Contacts
Priest in charge: Rev. Richard Deimel: Vicar of Escomb, Witton Park, Etherley, Hamsterley and Witton-le-Wear. (Usual rest day: Friday)
Vicarage,
2 High Escomb,
Bishop Auckland,
DL14 7ST.
Tel: 01388 602861, 07814 232248
escombvic@virginmedia.com
Associate Ministers: Rev Margaret Deimel; Canon Trevor Pitt, tel: 01388 488898.
Reader: Derek Jago, tel: 458358.
Churchwardens: Mr P E Bloor, The Croft, tel: 01388 488257; Mrs M Swan, Bedburn Old Hall, tel: 01388 488249.
Organist: Mr I Bonas, Bedburn Hal, tel: 01388 488231.
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Revised Service Times
Please note that starting on Sunday 4th December we shall revert to the old service starting time of 10.30 a.m. for morning services at St James’ and at the Methodist and Baptist Chapels.
Hamsterley Church & Chapel United Village Services -
January 2012
| January 1st | 1st Sunday of Christmas | |
| St James’ Church | 4.00 pm | New Year Carols |
| January 8rd | 1st Sunday of Epiphany | Baptism of the Lord |
| St James’ Church | 10.30am | Holy Communion (C.W |
| Group Service St Philip & St James Witton le Wear | 3.30 pm | Celebration of Ministry Licensing of Canon Trevor Pitt and Derek Jago by Bishop of Jarrow |
| Tuesday January 10th |
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| Methodist Chapel | 10.00am | Holy Communion |
| January 15th | 2nd Sunday of Epiphany | |
| St James’ Church | 8.00am | Holy Communion (BCP) |
| Methodist Chapel | 10.30am | Morning Service |
| January 22nd | 3rd Sunday of Epiphany | |
| St James’ Church | 10.30am | Holy Communion (C.W.) |
| January 29th | 4th Sunday of Epiphany | |
| Baptist Chapel | 10.30am | LEP Service |
| St James’ Church | 4.00 pm | Candlemas Service |
Hamsterley Church & Chapel United Village Services -
February 2012
MESSY CHURCHwill be held in the Village Hall during half term on 15th or 16th February. Please contact Jean Fenwick on 488219 for details. |
| February 5th | 3rd Sunday before Lent | |
| Methodist Chapel | 10.30 am | Holy Communion Rev. Keith Phipps |
| February 12th | 2nd Sunday before Lent | |
| St James’ Church | 10.30 am | Holy Communion (CW) |
| Tuesday February 14th | ||
| Methodist Chapel | 10.00 am | Holy Communion |
| February 19th | 1st Sunday before Lent | |
| St James’ Church | 8.00 am | Holy Communion (BCP) |
| Methodist Chapel | 10.30 am | Morning Service Mr David McAloon |
| Wenesday February 22nd | Ash Wednesday | |
| St Cuthbert’s Etherley | 7.00 pm | Holy Communion (CW) |
| February 26th | 1st Sunday of Lent | |
| St James’ Church | 10.30 am | Holy Communion (CW) |
Hamsterley Church & Chapel United Village Services -
March 2012
THE ANNUAL PAROCHIAL CHURCH MEETINGWill be held in the Churches Together Centre at 7.30 pm onThursday 29th March 2012 This meeting is the occasion on which Churchwardens and Parochial Church Council Members and Officers are elected and reports presented. NEW PCC MEMBERS ARE NEEDED. WILL YOU VOLUNTEER? All parishioners are welcome – Please come. |
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Escomb Vicarage News – Escomb Group of Parishes
(Escomb, Etherley, Hamsterley LEP, Witton-le-Wear, Witton Park)
January Events
Monday 2 Jan 4 pm Celtic Springs: New Year meal @ Vicarage Garth
Tuesday 3 Jan 10 am Holy Communion: St Cuthbert’s Etherley
Tuesday 3 January 3.15 pm Messy Church @ Etherley Methodists
Monday 9 Jan 7.30 pm Vicarage: Steering Group
Wednesday 11 Jan 7.30 pm Celtic Springs: Guided Meditation @ Escomb Church
Saturday 21 January 7 for 7.30pm Escomb Village Hall
Christmas dinner for the 5 Parishes. Price to be advised, but less than last year.
