Holy Trinity, Ratcliffe-on-Soar, Nottinghamshire

I served in the RAF for fifteen years.

 

I worked in the food industry for five years previous to joining up, then worked in the deep sea survey industry before ending up with wind turbines for the last 15 years before retiring.

 

I am proud to have served, and made many, many long-term friends and comrades.

 

I last went to a reunion over a decade ago, where the heavy drinking, I realised, was a thing of the past.

 

Every year I think of going to that year's reunion, but think better of it.

 

I was an armourer. That is a trade that deals with anything and everything that goes bang, from bombs and missiles, to small arms, loading aircraft to bomb disposal.

 

We are very proud of our trade, and are very active on social media in keeping in touch and letting the rest of us know when one of the family is called to the Tea Bar in the Sky.

 

Two years in the planning and fundraising, was a memorial to be erected at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire, and this week it was to be dedicated.

 

I decided that I wanted to be there.

 

So, hotel was booked and much planning of some churchcrawling to be done on the Monday afternoon and maybe Tuesday.

 

I thought Cheadle was in Lancashire, but it turns out it is near Stoke in the Midlands, a 40 minute drive from the hotel, so it seemed a good idea that I would visit on the Monday, before turning back south to the hotel.

 

St Luke was designed by our old friend, Augustus Welby Pugin, and is considered his "gem". It even says that on the brown road signs as you get near to Cheadle.

 

But before getting there, I had the small matter of driving nearly five hours from Dover, heading north, mostly by a route you'll be very familiar with.

 

The alarm went off at five.

 

Early.

 

I get up, and between us we feed the cats, make coffee, so that by five to six, the car was packed and I was ready to leave.

 

It was so early that there was no traffic heading away from the port, meaning I had a good run up the M20 past Ashford and Maidstone as dawn crept across the sky, and the sun rose.

 

Above, the sky was laced with clouds, but mostly blue, though tinged with pink from the early sun.

 

Amazingly, the M25 was fairly clear. I cruised to the tunnel in just over an hour after leaving home.

 

Along to the M11, then just head north.

 

North through Essex. The harvest is in, fields are ploughed and seeded, trees are still green, though edged with gold telling us that autumn is here.

 

Even Cambridge at eight wasn't busy, though it was coming the other way along the A14. I pressed on, stopping for breakfast at the massive Cambridge Services.

 

Breakfast was a bacon and sausage butty, a cup of tea and a Twix.

 

Breakfast and dinner as it turned out.

 

I ate in the services, then back in the car for the next leg north.

 

West of the A1, the A14 is still a two lane road, and the trucks that use it, overtaking, cause tailbacks as they creep past other trucks.

 

Its 42 miles, and it seems to take forever, but the junction at the foot of the M6 arrives, but the sat nav tells me to take the M1 instead.

 

Once I turned off the motorway, I went through an almost endless series of roundabouts, parkways and strip malls, as one Midland town blends with the next.

 

Between, sometimes, there are green fields, and rolling countryside, while above a "Simpsons" sky allows lots of sunshine to make nature's colour really punch.

 

The final 30 minutes were through villages rather than towns, up steeper hills. But I reached Cheadle just before eleven, and once driving round the town's one way system, I found the main car park, a short walk from the church.

 

St Giles is open every day, once I reached the church, the most striking feature is the west doors, with matching golden rampant lions on a bold red background.

 

Pugin was here.

 

I thought Ramsgate was Pugin's perfect church, but St Giles is breath-taking.

 

There were three others in the church, they sat in the pews and took in the church, talking in whispers.

 

I went round taking picture after picture, with both the DSLR and mobile.

 

How do I describe it? How can mere words do justice to a force of natures greatest work?

 

I guess its like listening to an orchestra, where all the parts combine to make a symphony. St Giles is a symphony in stone and paint and glass for the senses.

 

I had to leave, as I only had an hour on my parking ticket, so walked back up the main street and cut through back to the car park.

 

I had asked a friend, Aidan, if there were any churches in the area he recommended, and one was Radcliffe-on-Soar. So, I set the sat nav, and headed 40 minutes back in the direction I had just come.

 

Ratcliffe is a small village, spread out along a dead end lane, with the church near the end, and would be unremarkable. But decades ago, a massive coal fired power station was built the other side of the main road, its eight cooling towers dominate the village and landscape for miles around.

 

The power station is now closed and set to be demolished soon, so the towers still stand, stark against the light clouded sky.

 

Holy Trinity is open daily. I checked. So, I parked on the side of the lane, walked to the porch and pushed open the door.

 

Inside, the stillness was deafening. The centuries laid heavy on the tombs in the chancel, for it was the tombs that make this church so special.

