“I fear that this proposed design is insipid and uninspiring and will contribute little that is positive to the church, its worship or its mission. If it were to be permitted, the court is concerned that this window will represent something of a lost opportunity and a wasted window space”

Re All Saints Hesketh with Becconsall

“It is surely right that each age adds something to the fabric of their place of worship. This is correct; but it is subject to the proviso that the addition must be a worthy addition to the fabric of the church“.

Re St Mary the Virgin North Aston

The installation (and removal) of stained glass from churches and cathedrals has been considered in the following Cathedral Fabric Commission’s determinations and consistory court judgments from 2016 to present.

CFCE determinations

Cathedral Church of The Holy and Undivided Trinity, Bristol CFCE Thursday 29 October 2020. Removal of some stained-glass elements from the north transept window. The removal of features which identify the north transept window as the memorial window of Edward Colston.

Cathedral Church of St Peter in Exeter: CFCE 9 September 2021. Phase 2 of a programme of works to conserve and protect stained glass. The installation of partial environmental protection to stained glass panels in the Lady Chapel and medieval fragments in Oldham’s Passage and a full scheme of environmental protective glazing to the Peckitt windows of the Pearson Cloister Building together with the restoration of associated leaded lights.

Cathedral Church of Christ, Canterbury: CFCE, Thursday 24 March 2022. To make permanent the swapping of two stained glass panels within the Miracle Window nIII after their temporary changeover for the British Museum exhibition in 2021. To make several other amendments to the glazing to allow for a harmonious reading of the window. .

Consistory court judgments

New glass

Re St. Michael Grimsargh [2016] ECC Bla 1 Faculty granted for  new single lancet stained glass window, replacing an existing plain glass window, in commemoration of the 300th anniversary of Grade II church and in memory of petitioners’ son.

Re St. John Out Rawcliffe [2017] ECC Bla 11 Faculty granted for installation of stained glass window in the Grade II church in memory of the late husband of church organist. Chancellor did not consider that he had to treat an application for memorial window in the same way as application for a memorial in church.

Re St. John the Evangelist Read-in-Whalley [2017] ECC Bla 1 Faculty granted for replacement of existing plain glass window with a stained glass design, a gift to the church from a living donor, the Rt. Hon. Lord Waddington GCVO, with an inscription stating that it was a gift to the church from him.

Re St. Andrew Ferring [2020] ECC Chi 5 A faculty was granted for the installation of a new font bowl and also a new stained glass window, which would replace a clear glass window near the font. There were two letters of objection in respect of the window.

Re All Saints Hesketh with Becconsall [2020] ECC Bla 1 Faculty granted for new stained glass window in an existing three-light window in the south wall of the unlisted 20th century church in memory of a former parishioner.

Re St. Mary the Virgin North Aston [2020] ECC Oxf 3 Faculty refused for replacement of clear glass window in the south chapel of the church with a new, stained glass window of contemporary design. Chancellor not satisfied that a convincing case had been made for the particular design in the particular location, such as to overcome the normal presumption against change. He was also concerned that the design of the window.

Re St. Andrew Ferring [2020] ECC Chi 5 A faculty was granted for the installation of a new font bowl and also a new stained glass window, which would replace a clear glass window near the font. There were two letters of objection in respect of the window.

Re St. Andrew Thursford [2022] ECC Nor 1 Chancellor granted faculty for removal of 25 pews at the rear of the church and installation of new stained-glass window in the Chad Chapel, notwithstanding concerns from amenity societies.

Re St. Helen Lea [2020] ECC Lin 3 A faculty was sought for the removal of the existing 19th century glass quarries in the west window of the church, in order to incorporate a new stained glass window in memory of members of the Marshall family. The Chancellor decided that the design of the window was appropriate in the context of the Marshall family’s work and support for the church, and he accordingly granted a faculty.

Repair of glass and fittings

Re St. Mary the Virgin West Butterwick [2019] ECC Lin 7 The proposal was to repair a 19th century stained glass window and install a window guard. CBC raised an issue about two figurative panels in the window, which might be pre-Victorian.  Chancellor was satisfied from the evidence that all the glass in the window was Victorian, and he granted a faculty.

Re All Saints Haslingfield [2021] ECC Ely 2 In March 2019 a stained glass window in the vestry had been removed under an emergency faculty. A confirmatory faculty was granted in July 2019. The petitioners now wished to have the window, a mixture of medieval and Victorian glass, repaired and reinstated. The Chancellor saw no merit in the objector’s arguments and granted a faculty.

Re St. James the Great Dauntsey [2021] ECC Bri 2 The Chancellor granted a confirmatory faculty for the work to the medieval stained glass window and also for similar work to be carried out on any other windows identified as being in need of repair.

Re St. Peter & St. Paul

Buckingham [2020] ECC Oxf 7 Faculty granted to authorize improvements to the Lady Chapel, in order to create more space and light: removing the large altar, riddle posts and canopy, which took up a quarter of the floor space, and replacing them with a smaller altar; reducing the panelling which was blocking light from the windows; and reinstating the original stained glass window.

L&RUK posts

Stained glass attitudes – a tale of two windows, (21 April 2020)

Last updated, 11 October 2022 at 06:39.