Recent projects aided or provided by the Friends of Leatherhead Parish Church

Significant projects aided or provided by
the Friends of Leatherhead Parish Church

courtesy Leatherhead Advertiser

The Parish Church Clock

Helena Hill (Churchwarden)
Many of you will have noticed the absence of the Church tower clock during June and July. It has now been put safely back in place by steeplejacks Peter Harknett and Adam "Stumpy" Geddes and looks resplendent with its newly painted and re-gilded face. We are very grateful to the Friends of Leatherhead Parish Church for initiating this work and especially to two of the Friends who have made major donations towards the costs involved - Alice Davies and Joan Ralph, in memory of their late husbands Barnaby and Leslie.

Both Barnaby and Leslie were former members of the Friends' committee. It is good that they should be commemorated in this way as it is just the sort of project they would have enjoyed and supported.

We contributed to the upgrading of the sound system which includes a loop system for the hard of hearing.

This makes this historic venue more suitable for a wider range of events.

Re-siting of the 15th Century Font

Changes in the layout of the church involved moving the Font, to which we contributed significantly.

The re-arrangement takes baptisms into the airy and light area in front of the massive West window and has permitted the development of the Chapel of Remembrance.

Moving the Font made space for the creation of a Chapel of Remembrance and Hope, through the generosity of several parishioners and with the involvement of the Royal British Legion.

This Chapel includes the Book of Remembrance, the pages of which are turned daily. The name boards from Leatherhead's original War Memorial are behind the altar.

Chapel of Remembrance & Hope

Leatherhead War Memorials Project

The Friends are playing a key part in the Leatherhead War Memorials Project to research all who were from Leatherhead who fell in the service of their country.

There are over a score of Listed Monuments in the churchyard.

We have made a donation to enable work to be planned on the restoration of those most needy of repair.

a brick 'barrel' grave in need of repair

A contribution towards the repair of the Porch roof helped to ensure the soundness of this entrance on the North side, through which many generations have passed since it was built in the 15th century.

We take the view that a churchyard that is accessible is more likely to be visited and cared for than one which is not.

At the end of 1999, as planned, we completed the next major stage in our paths renewal program, working closely with the PCC.

making the churchyard accessible

We hope eventually to create an accessible display illustrating the History of the Parish Church.

This includes pictures of the church, charity boards and some bellringing memorials.

Our plans for this have been overtaken by the need to take action on the North Transept roof and chimney (see below).

The Leatherhead War Memorial Project is our other Millennium Project and is proceeding well.

With an ancient building you never know what may happen next, so we always like to have a contingency fund to allow urgent work - within our charitable remit - to be done.

This recently occurred when the extent of repairs needed to the roof of the North Transept became evident.

Our Chairman Ron Presley OBE is seen with the Vicar, who received a cheque for £800 towards this urgent work.

Now in 2002 we are concerned to get repairs done to the Church Tower - which was repaired only 30 years ago!

(edited from text and photo as provided to the Leatherhead Advertiser)