Contact David Appleton on 609777 for menu and to book.
Wednesday 25 January 2 pm St Cuthberts at The Fields Songs of Praise
Monday 30 Jan 7.30 pm Vicarage gathering: Genesis 6-9 – Noah + the Covenant
BISHOP MARK OF JARROW’S VISIT
Events for everyone with Bishop Mark:
SATURDAY 7 JANUARY
7.00 pm Chat with Bishop Mark around the woodburner at the Vicarage:
All welcome and please bring questions about faith and life, rather than just about the Church.
9.00 pm Celtic Night Prayer at Escomb Saxon Church
SUNDAY 8 JANUARY
3.30 pm Group service: Celebration of Ministry of all with Licensing of Canon Trevor Pitt and Derek Jago – venue tbc
PCC and Growth and Ministry Group members please check your time with Bishop Mark below:
FRIDAY 6 JANUARY
St Cuthberts Etherley:
5.45 pm Open meeting of St Cuthbert’s Etherley PCC with Bishop Mark
St Paul’s Witton Park
7.00 pm Holy Communion for Epiphany (open to all): Coffee
8.00 pm Open meeting of St Paul’s Witton Park PCC with Bishop Mark
SATURDAY 7 JANUARY
Hamsterley Churches Together Centre
9.30 am Open meeting of St James Hamsterley PCC + ecumenical partners with Bishop Mark
11.00 am Holy Communion (open to all): Coffee
Witton-le-Wear village – venue tbc
12 noon Open meeting of Sts Philip and James Witton-le-Wear PCC with Bishop Mark
Afternoon at Escomb Vicarage:
2.45 pm Open meeting of Escomb PCC with Bishop Mark
4.00 pm Tea
4.30 pm Open meeting of Growth and Ministry Group with Bishop Mark
FUTURE EVENTS
Saturday 20 March St Cuthberts Day
Escomb Church has joined the Small Pilgrim Places network. Another local SPP St Michael’s Witton Gilbert have invited us to join them that morning on a pilgrimage walk to Durham Cathedral for Midday Eucharist and Undercroft lunch. Please let Richard know by 8 Jan if you would like to come with us.
GROUP PILGRIMAGE TO HOLY ISLAND: Saturday 5 May 2012
I have booked St Cuthberts Centre for a day pilgrimage to Holy Island for our group of churches. Probably easiest to go in our own cars and give lifts. More info later.
Richard + Margaret Deimel escombvic@virginmedia.com 01388 602861.
Janice Turnbull, Children and Families Worker: 07798 665024.
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History of the Church
(Most of this information is taken from the St.James’ Church fact sheet, available at the back of the church. This was produced by a sub committee of the Parochial Church Council chaired by Mavis Brown-Humes. Illustrations by Rosanna Tooley. Some of the text is taken from an article loaned by Mavis Brown-Humes. Our thanks to Ted Bloor for permission to use this material.)
There are more photographs on the St. James’ Gallery page and there is a comprehensive description, available in the church, of the various stone grave covers that are now affixed to the walls.
The Church was founded around 1180 as a Chapel of Ease for St. Andrew’s Auckland. It is half a mile east of the village. The reason for this has always been a mystery.
The church is stone built and was originally rectangular in shape. The south transept was added later probably as a chantry chapel, and the north transept later still, giving the building its present cruciform plan.
(1) The font is thought to be contemporary with the old church, circa 1180. The carved wooden cover was added in 1975.
(2) The west window was opened up in the 17th century.
(3) The nave has four monuments on the north wall dating from circa 1769 to 1940. The roof was restored in 1960-1.
(4) The North Transept. In the north wall is a 13th century window. There is a wooden hatchment of the Surtees family in the east wall.The image is of a stone carving in the west wall of the north transept.
The organ was installed in 1985. It was built by Nelson of Durham circa 1810 and rebuilt and extended by H.A. Prested of Durham.
The restored 18th century box pew can be seen in front of the vestry screen and was erected in 1992.
(5) The pulpit was a gift of Mr. Henry Chaytor of Witton Castle and installed in 1885. The tiles in the panels illustrate stories from Pilgrim’ Progress.
