Rev Alford and A.W. Pugin

The Restoration of Wymeswold Church, the Rev Henry Alford and A.W.N Pugin

When the Reverend Henry Alford became vicar in 1835 he was keen to modernise and beautify St Mary’s, which needed repair. In 1833, an application had been made to the Incorporated Church Building Society by Alford’s predecessor, the Rev Parish, to repair the nave roof, seating and flooring but nothing seems to have come of the proposal.

In 1844, the Rev Alford started a fund-raising campaign and commissioned the architect A.W.N. Pugin to undertake the restoration. We do not know why Alford should have turned to Pugin. The architect was a well-known convert to Roman Catholicism, a faith which had only recently (1829) been ‘emancipated’ in England, that is, allowed to be practised in public. There was a great deal of suspicion and even hostility by Anglican clergy towards Catholics. However, the Rev Alford did not share these views and in any case, had common interests with Pugin in medieval church architecture and design

In the 1830s, the Rev Alford had been interested in the Oxford Movement, and in 1844 he joined the Cambridge Camden Society, which promoted interest in Gothic Revival architecture and in returning England’s churches to their medieval form. Although Pugin was an important advocate of the Gothic style, he was not a member of the society but it is likely that he met Alford through Ambrose Phillips, a common acquaintance. Phillips lived at Grace Dieu, was a Trinity College student with Alford and a convert to Roman Catholicism. Pugin and Alford were both regular visitors.

Restoration commenced in 1844 with the rebuilding of the south aisle, the removal of the west gallery and the unblocking of the tower arch into the nave. The new work was in the Decorated Gothic style. Next, the north aisle was rebuilt along with a two-storey porch which had a vestry with a fireplace on the upper floor. Trinity College, Cambridge, as patrons of the church, paid for the restoration of the chancel and a small extension on its north side to accommodate the organ.  During the work, unfortunately, the nave roof collapsed and had to be replaced. The chancel arch was removed and a new one put in to match the tower arch.

For the interior of the church, new fittings were added, largely designed by Pugin. The pews were designed as copies of the original ones, with linenfold decoration. The medieval rood screen was removed as it was considered too decayed for restoration, and a new one was added. A new pulpit and font replaced the post-Reformation furniture. There were wall paintings, of a Decalogue (Ten Commandments) behind the high altar and texts above the nave arches. Lights, sconces and a new lectern Bible were made by John Hardman & Co of Birmingham. New glazing was added, by William Wailes of Newcastle-upon-Tyne and James Powell of the Whitechapel Glass Company in the chancel windows, and by Hardman in the aisle windows.

The funds for this restoration work were raised by the Rev Alford in a variety of ways. He applied for grants from the Incorporated Church Building Society and the Leicester Church Building Society and launched a general appeal. The Camden Society gave £10, and money was raised through the sale of a fine illustrated publication about the restoration. Interior fittings were paid for by a variety of donors. The total cost was £3,557 (just over £285,000 today). The construction contract, for masonry, carpentry and carved interior fittings, was undertaken by George Myers of Lambeth, London, a long-time associate of Pugin.

As well as restoring the fabric of the church, in 1846, the Rev Alford also revived the traditional offices (services) of morning and evening prayer, for he believed that church restoration should include liturgy and worship as well as architecture. He was a keen and regular preacher in church, publishing some of his sermons for wider readership.