In the Friends of St Mary’s January newsletter, attention is drawn to various measures being taken to protect and repair the building fabric of St Mary’s church. The installation of top tower safety rails is a health and safety measure generally acknowledged to be well-overdue, but is now in hand.
More controversial is the need to install CCTV cameras on the tower and on the south side of the church, now agreed in principle. This is in response to recent incidents of vandalism, including an attempted break-in. The damage by intruders caused to the window in the southwest of the church has prompted a further review of security, resulting in the reluctant decision by the PCC (parochial church council) to fix protective guards to the lower west windows. These have been planned and will be fitted later this year.
The Friends’ contribution to the costs of the work above will be up to £15,000 with the PCC providing the balance. New Friends are always welcome and any offer of help should be directed to Anthony Kimber, chairman, or Gill Harvey, membership secretary.
[Editor-in-chief’s note: First time readers of Rye News (of which we have many each month) , new residents of Rye and district, and potential visitors need to know that St Mary’s is the 12th century Norman parish church, modelled on a French abbey, which dominates the hill on which Rye is built, and which can be seen from miles around.
Similarly visitors, and thousands of all ages climb the tower each year, can see for miles around, both across the Marsh to the sea, and inland to the Weald, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. As a historic church in a conservation area, various permissions are required to carry out any repairs needed, and with such an old church repairs are often required.
Concerts are frequently staged in the church, including some for the Rye Arts and Jazz Festivals, and moving around pianos and stages has meant that floor tiles are one of the latest repairs which needs tackling]
Photo: Kenneth Bird
The Friends of St Mary’s Church work year round to help support the Church Authorities in the conservation of what most describe as a superb example of an English Parish church with Norman features but many others attributed to later periods. Improved safety for the top of the Tower is but one of our current projects as the piece suggests. In addition to conservation work we plan events and visits to other churches. If you would like to support our work, contribute or participate in events then do please contact us through these pages, our Facebook page or pick up a membership form in the Church.
Chair Friends of St Mary’s Church Rye
St Mary’s church is a wonderful essay in architectural styles – largely Gothic with original Early English, Decorated and Perpendicular parts as well as large Victorian gothic additions and changes, built around some significant Romanesque parts. The floor plan with a flat east end and no ambulatory or apse with radiating chapels is typically English in style and quite unlike Fecamp Abbey which owned Rye. Of course the flat east end was also typical of abbeys in England founded by the french Cistercian order, and a few English cathedrals such as Canterbury have a rounded east end!
In short, however, St Mary’s Church is unmistakably and brilliantly English in floor plan and styles of elevations.
The building is as English as le rosbif! And like roast dinners it shouldn’t just be enjoyed on Sundays!