Northern Lights - Advance Notice 30th June to 6th July 2013 (Robin Millerchip)

This tour is organised for the CMS by Robin Millerchip. Join a six night break in the heart of the North, staying at the Park Head Hotel near Bishop Auckland and making journeys to see various churches, cathedrals, houses, gardens, historic sites, set in some of Europe’s finest scenery and on stunning coastline.   Yes, it is a long way from ‘Down South’, so why not take the train to Durham where you will be met and transported both to and from the hotel?  The view of Durham Cathedral and Castle from the railway is worth the journey on its own – according to Bill Bryson.   Your hotel is a family owned and run establishment with a high reputation for quality accommodation and food overlooking the Deer Park of Auckland Palace.  All main meals will be taken at the hotel with lunch at a different venue each day appropriate to that day’s tour.  Your transport for the week will be provided by a well respected tour company, David Urqhart.   As this event is under the banner of the CMS, some very fine monuments will be seen and talked about, along with their settings.  But it is not going to be a boring tour solely for church anoraks – that does not make for a memorable week’s hard earned break!   The location is ideal for exploring not only the Dales and the coast but also the Lake District, the Cheviots and the Borders, so a diverse range of historic sites from the Roman Empire to the Industrial Empire of Britain will pop up in no particular order.  There will be guided tours of Durham Cathedral/Castle, and it is hoped we will also tour Auckland Palace and Rose Castle.  Major churches will include Hexham Abbey and Staindrop along with St Nicholas, Newcastle, together with less known but just as interesting buildings.  These will be balanced with the Bowes Railway, Locomotion, Hadrian’s Wall, Farne/Holy Island, as well as other houses and gardens of interest.   Whilst the stage is still being set, you may submit requests as to any place that you would especially like to see.  If you are interested, contact Robin for more information – OR you can reserve immediately at a cost of £400 per person (deposit £40 per person).  A booking form will accompany the next issue.   Contact details: Robin Millerchip, 10 Newton Villas, Coxhoe, Durham DH6 4JF; tel. 0191 377 9855; email robin.millerchip@talktalk.net

