE YEARS

• 1999 -Interior completely replastered and painted.
• Bell restored and rehung. Security system fitted.- window grills fitted
• Vestry refurbished , new carpet laid,.
• New staircase to organ loft .
• Pathway repaired and new flags laid.
• North churchyard wall rebuilt using volunteer labour.
• Two lancet windows on the north wall of the Chancel restored
• Damaged section of south churchyard wall restored following collapse of the section, owing to vehicle damage.
• Roof timbers treated-
• Buttresses at the eastern end rebuilt .
• Repairs to stonework and roof.
• Electricity system upgraded.

One thíng which became noticeable during the redecoration project was that of the public interest in the welfare of St Edmund’s. Wholesale removal of the plaster was bound to be noisy and so a series of phone calls , reporting vandals in the church was receíved.

PROJECTS- LATEST NEWS

The pandemic and subsequent lock down have slowed things down.

The new lighting is installed -it should not only be more efficient but cost effective as well. We hope that before the winter the heating will be upgraded.

MAJOR PROJECTS

Repair of lancet windows in the chancel of this church

The lancet windows – a background

This set of 4 windows is a memorial to Mrs Louise Florence Makant of Wootton Lodge. In 1894 Captain William Makant ,donated to the Parish of Wootton a set of 4 stained glass windows, depicting the four evangelists, in memory of his late wife..

The manufacturers were Cakebread, Robey and Co of  Stoke Newington. The entry for Wootton in the original order book records simply :-

St Edmund’s Church, Wootton, I of Wight, Four Single-Light Windows, Chancel, the Four Evangelists.

In 2006 stained glass specialists Southern Lights recommended that the glass in the windows should be repaired before the apparent damage became worse. The tie bars were rusted and the leading needs replacing. The glass was beginning to bow and cracks were appearing.