St Cuthbert’s Parish Church

St Cuthbert's Project Bulletins

Information about the project as it progresses will be published below in regular bulletins.

To find out more about the project, please contact:

The Vicar, the Revd Rob Kelsey, 01289 382325
The churchwardens: Mr Nick Ellis, 01289 382754 & Mrs Lucy Carroll, 07974 416692

Special Bulletin 8, November 2025

A special service was held on Sunday 2nd November, when a congregation of regular worshippers and invited guests took part in a service of First Sunday Worship. The service celebrated the Festival of All Saints and All Souls, and the dedication of the newly installed curtains behind the chancel arch.

The curtains behind the chancel arch in Norham Church

The service also included the ceremonial ‘closing of the curtains’ by the St Cuthbert’s Junior Singers. The congregation responded with a round of applause, and then everyone sang, ‘Oh, when the saints go marching in’, as the Junior Singers marched through the curtains!

The curtains are intended to help make the church a warmer place for worship, concerts and other events. For many years, the main problem with heating Norham Church has been that, when the under-pew heaters are switched on, then the warm air, rising in the nave, sucks cold air down from the east end of the church. This creates a draught, which leaves some people (particularly the choir during a service, or the performers at a concert) feeling even colder!

By closing the curtains, we cut down on the draught, and reduce the space within the church that needs to be heated. The church will never be toasty and warm, because it is, after all, a medieval building, made out of huge amounts of stone! But it was noticeable, during most of the service on 2nd November, that the candle flames on the nave altar burnt upright. When the curtains were opened at the end of the service, the candle flames leant over in the renewed draught, and the congregation felt a distinct chill in the air, that hadn’t been there before. (In other words, the curtains worked!)

Installing the curtains

View from behind the arch

During the service, the Vicar thanked representatives of the Parish Council, the Norham Development Trust, Norham Primary School, and Longridge Towers School, who attended the service. He also thanked all those involved in the installation of the curtains, as follows:

Thank you to Joe Lang, who is representing The Maltings, which generously donated the curtains to Norham Church. Thank you to Jimmy Manningham, who first suggested the idea, and to Scott Sherrard, Chair of The Maltings Trust, who can’t be with us this morning.

Thank you to the members of the Diocesan Advisory Committee for the Care of Churches, who supported our proposal to install the curtains behind the chancel arch, and to the Archdeacon of Lindisfarne, who gave us ‘temporary and experimental’ permission’ to do so, without the need for a time-consuming faculty application.

Thank you to my fellow members of the Standing Committee, who are devoting huge amounts of time to the St Cuthbert’s Project. And thank you in particular, on this occasion, to William Jackson, who collected the curtains from the Maltings, kept them in storage, and brought them to the church.

Thank you to the Concert Planning Group, who have agreed to cover the cost of additional materials, fixtures and fittings. Thank you, too, to Jim Blythe, who helped to install the curtains last week.

The whole endeavour has been a great example of community involvement and partnership working, and I am grateful to everyone involved.

Now, I need to say a special word of thanks to George Straughen, and the people I think of as ‘the three wise women’, namely Sheila Johnson, Sheelagh Hume, and Mary-Rose Blythe. They have all devoted huge amounts of time an effort, over a short space of time, in getting the curtains installed, and adjusting them to the right length.

George, Sheila, Sheelagh and Mary-Rose have used their particular gifts and skills, and worked together, to achieve something that is, I think magnificent!

The curtains will be put to good use during the winter months. When they have been hung for long enough to stop stretching, they will be re‑adjusted as necessary.

Dedicating the curtains behind the chancel arch

The Prayer of Dedication of the Chancel Arch Curtains

God of all life,

we give thanks for all that these curtains represent:

your deeper presence within the surface reality of all things;

your Son, Jesus Christ, who took our nature upon him,

and was veiled in flesh;

his death and resurrection to a new lease of life;

the new lease of life in the Kingdom of Heaven,

which is hidden away, not far away;

and the new lease of life available to us,

as we work together for the common good.

We now ask you, in your goodness and mercy,

to bless [+] these curtains,

that we who see them, and benefit from them,

may dedicate our lives to you and to one another,

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Bulletin 7, October 2025

The St Cuthbert’s Project aims to improve the heating, lighting, seating and heritage interpretation at Norham Church, in order to make the church building more user-friendly and more useful to the wider community. The project will also:

Restore the pillars at the Bride’s Gate.
Upgrade the path from the Bride’s Gate to the church.
Develop visitor information and interpretation.
Provide a range of events for both local people and visitors.

Our goal is to allow more people to access and enjoy St Cuthbert’s Church in all seasons. As an historic stone building, the church is never going to reach ‘toasty warm’ temperatures in the winter, but a new heating system should make it more comfortable.