 

Five, I think, tombs with carvings of the occupants on top, all in pious poses, though through the untold years, vandals and visitors have broken bits off: nose here, a foot or hand there.

 

I took my shots, enjoying the peace inside.

 

But my last church closed at four, it was half two, so should be OK, but you never can be sure.

 

It was another half hour drive, this time along country lanes winding its way over the Wolds.

 

The thing with postcodes is that in urban areas are very specific, and you find your destination quite easily. In rural areas a large part of the parish can be under the same postcode, or the whole village.

 

The sat nav got me to the village, but I could find no church. It suggested going down a road marked private. I decided not to follow, and visited all parts of the village in search of the church.

 

I found Church Lane, and like me you'd think the church was on church lane.

 

It isn't.

 

Or as I found out soon after, the bridge from Church Lane to the church has been closed.

 

Hmmm..

 

I checked on Google Maps, and sure enough the church was down the private lane. So I went back, following another car, that was being driven by the keyholder.

 

This was Widmerpool, the road took me past the outbuildings for a country estate, all now turned into large private residences. I could feel watchful eyes following me as I drove up the road.

 

I parked at the end, and saw the lady walk up a path with an old gas street lamp indicating it might be the way to the church.

 

It was.

 

The lady was talking to a workman who was dealing with a wasp infestation.

 

"Can I help you?"

 

I have come to see the church, it took some finding. It should be open today.

 

"I have the key, I will open it for you".

 

We went in and we talked about this church, and churches in general, but mainly about people like her who give parts of their free time for caring for these grand buildings.

 

Apparently there was an ancient church here, but mostly rebuilt in the first half of the 19th century, and again in the second half, what is there is mainly late Victorian, but of a good standard.

 

I liked it, and the location, far away from the towns that link like spider's webs across most of the Midlands.

 

But it was time to go to my hotel in Burton. I bid the keyholder farewell, as two dozy wasps buzzed around sounding like two very small bagpipes.

 

Back out along the private road, across the crossroads, over the railway and back to the main road. And then just twenty minutes to noisy, busy Burton.

 

In the middle of a retail park set along the main road into town was the Premier Inn, I pull in and check in.

 

Nothing wrong with the hotel or room. Clean and functional.

 

I settle down for 90 minutes before going next door to the restaurant for dinner. I had a table booked to make sure.

 

At half five, I walked over to the "restaurant", and found the place near deserted, the lady with improbable eyebrows who checked me in was double shifting in the bar all evening, and the oncoming shift found supplies were short.

 

I found out there were no burgers, no chips, no pizzas, no cheesecake, and other things ran out in the two hours I was there.

 

I couldn't have burger, so had fish and chips. Though not chips as such. Weird shaped slivers or potato. They did OK.

 

I had a beer too.

 

And as I was finishing, an old friend, one of the first corporals I worked for back in 1991 walked in.

 

Hello Mark.

 

"Hello Ian"

 

So, we sat down to catch up and found out what we have done in the last 34 years.

 

A friend of his came in, to eat, but hearing the ever growing list of items they place were running out of, they caught a taxi into town for a highly rated Indian restaurant (which had closed), so I drank up my third beer and went back to my room.

 

And went to bed at nine.

 

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Domesday Book records that Radeclive possessed a priest and a church in 1086.

 

In 1115 William Fitz Nigel, constable of Chester and second baron of Halton, established an Augustinian priory a short distance from his castle at Halton, near Runcorn, Cheshire. The foundation charter of the priory includes his gift of the Nottinghamshire churches of Ratcliffe-on-Soar and Kneesall. In 1134 Fitz Nigel's son moved the canons to a new site 4 km away which would become known as the priory (later abbey) of St. Mary at Norton.

 

The history of the church during the medieval period is marked by several disputes over the advowson.

 

On 4 May 1270 Ratcliffe’s manorial lord, Peter Picot, presented Theobald de Belhus to the church of Ratcliffe. Five days later Norton Priory presented Richard de Halton to the same church. The dispute over the advowson was resolved in October of the same year by King Henry III who informed Walter Giffard, archbishop of York, that the prior of Norton had recovered the presentation of the church of Ratcliffe against Picot and ordered the archbishop to admit at the prior’s presentation.

 

The Taxation Roll of Pope Nicholas IV. (1291), gives the clear annual value of the church at £46 13s. 4d., the pension of the Prior of Norton being valued at 13s. 4d.

