WESTBOURNE CHURCH RESTORATION TRUST
August 2023 Artice for
Westbourne Magazine
It does not seem possible that the summer is drawing to a close.
The trust was delighted to have a stall and hold a small raffle during the church fete in July. It was a very wet day but we are very pleased that we took over £100 and did not detract from the fabulous and much larger church raffle. Prizes had been donated and special thanks go to Nick Bond of Franchetti Bond for the beautiful scarf that was won by Alison, the brilliant pharmacist in the village.
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Despite the rain, the Church was looking particularly beautiful on the day of the Fete. I was struck by just how tall the yew trees in the avenue leading to the church have become. The avenue is considered to be one of the finest and oldest in any churchyard in the country. It is reasonably certain that it was planted around the time that the 11th Earl of Arundel altered and improved the church - in the early 1500s. This was shortly after the Battle of Bosworth, around the time that Leonardo da Vinci painted the Mona Lisa and just before the reformation and creation of the Church of England. The age of trees can be calculated using a formula that includes the girth, the species and the terrain. Counting rings is not an option, both as it would damage the tree but also as yews often rot centrally while remaining alive and growing round the edge.
Yew trees have been associated with churchyards for centuries. In fact they were also linked with pre-christian places of worship, celtic druids planted yews which were used in death rituals. Yews are very long lived and been revered for their association with rebirth and regeneration. There is Christian symbolism a plenty with their capacity to shoot new growth from apparently dead wood (Resurrection) , red berries (the Blood of Christ) and white sap (the Body of Christ). Our yews are mere infants compared with the ancient trees in Fortingall in Scotland and Dyfenog in Wails which may be over 2.000 years old, and have become places of pilgrimage in themselves.
There are rather more mundane reasons that Yew trees thrive in churchyards. They are poisonous to livestock so even if errant beasts gained access they would be unlikely to eat them! They are also incredibly hardy and will tolerate most soil types and situations.
Please consider supporting the trust. All the money we raise goes towards supporting the restoration and preservation of the church.
May 2023 Article for Westbourne Magazine
Restoration of Lychgate at the Church of St John the Baptist, Westbourne
Westbourne Church Restoration Trust was pleased to be asked to fund the renovation of the lychgate at Westbourne Church. This was undertaken at the end of 2022 as part of a larger project to repair the walls around the churchyard which had become unstable, due in large part to the roots of the Yew Trees that flank the path up to the North Door of the Church. These trees are ancient, it is estimated that they were planted around 1500 as part of a renovation of the church by William FitzAlan, 11th Earl of Arundel. This was soon after the end of the Wars of the Roses and just before the Reformation. It is a remarkable to think that these trees have been in the churchyard for the entire existence of the Church of England
Lychgates are typical of/and almost unique to English churches and started to be seen commonly from the 15th Century onwards. The word ‘lych’ is thought to derive from and ancient Saxon word for corpse. This was a covered gate to the church were a body would rest prior to a funeral service in the church. The roof protected the body and any person watching over it from the worst of the elements. In some areas they are known as Resurrection Gates, perhaps a little less macabre!
The Westbourne Church lychgate was constructed in 1863 at a cost of £29. 17s 1d The gates were replaced in 2004 in memory of George Barry Atkinson (1940-2003) and Cdr Harry Mainwaring Manners RN (1933-2002). Cdr Manners was the first treasurer of the Westbourne Church Restoration Trust, so this seems a particularly suitable project for the Trust to fund.
In ‘current money’ the lychgate costs about £4,000; its 2022 restoration cost £11,813!
Our lychgate frames the entrance to the church with the fabulous Yew avenue perfectly and I feel marks a point of separation between normal busy life and the peace of the church and churchyard. I thoroughly recommend walking down to the church and through the refurbished gate to enjoy the oasis of calm that is our village church.
The Trust is grateful to T. Couzens and sons who undertook the renovation and to Mr Stewart Taylor from the PCC who oversaw the project with such care.
Mary Galloway Chair WCRT
Westbourne Church Restoration Trust. Registered Charity no. 1015673
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