Significance at 310309
Statement of Significance
St Mary the Virgin, Barcombe.
September 2008
Grade II* TQ41 SW79
The Church in its rural environment.
Barcombe is a small village of about 1800 souls. The Parish church sits in an isolated area, on the very edge of the village, about a mile from the centre of population.
Approaching the Church, visitors notice a newly re-shingled spire and as they depart, following the U shaped path, one passes a graveyard that is set aside to allow wild flowers to blossom. A short path through the graveyard takes you to the sixty space Church car park. It is frequently full during services.
Entering the porch and in through the main door on the North side of the Church, down a couple of steps and you’ll notice the organ pipes squeezed into the corner of the North wall and the beginning of the tower. They were put there in the early 1970s.
The tower houses 6 bells and is screened off from the rest of the Church by a huge glass screen (1981). On a Sunday this area is also used as a crèche room and sometimes Sunday school.
Moving towards the South Aisle, at the west end, one finds an extension built in 1879. Here are two beautifully clear windows that let in a wonderful amount of light.
Half way down the south aisle is the 14th Century Font. It was moved to this place away from the main door in 1970s. Whilst everyone acknowledges it to be a peculiar place for the font no one can easily find a better place.
One of the windows here is by Kempe whilst the other two windows and the South aisle chapel window is from Kempe’s School.
There is a large wall mounted monument to Susannah Medley (1730). At some stage (perhaps shortly after 1879) this has been moved from the Chancel to the South wall.
The South Aisle chapel has a small altar. This was put here at the earliest in 1907 and certainly by 1930. I can find no record of this altar being used as a Eucharistic altar, certainly not since 1973. This aisle is sometimes used for evensong. We would like this east end area to be used more for quiet prayer and for our healing ministry.
Prior to the arrival of this side altar, an organ filled the east end of this aisle, the organist looking east. (a photo of this can be seen in the Guide Book p7). When the altar was put in, the organ was replaced or moved to the archway in between the chancel and the South aisle. The organist now looked southwards.
Prior to 1972, much of this space was filled with the previous (2nd) organ that was hand pumped. In 1972 a new (3rd) organ was put in, with the pipes at the North West end of the church and the organ console was rotated so that the organist now faces North.
The DAC described the Nave pews as “not of huge significance” (in 2003). Nonetheless they are a good way of holding the 70 adults or so and the 30 children that come most Sundays. They are capable of comfortably seating over 200. Special services often require over 150. Village funerals often need over 250.
Step up from the Nave into the chancel you’ll see on the North side of the Chancel a brass lectern from there, three steps up a stone plinth, into the pulpit. The pulpit simply sits on top of two stone steps and an additional concrete step that seems to have been added later.
The choir pews were given to the Church in 1905. They might seat 24 people but are only used now when the Church is very full and not as the seating of choice. In the last three years we have had two choral evensongs per year. This is done by asking another choir to visit. We have a choir that is put together every Christmas for the Carol Service.
In 1979 the Choir finally petered out. It had been a tremendous success since 1940 when the Barnados children were moved into the village. Prior to 1940 it is believed that there were no children in the choir despite the stalls’ front row being made for children.
They are uncomfortable for congregational worship with the front seats being too low (ie for children) and the rear seats being too high (ie for men). The backs of these seats are at a stark 90 degree angle and they are too close together to make kneeling comfortable. The collegiate position of these pews is another reason why the congregation do not like to worship in them. However the acoustics and lighting of the chancel are wonderful and would make for a tremendous place in which to worship.
Prior to 1905, the chancel contained two rows of pews on either side, in the style of the nave pews. It is thought that they were put in in 1879.
The most easterly of the North wall chancel windows was a priest’s door until as late as 1797. A wooden altar rail on brass stands divides the chancel from the sanctuary. The altar has been moved forward to allow for the priest to face the congregation. There is a strip of yellow carpet in the aisle of the chancel and the sanctuary is completely carpeted.
Around 1990, the Ven Hugh Glazier, the archdeacon, encouraged and supported the then Churchwardens to consider removing the Choir Stalls provided that it was furnished with quality for flexibility. The vestry was completely re-ordered in 1990s.
In 2003, we did not think it would be possible to build the Conker Room outside the church and expected to have to accommodate it within the church. As a result of this the PCC discussed at length the reordering of both the chancel and the whole of the south aisle.
In November 2006, the Conker Room was completed. This is a sweet-chestnut clad church hall built on north-south axis out of the South side of the Church. It has proved invaluable as an asset for children and education and to the village more broadly, as well as to the Congregation for Sunday school and for hospitality after Church.
There are two other Anglican churches in this village. St Bartholomew’s is now a retreat centre known as St Bartz and looked after by the Diocese, the PCC continue to look after the graveyard. St Francis is used as an alternative place for modern worship at a fortnightly service at 8pm of either Quiet Meditation or Lively Worship. During the winter it is used for a monthly traditional 8am and fortnightly Evensongs. There is an after school church youth group and a luncheon club and many other events happen here as the space is hired. It is not used for a main Sunday service anymore.
The Significance of the areas affected by the proposal.
Internally
The Chancel
The Proposal in this area is to remove the choir stalls, to remove the Rector’s stall, to lower the pulpit by a step, to place a projector screen, to place some appropriate ecclesiastical chairs, to carpet the chancel and to restore the tiles in the sanctuary, having removed its carpet.
When unused, the projector screen in the chancel would lie scrolled up, flat and white against the lime washed wall. When in use, the bottom of the screen would be above head height and, swung from the north wall, the outermost edge would come to near the middle of the aisle.
The chancel itself would be carpeted whilst the sanctuary could have its carpet removed. The PCC believe that there might be interesting tiles here. Perhaps these could be restored.
The Choir stalls would be removed from the church completely. The grandson of the donor wrote in 2003 “I would not wish to stand in the way [of the PCC] provided every effort is made to re-use them elsewhere in the church …” We would like the choir stalls and rector’s stall to be used in another church and until that is found we propose to keep them in storage.
In its place we would see some appropriate ecclesiastical chairs. This would enable worship to happen at our traditional services in the chancel. This has not happened since before 1905. It would also enable space for a singing group, a music group to expand, even include children. It would help the school when they visit.
The South East Corner.
We seek to adjust this unused altar and remove the dais it sits on to create an area for visitors to pray in and for people to receive prayer ministry after church on Sunday. This would mean a circle of chairs, perhaps eight or more with a focal point for prayer ministry.
We would like to build into the space the ability to clear away the clutter that is currently present here. And we would like to develop the lighting.
There will also be a second projector screen in this aisle which will be swung out from behind the Medley Memorial. This will be identical to the screen in the chancel.
Externally: This proposal does not affect the outside of St Mary’s.
The impact upon the congregation & wider community is shown in the Statement of Needs.
(consulted: Pevsner & Ancient Churches of Sussex by Ken & Joyce Whiteman, E.H. website)