Churches of St Peter & St Paul, Stokesley and St Martin, Seamer

Window back in Church after 40 years in storage

A stained glass window which had lain in storage for more than 40 years has been returned to the church where it once stood after a donation from a long-standing parishioner.

The Good Shepherd, an early Victorian era stained glass window, was removed from Stokesley Parish Church after the reorganisation of the church building in the 1970s.

The window had been covered up by the church organ after the refit and it was later decided to take it out, in case it was damaged, and keep it in a storage room in the church grounds.

The parishioner who made the donation, Eileen Henderson, 89, has been a member of the church choir for many years and can remember the window in its original position.

After the death of her husband last year, she decided she would like to see the window regain pride of place within the church.

"The window used to catch the last of the light as we sang for evensong," she said. "It was so beautiful that it had always stayed with me and, after 40 years, I thought it was about time we had it put back in again."

The church did not have any space in its outer walls for the window, so it was put in a decorative archway on an inner wall. The window, which stands almost 3m high, has been illuminated with lights from behind to mimic the sunlight which used to pass through it.

The churchwarden, John Groom, said: "The window had been stored carefully over the years, so it was in fairly good condition, although it did need a little work. It's a great addition to the church and it really finishes it off. It's wonderful."

The window was rededicated at a special service by a former minister of the church, and a good friend of Mrs Henderson's, Ron Woodley, who is now a canon at York Minster.

Reproduced by permission from an article in the
Darlington & Stockton Times by Vicki Henderson
August 7th 2009