New Screen for St Mary’s, Eastwell

Matthew Saunders, Hon. Director of the Friends of Friendless Churches, has responded to Alan Ward’s article on this church in the last Newsletter with an update. Designed by Robert George and made by Charles Normandale of Hampshire, a new screen has replaced the previous utilitarian but unsightly brick infilling. Costing in total around £20,000 (including the clearance of bricks), all but a fraction of this was borne by the Cottam Will Trust. This is a fund administered by the Friends for 'the purchase of objects of beauty to be placed in ancient Gothic churches for the furtherance of religion'. Information about this (or the Friends in general) can be obtained from St Ann’s Vestry Hall, 2 Church Entry, London EC4V 5HB.

Splendid monuments used to be housed in the church which are now on display in the Victoria & Albert Museum to where they were moved in 1968. These are the elaborate tomb chest to Sir Thomas Moyle (died 1650), another tomb chest put up between 1623 and 1628 to Sir Moyle Finch (died 1614) and another known to be by Nicholas Stone to Sir Heneage Finch of 1632 (a wall monument). In the south-west chapel (marked on Alan’s plan as ‘mortuary chapel originally south porch’ and where an explanatory interpretation board has been put up) used to be the Neoclassical monument to Emily, Countess of Winchelsea and Nottingham of 1850 by Lawrence MacDonald. Matthew was keen that visitors to the remains know that although the church, chapel and connecting walls belong to the Friends, the churchyard is maintained (extremely well) by the local parish council.

Out with the old (below) and in with the new (left).

The old screen at St Mary's, Eastwell.

The new screen at St Mary's, Eastwell.