Colwick St John the BaptistHistory
During the early part of the 20th Century the position of the old
parish church had become problematic, as the population had developed in the second
half of the nineteenth century some distance away to the east in the Netherfield
area and to the north on the opposite side of the railway that opened in 1848.
The development of a race-course to the north of the church also posed another
obstacle for access to the church. The physical condition of the old church
also gave cause for concern and a succession of repairs failed to solve the
problems.
In 1921, two sites were considered for a new church, one a triangular piece
of land, which would take a church, rectory and institute, with bowling greens
and tennis lawns; the other, the corner piece opposite the former, which would
only take a church and rectory. The larger site was £750 and the other £250.
The Bishop gave approval for the immediate purchase of the smaller site and
a New Church Building Fund was started in October 1921. J E Littler,
FRIBA, architect, was engaged to draw up plans for a substantial Parish Hall,
which would also be used as temporary parish church. The building, erected
by Colwick Building Company, was opened on 29th August 1922. Some church services
were held in the Parish Hall, including marriage services for which the hall
had been licensed in 1923.
Over the next few decades there was considerable discussion about whether
the permanent new church should be built 'on the Hill' or 'in
the Vale'. The Vale and the Hill parts of the parish had been divided
by the railway line that opened in 1848. New council estates built on the hill
accommodated the majority of the population. On 17th January 1935, the Rector
and Churchwardens signed the deed of conveyance for a site of 1.75 acres for
a church on Oakdale Road, Colwick on the Hill that had been purchased by the
Diocesan Finance Association for £650. But the Parochial Church Council
objected to this decision, preferring the new church to be, where it has been
previously, in the Vale. When the Bishop of Southwell visited the Parish in
January 1936, he said that he had decided to approve a new church in the Vale
and that there was a chance of getting a grant to pay for an Assistant Priest
to reside on the Hill. In March, the Southwell Diocesan Council of Finance
agreed to provide £1,000 towards a small permanent church.
Early in 1939 the Bishop was considering the union of the Colwick and Netherfield parishes
and would not consider the building of a new church at that time. Then war
intervened and no church building was permitted for the duration. This, and
lack of funding, caused further delay and it was not until 27th March 1949
that a church on the hill in Oakdale Road was dedicated. This church is now
known as St John the Baptist, Carlton.
On 26th February 1950 the Bishop of Southwell laid the Foundation Stone for
the permanent church in the vale on Vale Road and the church was opened on
Sunday, 17th June 1951. The final cost of building and fittings was £5,205.
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The
stone, now on
the west wall |
The ceremony of laying the Foundation Stone |
It had been hoped that it would be possible to use the oak roof beams, stone
slabs and the bell from the old church, but in the end, only the slabs were
used for the sanctuary in the new building. A memorial window to the late Rev
Mr Hildesley and Mrs Hildesley was included on the west wall.
The church as it was originally built |
The
west end |
The
south side |
The
interior looking east |
The
east end and altar |
In 1977 an extension to the west end of the church, incorporating a kitchen,
a meeting room and toilets, was built. A new pitched roof was added in 1985
replacing the former flat roof which had given a succession of problems.
A new rectory – St John’s House – was built in 1947 next
to the church site. It was sold as surplus to requirements in 1980 after the
amalgamation of Netherfield and Colwick parishes
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