Attracting visitors to Norham brings money into the local economy, which helps to maintain local facilities. We are also mindful of the need to manage visitor numbers, and by no means expect a huge increase. We envisage a handful of additional people (in perhaps two or three cars) arriving on an average day. Concerts and other events already attract additional visitors to Norham, and the St Cuthbert’s Project should allow concerts at the church to be spread more evenly throughout the year.

The story of Norham Church – together with Norham Castle, and the village as a whole – is inextricably linked to significant periods in our history, including the Golden Age of Northumbria and the Scottish Borders. Our rich heritage can sometimes be overwhelming, and so we plan to appoint an interpretation specialist to help us improve our visitor offer.

All are welcome to First Sunday Worship at 10am on Sunday 2nd November, which we hope will include the ceremonial ‘closing of the curtains’ by the St Cuthbert’s Junior Singers. (See Bulletin No. 6).

If you have any comments or questions, please contact:

Churchwarden, Lucy Carroll, 07974 416692
Churchwarden, Nick Ellis, (01289) 382754
The Vicar, the Revd Rob Kelsey, (01289) 382325

Bulletin 6, September 2025

The Standing Committee met representatives of the Diocesan Advisory Committee (DAC) on 31st July. They are the church equivalent of the county council planning committee, and we wanted to convince them of the merits of our project, and seek their advice and guidance. They were very appreciative of our plans, and made some very helpful suggestions.

Since then, with the help of our Funding Adviser, Katherine Williams, we have been working hard on our application to the National Lottery Heritage Fund (NLHF) for a grant in the region of £250,000. We hope to submit the application this month (September), which might enable the heating and lighting systems to be installed by March next year. The timetable is tight, but we’re hoping to benefit from the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme, which gives grants towards the cost of VAT on repairs to listed buildings used as places of worship. The scheme has been extended to March next year, but there is no guarantee that VAT might be recoverable after that date (which could effectively add an extra 20% to the amount we need to raise).

As noted in Bulletin No. 5, we have been given a pair of red stage curtains by The Maltings, for which we are very grateful. The DAC suggested that we might apply to the Archdeacon for permission to install the curtains as a ‘temporary and experimental measure,’ and we hope that they might be in place by the end of October, in time for a ceremonial ‘closing of the curtains’ by the St Cuthbert’s Junior Singers, during First Sunday Worship on 2nd November. Members of the Wednesday Craft Club have very kindly offered to help with adjusting the curtains as necessary.

If you have any comments or questions, please contact:

Churchwardens, Lucy Carroll, 07974 416692 and Nick Ellis, 01289 382754 OR The Vicar, the Revd Rob Kelsey, 01289 382325

Bulletin 5, July 2025

The work of the Standing Committee continues, with progress as follows:

A Project Enquiry has been submitted to the National Lottery Heritage Fund (NLHF). The response has been positive, and we have been invited to go ahead. A great deal of work must now be done to develop a high quality application, since, according to NLHF, ‘the assessment process is highly competitive and we are unable to fund all the good quality applications we receive.’
Various members of the Standing Committee have met with several other funders, and have also received positive responses.
The managers at The Maltings have offered us a pair of red stage curtains, which are surplus to requirements, as a result of the development work at the original site. We are extremely grateful, and would like to thank The Maltings publicly for their generosity.
A presentation on the work to date will be made to the congregation during the main service at 10am on Sunday 13th July.
We are due to meet members of the Diocesan Advisory Committee (DAC) on 31st July, to seek their advice and guidance.

We are hopeful that the curtains from The Maltings might be in place by the autumn of this year. They would remain closed for most of the time, and hidden behind the chancel arch. But, when the weather is particularly cold, then they would come into their own. One of the main problems is that, when the under pew heating is on, then the warm air rises, and draws cold air from the east end of the church, thus creating a draught that makes people feel even colder! The curtains should prevent this problem, and create a smaller space that can be heated more effectively. It should be emphasised, however, that Norham Church, being a medieval building, comprising large volumes of stone, will never be as cosy and warm as someone’s living room!

If you have any comments or questions, please contact:

Churchwarden,: Lucy Carroll - 07974 416692

Churchwarden,: Nick Ellis - (01289) 382754

The Vicar: the Revd Rob Kelsey - (01289) 382325

Bulletin 4, June 2025

The Standing Committee of the Parochial Church Council (PCC) continue to meet every month or so, with more work being done between meetings.

Our Funding Adviser, Katherine Williams, is helping us through the complex process of applying to the National Lottery Heritage Fund for a grant in the region of about £240,000. We recently had a preliminary meeting with a representative of the Fund, who was very positive about our project.

