Retford (Ordsall) St Alban

Features and Fittings

Chancel

Reredos and Altar

Altar

Reredos

Reredos detail

Diagram showing the
details of the reredos

Both were designed by Charles Hodgson Fowler, the architect of the church, and given by Mrs Stott in memory of her husband, the Rev Dr S. W. Stott, rector of Ordsall from 1896 to 1907.

The reredos was carved from Austrian oak by Messrs Bowman of Stamford, the builders of the church. The figures are of soft American pine, carved by Messrs R Bridgeman and Son of Lichfield and painted by Mr Stanley Watkins of Ealing.

The main theme was the Crucifixion. The Virgin Mary and St. John were shown at the foot of the Cross. Four large figures represented St. Alban with a sword, St. Lawrence with a gridiron, St. Paulinus and St. Swithun. Twelve smaller figures represented the Apostles. The top row represented St. Thomas with a builder’s rule, St. James the Greater with a pilgrim’s staff, St John with a chalice and St. James the Less with a club. On the second row appeared St. Simon holding a saw, St Peter holding keys, St Paul with a sword and St Jude with a halberd. The third row contained St Philip with a staff, St Bartholomew holding a knife, St Andrew with a transverse cross and St Matthew with a purse. Curtains were added at a later date.

The reredos was dedicated on 27 June 1908.

Choir and Clergy Stalls

Clergy stall on the
south side of the choir

Detail of the
clergy stall

Stalls in the north choir

Stalls in the south choir

Choir stall
poppyhead finial

There were three rows of choir stalls and a clergy stall in both north and south choirs. The bench-ends of the stalls and the clergy stall desks had poppyhead finials. They were donated by Mrs J.W. Holmes in 1912-13.

Other fittings

Southern section
of the altar rails

Font bowl and
strapwork cover

Font stem and ewer

Eagle lectern

Most of the fittings were gifted in 1912-13.

The altar rails were given to the church by Dr and Mrs G. Bruce Pearson.

The octagonal stone font with bowl supported on a clustered stem and an oak strapwork cover was gifted by the Sunday School children.

The brass eagle lectern was gifted by Miss M. Roberts.

Pulpit

The hexagonal stone pulpit with open tracery panels and coved foot was integral to the south-east arcade arch and was gifted by Mr and Mrs W.P. Jones.

A set of heraldic shields was painted by Miss M. Stephenson in 1937. The crest placed in the choir was of the coat of arms of the Abbey of St Alban. The shields on the north arcade included the Dioceses of York and Southwell and the universities of London and Oxford. Those on the south arcade are of the Dioceses of Canterbury and Lincoln and of the families of Hercy and Wortley. The parish of Ordsall has been at various times in the Dioceses of York, Lincoln and Southwell (formed in 1888) and the provinces of both York and Canterbury. The universities were attended by the Rev R.D. Foster and the Rev K.S. Stothert respectively. The Hercy and Wortley families were patrons of the parish for many generations.