Worksop Priory

Parish church
name = Worksop Priory


caption = Worksop Priory
dedication = St. Mary and St. Cuthbert
denomination = Church of England
tradition = Anglo Catholic
parish =
deanery =
archdeaconry =
diocese = Southwell and Nottingham
province = York
canon =
priest =
vicar = Fr Nicolas Spicer
vicar1 =
rector =
curate = Fr Phillip Corbett
curate1 =
minister =
assistant =
honpriest =
organistdom = Michael Overbury
organist =
organis1 =
website = [http://www.worksoppriory.co.uk/ www.worksoppriory.co.uk]
coordinates =

Worksop Priory (formally The Priory Church of Saint Mary and Saint Cuthbert, Worksop) is a Church of England parish church and former priory in the town of Worksop, Nottinghamshire, part of the Diocese of Southwell and Nottingham.

The church is Grade I listed by the Department for Culture, Media & Sport as a building of outstanding architectural or historic interest.

History

The initial land grant and monies to establish the Augustinian priory were made by William de Lovetot in 1103. In the 14th century the Tickhill Psalter was produced by then prior, John de Tickhill.

The priory was dissolved on the orders of Henry VIII on November 15 1539. The property was granted to Francis Talbot, 5th Earl of Shrewsbury on condition that the Earl should provide a glove for the right hand of the Soveriegn at the coronation. This tradition continues to this day.

Over time most of the former monastic buildings were plundered for their stone, however the nave of the church was saved for use as a parish church, and the early 14th century gatehouse was later used as a school. Extensive restoration and enlargements of the church began in the mid 19th century and continued through the 20th century.

Repairs and restorations

*1760 A western gallery was erected across the nave.
*1784 A gallery was erected along the north side.
*1845-9 A restoration by R. Nicholson of Lincoln. The church was re-roofed, new foundations were provided to the south tower and the pillars and south aisle were pulled back to vertical.
*1879 New organ by Brindley of Sheffield.
*1883 Repairs to the south tower. Two bells added increasing the ring from six to eight.
*1912 Gatehouse restored.
*1922 Lady chapel restored by Thomas Pepper and re-dedicated.
*1929 Opening up of the south transept.
*1932 Building of the north transept and turret to the central tower.
*1935 Blocking walls at the end of the nave were removed, creating a single space between the nave and transepts.
*1974 Choir built by Laurence King.

Priors of Worksop

*William 1180
*Stephen 1196
*Henry 1200
*Walter de Leirton 1233
*Robert de Pikeborn 1253
*John 1260
*Alan de London 1279
*John de Tikehill 1303
*Robert de Carlton 1313
*Johannes 1396
*Roger de Upton
*John de Laughton 1404
*Carolus de Flemyng 1457
*William Acworth 1463
*Robert Warde 1485
*Robert or Thomas Gateford 1518
*Nicholas Storth 1522
*Thomas Stokes 1535

Vicars of Worksop

*Alanus de London 1276
*Canon Adam de Roderham 1300
*Robert de Beverlac 1324
*William de Hanay 1328
*Richard de Trent 1358
*Thomas Barneby 1405
*Walter Burne
*John Howe 1450
*John Emlay 1452
*Walter Burne
*Thomas Ingill 1472
*Prebendary Thomas Scott 1486
*Canon John Johnson 1519
*Thomas Howard 1535
*John Thornley 1544
*John Goodriche 1577
*Canon Oliver Bray 1613
*William Carte MA 1615
*Samuel Smyth BA 1628
*Walter Barnard 1662
*Samuel Buckingham MA 1673
*Thomas Calton 1685
*John Cook 1718
*John Ward 1758
*The Hon. Philip Howard 1778
*Thomas Carter 1783
*Thomas Stayce MA 1792
*James Appleton MA 1847
*Edward Hawley MA 1870
*Thomas Slodden MA 1882
*Canon George Jas. A. d'Arcy 1909
*Jas. George Morton Howard MA 1941
*Canon Ralph H Foster 1955
*Peter H. Bouleton 1967