 

In 1317 Walter de Allesland became rector of Ratcliffe on Soar and was given licence to study for two years from the date of his institution. The benefice now being apparently ‘void’ the Pope then granted Ratcliffe to Bertrand du Pouget, Cardinal priest of S Marcello, who in turn appointed his own nominee and ordered the prior of Lenton to make the necessary arrangements. King Edward II, however, prohibited the prior from taking any action. Papal correspondence of 1319 to the archbishop of York, the bishop of Hereford and the bishop elect of Winchester accuses the prior of Lenton of refusing to ‘obey the papal order directing him to induct the proctor of Bertrand, cardinal of St. Marcellus, into the rectory of Radclive on Sore’ and also refers to Walter de Alminslond [Allesland] ‘who by lay power has thrust himself into the parish church of Radclive on Sore, of which papal provision was made to cardinal Bertrand.’ The issue dragged on and in 1325 the Pope wrote to King Edward II to beg him to grant possession of the church to cardinal Bertrand’s proctor and to remove from it from the occupier (Walter de Allesland). It would appear the Pope ultimately failed as Allesland was still the rector of Ratcliffe when he died c.1331.

 

On 1 August 1358 Norton Priory granted to John de Winwick, treasurer of York Minster, the advowson of the church of Ratcliffe on Soar, chapels annexed to it and all other things pertaining. In December 1359 Winwick appointed Henry de Blakeburn rector of Ratcliffe.

 

Winwick died in late 1359 or early 1360 and in his will specified that the advowson of Ratcliffe on Soar church should be assigned to the chapter of Lichfield. However, when his will was proved on 28 June 1360 a codicil had been added that stated ‘the advowson of the church of Radclyve on Sore should be assigned to the maintenance of scholars dwelling in Oxford in a hall to be built by his executors.’ Presumably, John’s brother, Richard, changed the assignment of the advowson from the chapter of Lichfield to the college at Oxford. An inquisition of 1361 confirmed that it was ‘not to the loss or prejudice of the king if he grants to Richard Wynewyk … that he may give the advowson of the church of Radeclive on Sore to the Provost of the king’s hall of Blessed Mary at Oxford called “le Oriole” to find and maintain certain poor scholars dwelling in the aforesaid hall … The same church is worth, according to the true value of the same, 40 marks a year and the extent of the same is 50 marks.’ Richard also petitioned the Pope in 1363 to confirm the gift and although the Pope granted the petition ‘in regard to the foundation made from the goods of the deceased’ the appropriation of the church was refused.

 

Further problems arose in 1375 when Richard de Winwick appointed William Julyan as rector of Ratcliffe after the resignation of Henry de Blakeburn. In May 1375 an order was issued to arrest Walter Levenaunt, (a canon of Exeter Cathedral), Ralph Daventre and Baldwin Taillour (‘his proctors and … his aiders and abettors’) and have them presented before the king and council. Apparently, the king had learned that ‘although Henry Blackeburn, clerk, canonically obtained the church of Radecleve upon Sore, by virtue of the presentation of John de Wynewyk’ Levenaunt had challenged his appointment and intended ‘to intrude into the said church and expel therefrom William Julyan.’ The Pope demanded that Julyan be removed but Winwick had the support of King Edward III and ignored him.

 

In November 1380, twenty years after John de Winwick’s death, his executors obtained a licence from Richard II to give the advowson to Burscough Priory, near Ormskirk in Lancashire. In the following year Alexander Neville, the archbishop of York, allowed its appropriation to relieve the poverty of the priory caused by the pestilence, bad seasons and other misfortunes and to provide a competent income for the cure of the parish of Ratcliffe.

 

Levenaunt, however, refused to admit defeat and decided on a more direct approach. On 9 October 1381 he led a gang that attacked the church with the intention of forcibly ejecting the rector. Finding the doors barred the gang tried to burn them down and Julyan fled to the roof for safety. Having failed to gain entry to the church the attackers departed. A warrant for Levenaunt’s arrest was issued by the king in May 1383 but in 1384 he petitioned the king to be released from the charge of outlawry stating that he purchased the presentment to the church of Ratcliffe on Soar by due process at the court of Rome, and claimed he had been outlawed by a false judgment brought against him by the king. He was pardoned the following year.

 

According to the Valor Ecclesiasticus of 1535 the church of 'Ratclyf super Soore (with the chapels of Kynston [Kingston upon Soar] and Thrompton [Thrumpton])', which was then appropriated to Burscough Priory, Lancashire, was valued at the clear yearly sum of £6 13s. 4d. The vicar was Thomas Wynter.

 

In the mid 16th century the Archbishop of York ordered that all altar stones should be 'broken, defaced and bestowed to common use'. Such altar stones were to be replaced by an ‘honest table’. Ratcliffe was lucky in that the altar stone was too massive to be broken and it was dropped into the church floor. This order was rescinded at Mary’s accession in 1553 but c1571 the altar stone was buried and replaced by the honest table now used as a Communion table situated at the forefront of the chancel above the steps to the nave. Also at the time of Mary’s accession, two bells were given to the church by the Commissioner of Church Goods. These were replaced c1600 by two bells by Henry Oldfield.

