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Sneinton
St Christopher

Glass

All the glass in the 1910 church was destroyed by the 1941 air raid. However, all but one of the stone frames survived in their original positions, though some of the tracery had to be repaired. The most important glass lost was probably a window, which was installed in 1921 as a memorial to the men of the parish who died in the 1914-18 war. Reporting on the dedication of the window on 5 May 1921, the Nottingham Evening Post provides a description of the design:

'The window, designed by Messrs. F. Gascoyne and Son, is of five lights, and represents "Our Lord in Glory." Introduced into the general design are the figures of St. Christopher, the patron saint of sailors, and St. George, patron of soldiers, the four evangelists being symbolised by the angel, lion, bull, and eagle respectively. The tracery is filled with the badges of the various regiments and corps to which the men of the parish belonged. A large scroll along the base of the window bears the text, "And He shall come again in glory to judge both the living and the dead."'

Unfortunately, no photographic evidence of the majority of the pre 1941 glass has been discovered.

5,27These identical windows are set within the West wall at the end of each of the side aisles. Each is an arched three light lancet, with trefoil head and plain rectangular leaded glazing.

6Located in the north-west corner of the church, this is a circular widow set within a stone frame, having a horizontal sill and vertical sides, surmounted by an arched head. The geometric tracery is somewhat heavy for the small window, having five separate panels filled with plain leaded glass, the leading following the demands of the tracery.

7,8,9,
10,23,
24,25,
26These windows are the main source of natural light to the nave. Windows 7 to 10 are in the north wall and 23 to 26 in the south wall. All are of identical size and general design each having three lights with plain rectangular leaded glazing. They do however vary in that two tracery designs used alternatively one more ornate than the other allowing opening metal transom windows to be incorporated into the simpler window to aid ventilation.

11,
20Windows 11 and 20 are located high in the north and south transepts respectively. They are identical in design each having five lights, within a steeply arched frame. The central light rises without a break into the apex of the arch, terminating in a plain pointed arch whilst the lights on either side of it rise only to the springing point of the arch, set at a little over half the window height and have trefoil heads. The area over the outer lights is filled with geometric tracery. All the glazing is leaded with plain glass. (The photograph is of the southern window, ie window 20.)

13On the east wall of the north transept there is a rose window. It is of good proportion but the external view (see the photograph) is partially blocked by the roofline of the north vestry. It is a five petal rose with a central cinquefoil. Colour is minimal and very light. Unlike many of the windows on the north side it does not have a protective wire guard, but remains intact. The glass appears to be much older than other glass in the church and it is possible that it is original, undamaged by the 1941 fire.

14,15,
17,18The chancel is illuminated by four tall, plain two-light windows, two on the north wall and two on the south. Each light rises into a simple cinquefoil head, with a classic quatrefoil with the apex of the arch. All are glazed with plain rectangular leaded glass.

The window from inside

Exterior view of the detail of the tracery at the head of the window

16East Window

The present East window was installed in 1952 following the destruction of the previous window in 1941. The original 1910 window was replaced in 1921 as a memorial to the men of the parish who died in the First World War. Further it is stated that the window was paid for by the children who attended St Christopher’s Sunday School, and that the design incorporated the insignia of every regiment or ship in which the war dead had served.

Fortunately the stonework of the window was not seriously damage in the blitz, and was reused with little repair. The current window is only lightly coloured, mainly using red, blues and yellows. The five lights from left to right depict:

Christ’s Ministry
The Good Samaritan
Christ in Glory
The Healing of Christ
The Teaching of Christ

Across the lower part of the three centre lights is the verse (from John 14.6):

I AM THE WAY, THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE

Window made by Pope and Parr, 1952

19This is the site of a former circular window in the south transept, corresponding to window 13 in the north transept. The window is now blind. It is no longer visible on the interior wall and the outer face is cement rendered. It is not known whether the tracery exists under the rendering.

Clerestory

St Christopher’s also has a clerestory high over the central nave. It accommodates four pairs and one single window on each side. Each pair has two quatrefoil headed lights separated by a spine. All are glazed with plain glass set into leaded squares.

Most of the lower windows are protected by plastic sheets. Several windows especially at the rear bear evidence of stone damage.

The re-glazing of the church in 1952 was entrusted to a Nottingham company, Messrs Pope and Parr, a company which still trades and ironically recently moved its works back into St Christopher’s parish. The recorded cost of the glazing including the manufacture of the leaded lights was £1556. It is not known whether they or the architect designed the leaded lights

The windows in the baptistry (numbers 21 and 22) are said to have been paid for by a parishioner who was confined to his house by illness. He nevertheless worked from home and earned every penny of the windows cost.