Mansfield Woodhouse St Edmund

Features and Fittings

Chancel

Altar and altar rails

The altar and altar rails are carved out of oak.

On the rail gates is a brass plaque which reads:

To the glory of God and in loving memory of G. Alfred Clarke.
These gates were given by his wife March 1913
Piscina, aumbry
and sedilia		 Detail of the
carved tableaux		 Plaque

On the south wall are a piscina and aumbry with hoodmould and sedilia dating from 1877.

The triple-gabled sedilia has carved tableaux in the tympani depicting scenes of the Sermon on the Mount, the Resurrection, and the Ascension. A brass plaque on the wall reads:

To the Glory of God
and in loving remembrance
of Alfred Brook M:A: Vicar of
this Parish A:D: 1860-1870
these Sedilia were erected
by Harriet his wife
A:D: 1877

Wooden candle holder with brass plaques reading:

IN
REMEMBRANCE
OF
JOHN DUNCAN
WOODCOCK
AGED 33 YEARS

KILLED IN ACTION
CASSINO
ITALY
5TH DECEMBER 1943

Pillar piscina, found in the grounds of the adjacent Manor House in 1930.

Nave

Pulpit Carving of Eve

The pulpit is one of the highest in the diocese. It is octagonal, has traceried panels and dates from the 19th century. Beneath the pulpit is a stone corbel with a carving depicting Eve eating the apple, with a serpent entwined around her.

The wooden lectern, to the side of the chancel, was given by Mrs Need in memory of her son who died at sea.

It was vandalised in 1975 and was later restored by Ben Else.

The nave contains 52 pews, with individually carved poppy heads. The pews are made of mahogany and date from the restoration of 1848-53. According to Minnis (2007) the poppy heads 'fall into two broad types: fleur-de-lis pattern composed of foliage and more elaborate designs incorporating figurative or other decorative carving. ... The decoration is evidently intended to emulate the lively and humorous carving found in medieval pews, choir stalls and misericords. The subjects depicted include a boar, a beehive, a fox jumping to catch acorns, an eagle killing a snake, strange two-headed faces, an alligator. The carving is carried out with considerable skill and succeeds in capturing the spirit of medieval work.'

Font Font cover

The medieval stone font has a round tub on an octagonal base and is situated at the entrance.

It was restored to the church, having been found early in the 19th century buried in the churchyard.

The conical font cover dates from the 19th century.

Refacing has removed all signs of age.

Lady Chapel

A three-panelled, oak-framed, glass screen, separates the Lady Chapel from the Chancel. The glass screen depicts the story of Ruth.

Reading from left to right:

Panel One:
Ruth said to Naomi ‘Entreat me not to leave you for where you go I will go and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people and your God my God.’
(So the two of them left Moab).
And went on till they came to Bethlehem.
Small inscription at bottom of screen:
To the Glory of God and in memory of Hilda Baird, nee Radford, a devoted wife and loving mother obit 25th October 1988.
Panel Two:
At meal time in the field, Boaz said to Ruth, come here and eat some bread and dip your morsel in the wine.
Panel Three:
The woman said to Naomi ‘Your daughter-in-law Ruth has borne you a grandson named Obed.’
(Obed became the father of Jesse, the father of David, the forefather of Jesus.)
Small inscription at bottom of screen:
Designed and engraved by David Pilkington 1992.
Original drawings by David Kenworthy.
Installation by Mansfield Glass and Albert Greaves.

At the entrance to the Lady Chapel is a carved oak screen above which are four coloured carved angels from the original riddell posts.

The inscription on the aumbry reads:

To the Glory of God this Aumbry was given in memory of his wife Alice Louisa Lownds by the Rev John Lownds Curate of Mansfield Woodhouse 1919-1925 and Vicar 1925-1932.