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St Swithun's Church is a
Grade II* listed In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...
Church of England
parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or ...
in the
Diocese of Southwell and Nottingham The Diocese of Southwell and Nottingham is a Church of England diocese in the Province of York, headed by the Bishop of Southwell and Nottingham. It covers all the English county of Nottinghamshire and a few parishes in South Yorkshire. It is ...
in
East Retford East or Orient is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from west and is the direction from which the Sun rises on the Earth. Etymology As in other languages, the word is formed from the fac ...
,
Nottinghamshire Nottinghamshire (; abbreviated Notts.) is a landlocked county in the East Midlands region of England, bordering South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west. The tradit ...
, England.


History

St Swithun's is a Grade II* listed church in Retford that is dedicated to St
Swithun Swithun (or Swithin; ang, Swīþhūn; la, Swithunus; died 863 AD) was an Anglo-Saxon bishop of Winchester and subsequently patron saint of Winchester Cathedral. His historical importance as bishop is overshadowed by his reputation for posth ...
and which was founded in 1258. The church is located in the centre of town between Churchgate and Chapelgate. The current building is of cruciform shape, now mainly of perpendicular architecture, but still preserving in its south and west doorways, and in the tracery of some of its windows, marks of earlier styles. The church has a square, battlemented tower, containing a clock and 10 bells. The oldest, virtually untouched, part is the north transept, although it has now been transformed into a chapel as a war memorial. The tower is supported by four massive arches and the nave and aisles are separated by arcades of five bays. There is a stone pulpit, an eagle lectern in oak, and a large organ erected in 1841. In the north transept is an incised slab to Henry Smyth (d 1496) and Sir Whatton Amcotts (d 1807) by William Kinnard, architect. The Victorian stained glass includes work by
Clayton and Bell Clayton and Bell was one of the most prolific and proficient British workshops of stained-glass windows during the latter half of the 19th century and early 20th century. The partners were John Richard Clayton (1827–1913) and Alfred Bell (1832� ...
,
Charles Eamer Kempe Charles Eamer Kempe (29 June 1837 – 29 April 1907) was a British Victorian era designer and manufacturer of stained glass. His studios produced over 4,000 windows and also designs for altars and altar frontals, furniture and furnishings, lich ...
, Michael O’Connor,
Hardman & Co Hardman & Co., otherwise John Hardman Trading Co., Ltd., founded 1838, began manufacturing stained glass in 1844 and became one of the world's leading manufacturers of stained glass and ecclesiastical fittings. The business closed in 2008. Histo ...
,
William Wailes William Wailes (1808–1881) was the proprietor of one of England's largest and most prolific stained glass workshops. Life and career Wailes was born and grew up in Newcastle on Tyne, England's centre of domestic glass and bottle manufacturing. ...
and George Shaw. The figure over the southern door is locally said to be of St Swithun, but according to Kidson is of a bishop. He says the figure was brought from a dissolved monastery in Portugal and was given to the church, and placed in its present position, in about 1895. The
British Museum The British Museum is a public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is among the largest and most comprehensive in existence. It documen ...
contains several architectural drawings of East Retford Church by
Samuel Hieronymous Grimm Samuel Hieronymus Grimm (18 January 1733 – 14 April 1794)''The Gentleman's Magazine, 1794, p399 was an 18th-century Swiss landscape artist who worked in oils (until 1764), watercolours, and pen and ink media. Grimm specialised in documenting h ...
. These include a general view of the exterior, and a drawing of the tracery of the east window. There are also drawings by
Thomas Kerrich Thomas Kerrich (4 February 1748 – 10 May 1828) was an English people, English clergyman, principal Cambridge University librarian (''Protobibliothecarius''), antiquary, draughtsman and gifted amateur artist. He created one of the first ''catalo ...
(1748–1828) including a drawing of a window which used to be in the chancel, but which no longer exists. John Buckler (1770–1851) made several drawings of the church, including one of the figure in the vesica piscis, at the beginning of the nineteenth century. While the church dates from the 13th century, in 1528 there was a great fire in Retford which damaged the church. In 1535, we learn that: "Where sumtyme were iiii chauntries which now er in decaye by reason they er consumed wt. fyer." The tower and chancel collapsed in 1651 and were rebuilt in 1658. The current building is therefore largely the work of restorers. The pinnacles were added to the tower in 1810. G.G. Place undertook further restorations between 1852 and 1855. The Chantry Chapel was rebuilt by
George Frederick Bodley George Frederick Bodley (14 March 182721 October 1907) was an English Gothic Revival architect. He was a pupil of Sir George Gilbert Scott, and worked in partnership with Thomas Garner for much of his career. He was one of the founders of Wat ...
in 1873. There was a further restoration in 1905.