Northern (High)Lights Possible Tour Extras

A number of items will be included that may make for evening entertainment and at random may include any or all of the following: Lindisfarne Gospels This rare early manuscript, now a part of our National Heritage, comes “home” to Durham in 2013 and will be on public view from Monday 1st July. A visit will be arranged along with a possible visit/talk on the University Archives. Grey Cell Session An evening’s entertainment in a pub quiz with some of Durham’s finest – but don’t ask what. Finale Evening will feature Northumbrian pipes, sea shanties and tales of slaying giant worms. The Palace The hotel looks onto the perimeter of Auckland Castle, home of the Bishop of Durham, although the current occupant is off to Lambeth, but this is a wonderful venue for an evening visit (with or without paintings). The Mason’s Arms no, not a pub trip but a session learning about the various fine building stones to be found in the region and the use of them in churches and cathedrals. A Reminder About Travel  The Park Head Hotel is readily accessible by road from the A1 (M) at either junction 60 towards Bishop Auckland or junction 61 via Spennymoor. National Express Coaches serve Durham Bus Station. Please ensure you give at least a weeks’ notice, and transport will be arranged to get you to and from your coach service. Air services to Newcastle are a fast and (booked in advance) a competitive method of long distance travel – under an hour from London. If you come by air, please give 10 days’ notice to coordinate transport to/from hotel. Rail is the best way to travel, for this is Stephenson Country! The usual way would be to use Durham Station where a shuttle service to the hotel will operate, but if a train buff you could go to Bishop Auckland via Darlington where again connections will be provided, please give a weeks’ notice of train times.     Likely Weekday Itineraries TOP LEFT Using a route that would have been very well known to the Romans and now known as the A68 we will head towards Carlisle. This will take us across the Dales via Consett and down into the Tyne Valley at Corbridge. A stop at Brampton to admire the stained glass with the main attraction being Carlisle Cathedral. This splendid medieval building has a number of interesting monuments, furnishings and other features which may surprise some. Carlisle also has a Georgian Parish Church, a splendid castle, and an acclaimed museum housing many fine Roman funery altars.   TOP RIGHT This year is the 500th anniversary of the Battle of Flodden, so a view of the site may be possible along with a visit to the parish church and monastery ruins on Holy Island. (Anorak Warning: Ford and Etal narrow gauge railway is close by) Alnwick Castle may be for wimps like Harry Potter larking about on broomsticks, but Warkworth was built for serious military business and its church for the owners thereof. Alnwick does have an amazing second hand bookshop which may be of interest to some.   CENTRE Or the Lower Tyne Valley. Starting at Hexham with its Saxon crypt, then Corbridge with its Saxon tower and medieval Pele, then Bywell where there are two for one, Ovingham and Heddon. We also have the industrial mecca of Wylam and the quirky castle at Prudhoe. If anyone has energy left then Whickham, Gibside and Tanfield beckon (another Anorak Warning for Tanfield)   BOTTOM CENTRE The Tees Valley is surprisingly interesting with Saxon churches at Billingham and Norton and a rare 17th century church at Stockton. Darlington has one of the best spires in the region although the Meeting House was more important – another Anorak Warning for North Road Railway Museum. Haughton le Skerne, Gainford and Staindrop are also impressive and more Roman ruins at Piecebridge.   CENTRE RIGHT St Nicholas Cathedral Newcastle has probably the most numerous collections of medieval (and later) monuments in the North East of England. The city also has the remains of a splendid Norman Castle and possibly the best street facades in England. We will have a conducted tour of the city and waterside area as well as taking in a few city churches. Overall these very brief sentences give very little hint as to the distances covered or the variety of scenery and cultural and social history encompassed in each journey. Please be aware that as none of these are written in blood, change is possible, especially if an event or attraction becomes available that might be considered “must see”, then a shuffle of itinerary will occur. If there is somewhere in the region you have always wanted to visit, do let me know and the long suffering coach driver and I will try to work out if it is practical – but please remember a coach is restricted  by its size and speed on country roads. To help reduce wasting time, a packed lunch will be provided each day but there will always be ample of refreshment and comfort stops – there is a certain reputation for a sound knowledge of country pubs….   Tour Notes will be provided that will give a summary of what is expected to be seen each day. So you don’t need to carry lots of reference books with you (unless you want to).     Robin Millerchip 10 Newton Villas Coxhoe DURHAM DH6 4JF   0191 377 9855 robin.millerchip@talktalk.net Or robin.millerchip@durham.ac.uk

Northamptonshire/Huntingsonshire Excursion August 3rd 2013

Leave Huntingdon station at 10.00am (8.36 from King’s X) Return to Huntingdon station c.5.20-6.00pm (17.34/18.00 to King’s X) NB. Train times may alter when the new timetable comes into effect.   This tour takes in five churches, with monuments from the 14th to the 20th centuries. Starting and finishing at Huntingdon station, we visit the other Conington, with its 17th- and 18th-century Cotton monuments, some from the Marshall workshop, 19th-century monuments to the Heathcotes (including a bad brass) and the exquisite effigy of c.1330 of a knight in Franciscan habit.  Then to Barnwell, where we will lunch at the Montague Arms (this pub caters for dogs and has a charming cat: if this is problematic you might wish to bring sandwiches) and visit its two churches.  St Andrew contains 17th-century memorials and two of the later 20th-century (a period not rich in intramural monuments), but the real treasures are in All Saints’, where the chancel (all that remains of the church) has several 17th- and 18th-century monuments to the Montagus and their connections, including a painted one by Mrs Creed.  Then to Titchmarsh, where we find more painted monuments by the remarkable Mrs Creed (a cousin of both Dryden and Pepys), as well as some other nice 18th- and early 19th-century memorials from local workshops.  We finish at Lowick, which has major monuments from the 15th through the 19th centuries, all interesting, by artists from Thomas Prentys and Robert Sutton of Chellaston  to Westmacott Jr.   Because of the restricted size of Barnwell All Saints’, and the awkward access to some of the more interesting aspects of the monuments at Lowick, this trip is limited to a maximum of 30 persons.  The cost, not including lunch, will be £25.00 to CMS and MBS members (£30.00 to non-members).  The organiser, Dr Jean Wilson, will send a lunch menu on receipt of the booking form so that food may be ordered in advance to be paid for on the day. Click here for the booking form.   Please note: these churches are not all easy of access.  There are walks of several hundred yards to Conington and (probably) Barnwell All Saints’.  The access to Lowick is through a rough churchyard.  There are no loos except at lunch.