The Organ of Worksop Priory

The organ case was designed by the builders, Peter Collins, in close co-operation with the architects, Laurence King and Partners, and though painted is constructed in mahogany in its main parts with pine-cored block wood for its panels. The case has a tonal function as well as an architectural one, mixing the sound of the various pipes, then projecting it forwards as a blended whole. The specification was drawn up by David Butterworth and is almost identical to that of St. Mary's Church, Nottingham.
The pipes, of which there are 1634, are of various materials ranging in tin content from 90% in the façade pipes to 20% for some of the flute stops. Copper and pine are also used for certain other registers. With the exception of 24 small pipes in the pedal case, all the front pipes are speaking. The reed pipes are by Giesecke of Germany; the flues by Stinkins of Holland and Peter Collins; the Cymbelstern is from Laukhuff, also of Germany.

The console, situated at the foot of the central display pipes is constructed of oak; the naturals are of hard ‘blackwood' and the accidentals are white resin topped. The manual compass is of 56 notes; the pedal compass of 30 notes.

The style of voicing and the general approach to the construction has its origins in the 17th and 18th centuries, rather than the more familiar instrument to be found in England. The balance of stops is in keeping with classical registration and the ‘Werk-Prinzip' of the case is designed to project the sound into the Priory building.

For the mechanism of the key and pedal action, direct connection by trackers of thin wood are used to the control valves, giving the performer control over the attack and decay of each note. The stop action is electric. There are six pistons to each department and six toe levers for the pedal department. There are also eight general pistons.

The organ was reconstructed in 1996 by Wood of Huddersfield. It was cleaned and regulated and the soundboards were also reconstructed. The keys were renewed; Swell Octave 2ft replaced with new pipework by Stinkens; Cymbelstern added; entire stop action (slider solenoids excepted) was remade
with Alan Taylor solid state; sequencer added.

*The Great Organ

*Principal 8
*Rohr Flute 8
*Octave 4
*Spitz Flute 4
*Quint 2 2/3
*Wide Octave 2
*Tierce 1 3/5
*Mixture III-V
*Trumpet 8
*Tremulant
*Cymbelstern

*Swell Organ

*Wood Gedact 8
*Spitz Gamba 8
*Principal 4
*Koppel Flute 4
*Octave 2
*Spitz Quint 1 1/3
*Scharf III – V
*Dulzian 16
*Schalmey 8
*Tremulant

*Pedal Organ

*Subbass 16
*Octave 8
*Subbass 8
*Wide Octave 4
*Mixture III
*Sordun 32
*Fagot 16
*Trumpet 8

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Pictures

* [http://www.nottshistory.org.uk/images/worksop/worksop_priory_towers2.jpgPriory church]
* [http://www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/heritage-worksop-priory.jpgPriory gatehouse]
* [http://www.nottshistory.org.uk/images/worksop/tts1901/prior-interior.jpgOld Church interior]

ee also

*Abbeys and priories in England

References

*" [http://worksoppriory.co.uk/worksop%20priory%20history.htm A brief history of Worksop Priory] ". Worksop Priory website (accessed 24 December 2005).
*White, Robert (1875) "Worksop, The Dukery, and Sherwood Forest". Transcription at Nicholson,
http://www.nottshistory.org.uk/white1875/introduction.htm Nottinghamshire History] (Accessed 24 December 2005).
* [http://worksoppriory.co.uk/worksop%20priory%20music.html Priory Music]

External links

* [http://worksoppriory.co.uk/ Official Website]
* [http://www.proweb.co.uk/~sdbf/ The Diocese of Southwell and Nottingham]
* [http://npor.emma.cam.ac.uk/cgi-bin/Rsearch.cgi?Fn=Rsearch&rec_index=N08873 The pipe organ]
* [http://www.nottshistory.org.uk/white1875/priory_part1.htm The Priory: its foundation and Dissolution]