Westwood St Mary

Features and Fittings

The altar
with frontal

Stripped of
its hangings

East end Altar

The altar measures 85 inches long by 23 inches deep by 39 inches high (216cm x 58cm x 100cm). It is made of oak, of plain design, with five panels across the front. There is no inscription and no dating evidence. It is normally covered by an altar cloth and frontal.

Altar rail

The altar rail is 24 inches (61cm) high, plain, with a hinged opening central section. Two brass plaques read:

IN SACRED MEMORY OF
SGT. K. A. WARD R.A.F.
KILLED 24TH – 25TH MARCH
1944

The font

Font cover

Font

The stone font at the west end of the church is octagonal in shape, lead lined and with a wooden cover. It stands on a smooth stone plinth. The font is red and white Hognaston stone, and it was made by R G Lomas of Derby at a cost of £10. The font cover, made of English oak, was donated by the Sunday School in 1952.

A brass plaque on the base of the font is inscribed:

PRESENTED BY THE CHILDREN OF
ST MARY’S SUNDAY SCHOOL
WESTWOOD, Septr. 9th 1899

Pulpit

The pulpit is made of softwood which has a scumbled wood grain finish. It is mostly plain panels, but with planted tracery with carved leaves on the front section. There is no inscription and no dating evidence.

Reading desk or Litany Desk

In the sanctuary, on the north side of the altar, stands a large reading desk or litany desk. There is a solid wooden armchair, a stool to kneel on, and a reading stand with a sloping shelf on which to rest books. On the front of the reading stand is a brass plaque inscribed:

IN LOVING MEMORY
OF
LYDIA LOUISA SIGOURNEY EDWARDS
ORGANIST AND FAITHFUL CHURCH WORKER
DIED NOVEMBER 19TH 1918
Given by the Congregation and Friends

Pews

Some pews were removed in 1995 and the remainder in 1999. All seating is modern upholstered chairs. The diocesan registers also show that a faculty was obtained on 21 July 1982 for the removal of two rows of pews from the back of the Church.

Lectern

The lectern is made of pitch pine in a dark brown colour, and it stands just over 5 feet (155cm) tall. The top section is sloped on both sides, so it would be possible to rest a volume on each side. The sides of the lectern between the sloping faces have panels carved with leaves and a line of text, on one side “BE YE DOERS” and on the other side “OF THE WORD”. The lectern was made by Messrs Jones and Willis of Birmingham. On the front it bears a brass plaque inscribed:

PRESENTED TO
THIS CHURCH BY
THE MEMBERS OF
THE WESTWOOD
BIBLE UNION
SEPTEMBER 9TH
1899

Central Altar

The communion table was originally installed as an altar in the memorial chapel just after the Second World War, and it was transferred to its present position during the 1990s. It measures 60 inches long by 30 inches high by 20 inches deep (152cm x 100cm x 52cm) and is made of wood. There are 3 plain panels across the front, the centre panel usually being covered by a frontal. A brass plaque reads:

IN EVERLASTING MEMORY OF
LT. ROY TIMMINS
KILLED AT ARNHEM 1944

Communion rails

The communion rails are quite plain, made of wood, and stand along the edge of the platform installed in the 1990s which covers the chancel steps. The rails are 20 inches (51cm) high, and bear no inscription or dating evidence.

Lighting

There is a brass plaque declaring that the lighting was given in memory of Titus Searson (1879-1942)

Chancel in 1958

Choir Stalls

The choir stalls were removed in 1995. They can be seen in a photograph of 1958.