Excursion to Gloucestershire  October 12th 2013

We plan to visit the churches at Sapperton (inc. Purbeck marble coffin lid, fine monuments of 1574, 1630 and 1711, various wall tablets and good churchyard monuments; Cirencester (17 figure brasses c1400-1626, carved monuments incl. of 13th century, 1517, 1620, 1638, 1662, 1680, 1774 and 1794, also interesting wall paintings); Fairford (3 figure brasses 1500-1534, tombchest 1585, range of wall tablets, also good woodwork including misericords and exceptional stained glass of 1500-1517);  Coberley (carved monuments of 1294, 1340 and 1365 and various wall tablets) and Down Ampney (carved monuments of 1315, 1320, 1754, unusual coffin lid, indent of early inscription brass).  The coach will pick up members at Gloucester railway station at 10.15am (meeting the 8.15am from London Paddington arriving at 10.06am) and finishing at 6.00pm (in time for the 6.13pm train getting to Paddington at 8.14pm) - timings subject to minor change when new timetable is published. The cost for the day excluding lunch (to be taken at Cirencester which has many pubs, cafes etc) will be £35 (non-members £40).  Enquiries should be directed to: Dr Ellie Pridgeon MA PhD 41 Williams Court Hungerford Berkshire RG17 0DR or email eep5@leicester.ac.uk).’   For a printed booking form click here.

NOTICE FOR THE 2013 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

2.00pm on Saturday 7th September 2013 The Seminar Room at the National Maritime Museum

Notice is hereby given that the 2013 Annual General Meeting of the Church Monuments Society will be held at 2.00pm on Saturday 7th September 2013 in the Seminar Room at the National Maritime Museum. There will be tea at 3.30pm, followed by a guided walk round the Museum and grounds including the memorials to the engineers of Titanic at NMM and the officers of Erebus and Terror in the Naval College Chapel. This is an opportunity for all members to have a say in how Council are running the Society, so do come along.   A copy of the minutes of the 2012 AGM is available of the Society’s website. A hard copy may be requested from Dr John Bromilow, Hon. Publicity Officer.   Address on Contacts page. AGENDA  1.Apologies for absence  2.Approval of the minutes of the 2012 AGM  3.Matters arising  4.Presidential report.  5.Hon. Treasurer’s report.  6.Appointment of independent examiners for 2014  7. Hon. Memberships Secretary’s report  8. Hon. Publicity Officer’s report  9. Hon. Events Co-ordinator’s report 10.Report on the Society’s other events (study days) 11.Report on the Society’s publications 12.Report of the Conservation Cases Recorder 13.Election of new President. 14.Election of Officers and ordinary members. 15.Date and venue for the 2014 Annual General Meeting   Item 13: Election of new President Nominations are sought for the position of President.  Council will put forward a candidate. Other nominations should be made in writing, proposed and seconded by two members of the Society, and should confirm willingness of the nominee to stand for election. Nominations for the above post should reach Miss Barbara Tomlinson, Hon Secretary, no later than Monday 5th August 2013.   Item 14: Election of Officers and Ordinary Member for the Council Nominations are sought for the positions of two Ordinary Members of Council, elected for a three year term.   Nominations should be made in writing, proposed and seconded by two members of the Society, and should confirm willingness of the nominee to stand for election. Nominations for the above post should reach Miss Barbara Tomlinson, Hon Secretary, no later than Monday 5th August 2013.

Future Events

In 2013 there will also be: An Excursion in Yorkshire date TBA

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Canterbury Symposium 2014

Monuments of Power

The symposium is to be held jointly with the Centre for Medieval and Early Modern Studies at Cater bury.  The University has modern facilities and although slightly out of the City this latter should not detract from the venue.  The initial plan is for a visit to the Cathedral and masons' yard during Friday afternoon and with access to the cathedral once the doors are closed to the public with a meal in one of the local hotels in the early evening.  Saturday morning will be taken by lectures and another visit to the Cathedral during the afternoon and returning for a dinner at night.  Sunday will be lectures.  Transport to and from the Cathedral will be provided by coach travel.  Holding the symposium at this venue with the Centre for Medieval and Early Modern Studies will allow us to get discount rates.  .
The cost for the full symposium - without the discount rate - will be in the region of £250