St Andrew's Church reordered at last
23/04/2009
St Andrew's Church, Haughton le Skerne has also been undergoing some reordering. The new dias and furniture were dedicated at a special service in January, followed by a champagne reception.
With such an ancient and historic building, dating back to the 12th century, it is not surprising that the reordering process was a lengthy one - all of 6 years. A wide variety of groups and organisations had to be consulted including the Council for the Care of Churches, English Heritage, Society for the Preservation of Ancient Buildings, Diocesan Advisory Committee and even the Victorian Society. But the end result seems to have been a huge success.
The aim was to make the chancel accessible for wheelchair users as well as creating a flexible space for music, drama and interative worship groups. To this end a ramp has been created to a low dias in the nave. This has also brought the nave altar more into the heart of the church as well as increasing visibilty for the congregation. And new furniture made from English oak (see photograph above) has added to the attractiveness of this new space.
The Revd Dr David Bryan, Rector of St Andrew's descibes how moving he found it being able to watch the children's nativity play preformed on the new dais. The appearance and layout of the church have been changed for ever but, already people are saying that they can hardly remember how it used to be. A sure sign of success.
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