The PCC’s Architect, Ninette Edwards, has made a preliminary submission to the Diocesan Advisory Committee (DAC), who offer advice and guidance on church projects, and oversee the equivalent of planning permission for work on church buildings. In her submission, Ninette put the case for improved heating along the following lines:

In order to make the church more hospitable, the PCC would like to improve the heating. They are keen to respond to the Net Zero 2030 targets, and have explored a few electric heating options, bearing in mind that the church is not in continual use.

The options reviewed have included ground source and air source heating; the capital costs for each of these is very high, and they would be expensive to run. Biomass has also been explored, and dismissed for the same reasons. The position of radiators would be problematic, due to most of the seating being in the nave away from walls, and underfloor heating would require new flooring throughout.

A Herschel Halo far infrared heating system, with lights, is therefore proposed, at a cost of about £90,000. The church at one time had chandelier lighting, so the concept of this type of suspended fitting is not new for the building.

To find out more about the Herschel heating system, see: https://www.herschel-infrared.co.uk/heating-heritage-buildings/churches.

Bulletin 3, May 2025

At its meeting on 31st March, the Norham Parochial Church Council (PCC) agreed in principle to the three elements of a shorter-term ‘mini project’, comprising the following:

Improved seating for the choir. The Standing Committee have identified Treske, ‘makers of beautifully crafted, hardwood furniture’ as a suitable supplier (an example of their work can be found – and tried out! – at the front of church). Janet Young is liaising with the choir about this.
Cushions for the pews in the nave. Samples have been obtained from a recommended supplier.
A motorised roller blind behind the chancel arch, to be lowered during a church service as a means of (a) reducing the draught that blows down from the east end of the church, and (b) perhaps projecting images or videos for use during First Sunday Worship. The Vicar is liaising with someone from The Maltings about this (who has expertise in this area). He has also sent an enquiry to a stage equipment supplier about the likely cost.

The advantages of such a mini-project could be as follows:

The changes might be achieved by the end of this year.
They would be a relatively ‘quick win’, giving a boost to our confidence and encouraging a ‘can do’ attitude.
They would represent a kind of down payment on our ambitions for the larger project.
The Standing Committee would seek to cover the cost of this mini project from grant making bodies, identified by Katherine Williams, our development and fundraising adviser. But, if some or all of the cost had to be met from Bill Mills’s legacy, it would be money well spent, and would provide a tangible and lasting memorial to his faith and generosity.

Bulletin 2, April 2025

The Standing Committee met towards the end of March with Katherine Williams, our development and fundraising adviser (https://katherinewilliamsfundraiser.com/), who has put some flesh on the bones of our ‘wish list’, and suggested a phased approach, with the first phase comprising a two year project, with the option to take things further after that.

In Katherine’s words, ‘The biggest barrier to engaging more people and enabling them to connect to the heritage of St Cuthbert’s is heating and lighting. Without this the church cannot fulfil its potential as a community hub, venue for events and visitor destination. This project will make the church warmer and more welcoming. Once this is completed we will be able to deliver a range of activities, engage people in our heritage stories and continue to involve local people in developing the church building to meet their needs.’

The two-year project is likely to include the following:

Improved heating and lighting (including substantial rewiring of the church building, which has recently become a priority).
Improved parking and access.
Improved interpretation for the church and churchyard, to encourage visitors to appreciate what Norham Church has to offer, and connect with the heritage of the church and village.
An activity programme in the church and churchyard, building on the existing work of the Concert Planning Group; recent and future exhibitions, art installations, flower festivals, etc; and growing interest in several people of historical importance who are buried in Norham churchyard.
A community art work, based on the local heritage story, to be displayed in the church, and perhaps the Village Hall and elsewhere.

Bulletin 1, March 2025

Back in 2019, the Parochial Church Council (PCC) at St Cuthbert’s, Norham, agreed that we wished to make the church building more user-friendly for both worshippers and visitors, and more of an asset to the whole community. Worship is at the heart of what we do, but the life of the church is more than what happens on a Sunday morning, and Norham Church belongs to everyone in the parish.

A consultation with numerous groups and individuals resulted in a report and proposals … just before Covid came along, which knocked everything on the head!

In recent years, the Standing Committee has been gathering information, seeking advice, obtaining cost estimates, exploring options, establishing the feasibility of some solutions, and discounting others. We have identified the elements of a project to improve the heating, lighting, accessibility and facilities of the building, and enable more people to connect to our shared history and heritage.

In some ways, this has been a long time coming but, at the same time, we’ve come a long way. It seems to me like the long but necessary trek to the foothills of a mountain, which we’re now beginning to climb.

We are working with Katherine Williams, who produced the original report, and have begun talking to the National Lottery Heritage Fund. Our Church Architect, Ninette Edwards, is advising on the requirements of the Diocesan Advisory Committee for the Care of Churches (DAC), to whom we plan to submit an outline proposal in early April. In the meantime, we intend to visit two or more venues where our preferred heating system has already been installed, to confirm its suitability.