United Benefice of Thornhill & Whitley Lower
Serving our local communities
Church scoops major Award February 2010
English Heritage and the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) have announced one of their largest grants to Thornhill Parish Church to enable work to be carried out on this Grade 1 Listed Building set in the heart of the Thornhill Conservation Area. The Grant totals £178,000 nett of Vat to allow a programme of work to be planned. Stage 1 which is now ongoing will allow detailed reports to be prepared on the work required for the repair of the 12th century tower; the monitoring and environmental analysis of the glass in the East Window of the Savile Chapel which dates from the 15th Century –to be carried out by Jonathan & Ruth Cooke ( Glass Conservators- Ilkley ) and scientists from Sheffield University- and the preparation of reports on the other monuments in the Chapel. Phase 11 which starts in January next year will see the restoration of a monument to Sir George Savile 1622 by the famous sculptor Maximillian Colt which is in a dangerous condition. (Colt was the Master Carver to King James in 1608) Other monuments will be restored. Three windows in the North Aisle of the chapel dating from about 1490 will be conserved and protected. Work will be carried out to restore the Tower where the Thornhill ring of bells peels out week by week. Other works on the structure and drainage will be done in this period.In 2011 the results of all the scientific investigation on the East Window will be known and we will have to plan to carry out the necessary work in 2012.,Including Vat- which the government will let us reclaim the costs of the work are £265,789. The church has to raise about £48,000 from grants and trusts as well as fundraising and giving.
In addition to the works eligible under the HLF scheme the church also needs to replace the lighting which has been in place over 40 years and is now unsafe and outdated and a 30 years refurbishment and cleaning of the organ has to be carried out. These two schemes which together cost £60,000 will also need to be funded.
Project Manager Brian Pearson says ‘the church people have seen work costing over £500,000 carried out over the last ten years to preserve this fine building and make it a valuable resource for the whole community. This next phase carries on this work and seeks to preserve some of the nationally important artistic and cultural artefacts in the area. We are extremely grateful to English Heritage for recognising the importance of this local gem of a building by their generous grant and support. We will shortly be starting a public appeal for the remaining funds.’
Farewell Gill.
The Revd Gill Johnson our Curate for the last three years has now left us. Gill worked in the Benefice for the last 8 or so years moving from Reader to Ordination and to Curacy over that period. She was well loved by the congregations of our two churches. Much of the work she did was done quietly in the background. Her work in the Church school with staff and children will be remembered for a long time.
At her final Service on March 11th 2007 tributes were paid to her by The Rector and Churchwardens of both churches. Presentations were made of icons by each church. The packed church at Thornhill was a tribute to how loved and respected she is. Particularly we shall miss her brilliant and challenging preaching and her cheerful presence. This was much in evidence on this last day.
Her final ode to the benefice is printed below.( Read in a Broad Yorkshire accent)
Good bye and God Bless Gill - we wish you well in Mirfield and the Diocese.
Twere quite some time back now
I came through those doors
To walls full of history
And holes in the floors
I’d been here a short while
When building closed down
And Methodists housed us
Up on the Town
And then we returned
To a spankin’ new floor
And toilets by t’dozen
New angels on’ door
And worship continued
In this wonderful place
Wit’ numbers increasin’
An’ usin’ the space.
Our concerts and fairs,
Well they go down a treat,
Wit’ wine in the interval
And new people to meet.
But grand tho’ is Thornhill
We have Whitley too,
That Cathedral on t’hillside
With beautiful view
Though smaller in number
It’s glories are vast
Wit’ folk ever ready
To tell you of t’past.
And then came re-ordering
And ‘praise God’ a loo
And wonderful carpet
And neat kitchen too
We now have a narthex
Wit’ lovely glass doors
To act as a magnet
For all sticky paws.
And so as this Benefice
Moves onward in trust
To care for each other
Is an obvious ‘must’
To move ever outward
And not navel gaze
For looking too inward
Will limit our days
We’ve people wit’ talents
With love and with care
With generous spirit
And ready to share
We’re in it together
We’re here in God’s name
We forget at our peril
Our ultimate aim
To spread the Good News
As truly befits
To serve one another
In this Benefice
To God be the glory
The hymn writer says
A common agenda
To serve and to praise.
So thank you to Thornhill
To Whitley Lower too
And now it is time
To bid you ‘adieu’
Thoughts for the day archive
click here to Listen and Here to Read July 2015 By David Currie
click here to READ and here to listen the May 2015 edition by Sue Clarke
click here to read the April edition by Michael Clarke and here to listen
click here for the March edition by Sue Clarke to read and here to listen
click here for the January 2015 message by David Currie
click here to read the December edition by Michael Clarke
click here for the October 2014 edition by Jeff Heaton