Organ

The first organ was erected in 1770 and came from the Theatre at Newark. It was presented by Robert Sutton, Esq. In 1787 an additional stop was introduced by Mr. Casterton, of Lincoln. In 1795 a new organ by Donaldson was purchased and the front of the old one taken to the church at West Retford. The Donaldson organ was replaced in 1841 by a larger one by Walker of London. This survived until 1886 when it was substantially enlarged by Brindley & Foster. There was then later work by
Henry Willis & Sons Henry Willis & Sons is a British firm of pipe organ builders founded in 1845. Although most of their installations have been in the UK, examples can be found in other countries. Five generations of the Willis family served as principals of th ...
and Cousans.


Organists

*W. Wilson 1770 – 1778 *B. Young 1778 – 1781 *I. Goodlad 1781 – 1791 *Dr. Edward Miller 1791 – 1797 *John Gildon 1797 – 1799 *T. Hand 1799 – 1807 *J. Birch 1807 – 1822 *J.E. Clarke 1822 – 1824 *H.T. Bugg from 1824 *George Dixon 1845 – 1858 (afterwards organist of St James' Church, Louth) *Thomas Daffin ca. 1862 *Robert Nottingham 1863 – 1872 *Hamilton White 1872 – 1879 (formerly organist of Holy Trinity Church, Whitehaven afterwards organist at
Worksop Priory Worksop Priory (formally the Priory Church of Our Lady and Saint Cuthbert, Worksop) is a Church of England parish church and former priory in the town of Worksop, Nottinghamshire, part of the Diocese of Southwell and Nottingham and under the e ...
) *Arthur George Dixon 1880 - 1881 *William Nicholson 1881 - 1882 *F.W. Wells 1882 - 1891 *Herbert Compigne Andrews 1891 – 1914 (afterwards organist of
St Nicholas Church, New Romney St Nicholas Church is an Anglican church in New Romney, Kent, England, and in the Diocese of Canterbury. It is a Grade I listed building. The earliest parts of the church date from the 12th century. Churches in the town In the medieval period the ...
) *Clifford Richmond 1914 – 1915 (formerly organist at St Mark's Church, Leeds) *Roger William Soresby 1915 – 1922 (formerly organist at St Leodegarius Church, Basford) *Harold Helman 1922 - 1929 (afterwards organist at All Saints’ Church, High Wycombe) *George S. Alen 1929 – 1938 *Frank J. Ellis 1938 – (formerly organist of St Anne's Church, Worksop) *Leslie Mason ca. 1955 *David Ashforth 1967 – 1984


Bells

There are ten bells all cast by John Taylor & Co, dated 1968. The tenor weighs 23 cwt and is in the note of Eb.


Parish

St Swithun's is in a joint parish with: * St. Nicholas' Church, Askham * All Saints' Church, Babworth * St Martin's Church, Bole * Our Lady and St Peter's Church, Bothamsall * St John the Baptist Church, Clarborough * All Saints' Church, Eaton * St Giles' Church, Elkesley *
St Peter's Church, Gamston St Peter's Church, Gamston is a Grade I listed parish church in the Church of England in Gamston, Bassetlaw. History The church dates from the 13th century. It was restored by Sir George Gilbert Scott in 1855. It is in a joint benefice with * ...
* St. Helen's Church, Grove * St Peter's Church, Hayton * St Martin's Church, North Leverton *
St Peter and St Paul's Church, North Wheatley --> , parish = North Wheatley , deanery = Bassetlaw and Bawtry , archdeaconry = Newark , episcopalarea = , archdiocese = , metropolis = , diocese = Dioc ...
* All Hallows' Church, Ordsall * St Martin's Church, Ranby * St Saviour's Church, Retford *
St Michael the Archangel's Church, Retford St Michael the Archangel's Church is a Grade II* listed parish church in the Church of England in Retford, Nottinghamshire, England. History The church dates from the 14th century. It was heavily restored in 1863. The chancel was lengthened in ...
*
All Saints' Church, South Leverton All Saints’ Church, South Leverton is a Grade II* listed parish church in the Church of England in South Leverton, Nottinghamshire. History The church dates from the 12th century. The chancel was restored by Ewan Christian in 1868; the remai ...
*
St Peter and St Paul's Church, Sturton-le-Steeple St Peter and St Paul's Church, Sturton-le-Steeple is a Grade II* listed parish church in the Church of England in Sturton le Steeple, near Retford in Nottinghamshire. It is currently in the Clays Group of churches. History The church dates fro ...
*
St Bartholomew's Church, Sutton-cum-Lound St Bartholomew's Church, Sutton cum Lound is a Grade I listed parish church in the Church of England in Sutton cum Lound. History The church dates from the 12th century. It is in a joint parish with twenty nearby churches. Organ The church ...
*
St Paul's Church, West Drayton St Paul's Church is a Grade II* listed parish church in the Church of England in West Drayton, Nottinghamshire. History The church dates from the 12th century. It is in a joint benefice with * St. Nicholas' Church, Askham * All Saints' Chur ...


See also

* Grade II* listed buildings in Nottinghamshire * Listed buildings in Retford


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:East Retford, Saint Swithun Church of England church buildings in Nottinghamshire Grade II* listed churches in Nottinghamshire Saint Swithun