(6)The chancel is 13th century (this is the part of the east end of the church where the altar is placed).On the north wall is a grey limestone slab containing the matrix of a brass cross with trefoiled ends dating from the 14th century. At the base of the shaft there has been an animal of some sort, possibly a lion couchant.
On the south wall there is a large sandstone slab dated at about 1250 because of the round-leaf trefoils flanking the shaft of the cross. These designs have been interpreted as emblems of the Passion. Although it has been implied that the spear and dice box at the foot of the cross “cast aspersions on the character of the priest interred beneath”.
The chancel roof is supported by four corbels: the two on the south have carvings of the arms of the See of Durham and of the Surtees family, whereas the two on the north side have carvings of the arms of the Blenkinsopp and Rawlings families and of a griffin of unknown origin. The family tomb of the Blenkinsopps of Hoppyland Hall lies between the choir stalls.
The church ‘suffered greatly from the restoration’ in 1883-4 when the chancel roof was made out of cement, supported by iron railway sleepers and drainpipes. This roof became cracked in the summer heat and had to be removed in 1908 when a new roof was provided. The roof was restored in 1960-1. Inside, the oak barrelled roof was built in 1908.
The beautiful stained glass in three lights of the east window was designed and made by L.C. Evetts of Woolsington Bridge, Newcastle upon Tyne, and installed in 1949 in memory of a former parishioner. It depicts Christ’s Passion with various events leading up to Easter Day. “W.W.” is a monogram of the Greek letters alpha and omega.
The sockets for the rood screen can still be seen below the chancel arch.
(7) The South Transept. The south transept was possibly added to the nave to serve as a chantry chapel. In the east wall is a blocked up, square-headed priest’s doorway.The lintels inside and out are grave covers. A part of a walled up window is to be seen between the south wall of the nave and the west wall of the transept.
In the east wall is a square cupboard or recess (aumbrey) to hold the sacred vessels. In there is a round headed piscina for washing the Communion vessels set close to where an altar must have stood when this was a chantry chapel.
(8) The Porch. The south doorway is Norman in style but has been reconstructed. The door is ancient, possibly 17th century.Within the porch, the seats are formed of old grave covers. Over the porch there is a sundial inscribed – ‘Man fleeth as it were a shadow. 1803’, a timely reminder that “man hath a short time to live”.
(9) Outside the church. Leaving the porch and turning left, there is, beneath the west wall of the south transept, two monumental stones protruding; one is mutilated. It is an effigy of a lady (possibly a member of the Eure family) with her head on a cushion and her hands folded in prayer; the other stone has a floriated cross of beautiful design. The monuments, regarded as the most remarkable features of the Church, are possibly 13th or 14th century and are thought to have been inserted after the church was built, hereby fulfilling the wish of the founder of the chantry chapel that they should “lie within the wall’.
(10) Continuing eastwards, there is a panoramic view down the valley of the River Wear to Witton-le-Wear, Bishop Auckland and Westerton Hill.
(11) The north transept is lit by a window of fine workmanship, with hood mouldings outside, terminating in mask heads. The window is circa 1300, with three stepped and cusped lancets under one pointed arch. There is “a very pretty battlemented twin bellcott” of the 17th century at the western end of the church.
(12) Gravestones. The oldest surviving gravestones in the graveyard are southwest of the porch; four are older than AD1725. One is to Anthony Hogshon of High Wham, who died in 1716, and another is to Margaret Hodgshon, also of High Wham, who died in 1721.In the northeast corner of the churchyard rested the bodies of twenty-seven German POWs who died from influenza in 1918.Grave covers brought to light in 1883-4 were, at this time, placed in the walls, some of them ornamented to show the various occupations of the dead: swords, hammers, blacksmiths’ tongs, coulter (?) and share of a plough, etc. Some grave covers are used to provide seats in the porch. The door, which is studded with iron, is very ancient.
Of the two bells hanging in the church, one appears to have been stolen in the century, probably on account of the large amount of silver that is known was used in its casting. The bell was replaced. A silver chalice of ancient date has also disappeared.
The Church registers date from the 1580s. The first recorded priest was The Rev. Robert Melmorbie, since when there have been thirty curates and incumbents.
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