We were delighted to launch our Visitors Guide and host two events at St Peter’s on 10th July.
We had tours of the church and a talk with demonstration of how the roofing work was undertaken given by our conservation architect Bryan Martin and contractor Shaun Ward of Prestige Metal Roofing. The 60 visitors we had throughout the day, were very pleased with the Visitor’s Guide and tour and were especially impressed with Bryan and Shaun and how skilled Shaun is at hand working the lead.
Visitors for the Heritage Talks in July 2019Bryan Martin, Church architect and Shaun Ward of Prestige Metal Roofing Ltd
Festival of Archaeology – Leicestershire & Rutland
We have a new guide book! Something that St Peter’s has needed for a very long time! The guides were funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund as part of our project, ‘Saving and Celebrating our Heritage’ and give fantastic detail on all aspects of St Peter’s Church, tracing the course of its 800 year history, looking at its architecture and churchyard.
St Peter’s Guide book – front cover
Use it as you walk around to discover important features, events and people involved with this lovely building over all these years. The influence of Rev. William Hanbury and his legacy which lives on to this day – and of course, the first performance of Handel’s oratorio, ‘Messiah’ in a parish church in England, as part of a Festival of Music held regularly at that time. Laurence Saunders our priest and martyr, who died at Coventry along with Polydor Virgil, priest to St Peter’s, Chancellor to Henry VII and author of a History of England
St Peter’s Guide book – front cover
Pages about Rev Hanbury
Pages featuring diagrams and carvings
Pages on churchyard curiosities
Here are a few pages inside the Guide…
The Project Team is particularly grateful to the ‘Interpreting the Church’ Activity Group – Rosalind Willats (former Conservation officer for Harborough District Council), Anne Abbott (East Langton), Will Poulton (West Langton) and Maxine Johnson (Church Langton) – for producing the Visitor’s Guide to St. Peter’s. We are especially grateful to Rosalind Willatts for writing the text and Anne and Will for proof reading.
On Sunday 30th June, a wonderful Service was held to celebrate the completion of work to the roof to replace the lead stolen by thieves in 2017; this being replaced with terne-coated stainless steel.
The work was made possible by a substantial grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and support from other grant bodies, fund raising and generous donations by friends, both local and further afield.
St Peter’s Festival Dedication Service Poster – June 2019
This Service also saw the launch of our Heritage Community Project, called ‘Saving and Celebrating our Heritage’ as part of the HLF stipulation for obtaining their grant.
The Service was conducted by the Revd. Martin Hathaway who has been a longstanding member of our visiting clergy team and a great friend to all of us at St Peter’s.
The Order of Service
Villagers and invited guests were treated to a memorable time and to quote one attendee “Yesterday combined, I felt, the dignity of worship with the informality of a celebrating Church, glad to be there”.
This was followed by refreshments and socialising. The service was a wonderful way to mark the end of a long period of work following the lead thefts but celebrate the future knowing that we can resume work in a dry church, welcoming visitors and friends alike.
St Peter's Church, Church Langton 