 

In 1650 the Parliamentary Commissioners reported the impropriate rectory, with an annual value of £80, was the joint possession of Colonel John Hutchinson and William Hazard, gentleman, in right of Hellenor his wife, the impropriators, who received the profits thereof to their own use, 'the Cure being well and constantly served at the charge of the said Impropriators.'

 

There are frequent references to the poor state of the church fabric in the churchwarden presentment bills of the 17th and 18th centuries. In 1618 the churchwardens of Thrumpton and Kingston-on-Soar were presented for ‘not doing those reparations in the parish church of Ratcliffe upon Soar which time out of mind have been carried out by them, viz. repairing the north and south aisles.’ In 1684 they reported that ‘the church wants whiting and some of the windows are stopped up at the top and the bottom; the church porch floor is out of repair; the chancel walls want whiting and drawing [with lime and hair]; part of one of the chancel windows is stopped up and the chancel floor wants paving; the church wall on the north side is propped up with timber; the leads on the north side want mending…’ There were problems with the church roof on the north side, the flooring and walls in 1704 and in 1718 an order stipulated that the following work was to be carried out: ‘walls to be whitewashed inside; canopy of pulpit to be mended; partition between church and chancel to be mended.’

 

During the first half of the 17th century a wooden altar, sanctuary rails and font cover were installed.

 

By the 18th century the church was still in a very poor state of repair and in the latter half of the century the north aisle including the clerestory was completely re-built and the arches rounded. At this time the treble bell by Hedderley was installed.

 

At the time of Archbishop Herring’s visitation in 1743 the curate, Edward Moises, reported that there were only 17 families in the parish, including a Quaker family and one that was Anabaptist. There was no meeting house, almshouse, school or parsonage house in the parish and no lands or tenements left for the repair of the church. The curate received £28 for serving the cures of Bunny and Ratcliffe. Divine service was performed once every Sunday and Holy Communion was administered four times a year to about ten communicants (out of 50 in the parish).

 

Thomas Poynton, the vicar of Bunny with Bradmore, appeared and made the return for Ratcliffe-on-Soar on the occasion of Archbishop Drummond’s Visitation in 1764. The village had only twenty families, none of whom were dissenters ‘except two or three of those called Moravians.’ He lived in the vicarage house at Bunny, where he was the vicar. The curate, James Deavin, lived at Kegworth and was paid £14 for serving both Ratcliffe and Kingston churches. Poynton added that he performed divine service ‘not only here once a fortnight during the summer season but also at Bunny and that all the year, as also sometimes at Kingston.’ The sacrament of the Lord’s Supper was administered here four times a year; Poynton observed that ‘there generally is not above six or seven who partake of it.’

 

Between 1832 and 1840 the church, originally dedicated to St Mary, was re-dedicated to The Holy Trinity.

 

The incumbent of Ratcliffe-on-Soar, the Rev John James Vaughan, vicar of Gotham, reported in the 1851 Religious Census that on average 23 parishioners and 20 Sunday Scholars attended the service on Sunday. There were 42 free spaces and 18 other.

 

In 1868 the church was reported to be ‘fast falling into decay' and Kelly's Directory of Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire published in 1881 noted that 'the church was in much need of restoration.' Godfrey (1887) provides a description of the interior in the 1880s:

 

'Two bays of the nave and half the chancel is enclosed by boarding as high as the capitals of the pillars, and service is conducted in this box, which is fitted up with an altar, pulpit, reading desk, and benches. The floor, also, is partly boarded over, probably concealing other floor stones ... The church is in a most neglected state, and requires much reparation.'

 

According to Kelly's Directory of Nottinghamshire (1900) there was a partial restoration of the building in 1891 'when the unsightly boarding which enclosed the nave was removed, the chancel rescued from its previously desecrated condition, and the fabric in part new-roofed’. The work cost £830 which was mostly met by Lord Howe, the impropriator and patron of the living. The altar stone was restored and re-consecrated at the same time.

 

Edwyn Hoskyns, bishop of Southwell, carried out a visitation of his diocese between 1911 and 1915. In December 1913 he visited West Bingham Deanery and in his report to the deanery noted that 'the Church fabric at Ratcliffe-on-Soar is in a very bad condition, and calls for immediate restoration.' At the same time the diocesan calendar for the previous year records that the net annual value of the benefice was £56, the church was able to accommodate 80 worshippers, and there had been six baptisms and one confirmation in the year ending 30 September 1912.

 

Further restoration work on the church fabric was carried out in 1915-16. Lord Belper and the Diocesan Church Extension Society funded the work.

 

In 1936 a modern font, a gift from Kingston-on-Soar, was installed near the door.

 

southwellchurches.nottingham.ac.uk/ratcliffe-on-soar/hhis...

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