Kelham
Encyclopedia
Kelham is a small village in Nottinghamshire
variously estimated as "3.36 miles," "3 miles," or "2.92 miles"
to the northwest of Newark
on a bend in the A617 road near its crossing of the River Trent
.
Road, and on the west bank of the Trent
, 2 miles (3.2 km) north-west of Newark. Its parish contains 208 inhabitants and 1800 acres (7.3 km²) of land, of which 484 acres (2 km²) are on the island formed by the two rivers betwixt it and Newark. It has long been the seat and property of the Suttons, who once held the title of Lord Lexington. It is now the property of John Henry Manners Sutton Esq., who resides at the Hall, which was a plain but elegant building, with a centre and wings of brick, with stone corners and window frames, standing in a handsome lawn, near the Trent. A curious wooden bridge which crosses the river close to the lawn has been taken down, and a light but substantial iron bridge erected in its place at a cost of £3,000. The church dedicated to St. Wilfred
, had a handsome tower and three bells. It was new-roofed and completely renovated in 1844. Here is a richly wrought monument of the last Lord Lexington and his Lady, of fine stauary marble, but the figures are strangely placed back-to-back. The living is a rectory, valued in the King's books at £19 8s 4d, annexed to that of Averham
, being in the same patronage and incumbency. The poor have the interest of £25 left by an unknown donor."
Originally the home of the Manners-Sutton family (a family connected to the Dukes of Rutland, the Marquess of Granby, and Viscount Canterbury
) of Averham
. On "5 May, 1647," "King Charles I
surrendered at the end of the English Civil War
at nearby Southwell
and was held at Kelham Hall for several days afterwards." The Hall was destroyed by fire in the Victorian
on 27 November 1857 and rebuilt. The modern "Kelham Hall is considered a masterpiece of high Victorian Gothic
architecture, entirely asymmetrical, with a gloriously irregular skyline, and crowning 'grandiloquent' towers." It was designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott
.
Not long after the fire, "a new Kelham Hall, of magnificent proportions, and of an architectural beauty far superior to that possessed by its predecessors, either at Kelham or Averham
was erected in the Italian style...and is justly said to be one of (Scott's)...most successful works."
The Hall was bought up by the Society of the Sacred Mission
in 1903, and run as a theological college, but was occupied by military forces during World War I
. The Great Chapel "was dedicated in 1928 and was a masterpiece. It was almost square with a great central dome, (62 feet across and 68 feet (20.7 m) high) the second largest concrete dome in England. A few visitors said it reminded them of Stonehenge
- massive, austere and mysterious." A bronze sculpture, known as the Kelham Rood, depicting Christ on the Cross
accompanied by figures of St John
and the Virgin Mary was commissioned from the English sculptor Charles Sargeant Jagger
to adorn the chapel in 1927, and was completed in 1929.
The Hall was occupied again by military personnel during World War II
.
"The main accommodation building at the front of the Hall was completed in 1939 to house the Monks and the theological students but its first occupants were a garrison of the ‘Blues’ cavalry and also Texas
and Oklahoma
oil men who were involved in drilling for oil at the nearby Eakring
oilfield."
The theological college closed in 1972 due to declining numbers and also the Church of England
policy to reduce the High Church
influence.
Since 1973, the Hall has been the head office of Newark and Sherwood
District Council. Jagger's Kelham Rood sculpture was removed and re-erected at Willen Priory in Milton Keynes, where it stood in the garden until 2003 when it underwent restoration and was moved to the Church of St John the Divine, Kennington
, in London.
Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire is a county in the East Midlands of England, bordering South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west...
variously estimated as "3.36 miles," "3 miles," or "2.92 miles"
to the northwest of Newark
Newark-on-Trent
Newark-on-Trent is a market town in Nottinghamshire in the East Midlands region of England. It stands on the River Trent, the A1 , and the East Coast Main Line railway. The origins of the town are possibly Roman as it lies on an important Roman road, the Fosse Way...
on a bend in the A617 road near its crossing of the River Trent
River Trent
The River Trent is one of the major rivers of England. Its source is in Staffordshire on the southern edge of Biddulph Moor. It flows through the Midlands until it joins the River Ouse at Trent Falls to form the Humber Estuary, which empties into the North Sea below Hull and Immingham.The Trent...
.
Historical
Kelham is "a small but pleasant village and parish, upon the WorksopWorksop
Worksop is the largest town in the Bassetlaw district of Nottinghamshire, England on the River Ryton at the northern edge of Sherwood Forest. It is about east-south-east of the City of Sheffield and its population is estimated to be 39,800...
Road, and on the west bank of the Trent
River Trent
The River Trent is one of the major rivers of England. Its source is in Staffordshire on the southern edge of Biddulph Moor. It flows through the Midlands until it joins the River Ouse at Trent Falls to form the Humber Estuary, which empties into the North Sea below Hull and Immingham.The Trent...
, 2 miles (3.2 km) north-west of Newark. Its parish contains 208 inhabitants and 1800 acres (7.3 km²) of land, of which 484 acres (2 km²) are on the island formed by the two rivers betwixt it and Newark. It has long been the seat and property of the Suttons, who once held the title of Lord Lexington. It is now the property of John Henry Manners Sutton Esq., who resides at the Hall, which was a plain but elegant building, with a centre and wings of brick, with stone corners and window frames, standing in a handsome lawn, near the Trent. A curious wooden bridge which crosses the river close to the lawn has been taken down, and a light but substantial iron bridge erected in its place at a cost of £3,000. The church dedicated to St. Wilfred
St. Wilfrid's Church, Kelham
St. Wilfrid's Church, Kelham is a parish church in the Church of England in Kelham, Nottinghamshire.The church is Grade I listed by the Department for Culture, Media & Sport as a building of outstanding architectural or historic interest.-History:...
, had a handsome tower and three bells. It was new-roofed and completely renovated in 1844. Here is a richly wrought monument of the last Lord Lexington and his Lady, of fine stauary marble, but the figures are strangely placed back-to-back. The living is a rectory, valued in the King's books at £19 8s 4d, annexed to that of Averham
Averham
Averham is a village and civil parish in the Newark and Sherwood district of Nottinghamshire, England. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 187. The village is just west of Newark-on-Trent.-Averham weir:...
, being in the same patronage and incumbency. The poor have the interest of £25 left by an unknown donor."
Kelham Hall
Viscount Canterbury
Viscount Canterbury, of the City of Canterbury, was a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1835 for the Tory politician Sir Charles Manners-Sutton, who had previously served as Speaker of the House of Commons. He was created Baron Bottesford, of Bottesford in the County of...
) of Averham
Averham
Averham is a village and civil parish in the Newark and Sherwood district of Nottinghamshire, England. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 187. The village is just west of Newark-on-Trent.-Averham weir:...
. On "5 May, 1647," "King Charles I
Charles I of England
Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
surrendered at the end of the English Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
at nearby Southwell
Southwell, Nottinghamshire
Southwell is a town in Nottinghamshire, England, best known as the site of Southwell Minster, the seat of the Church of England diocese that covers Nottinghamshire...
and was held at Kelham Hall for several days afterwards." The Hall was destroyed by fire in the Victorian
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
on 27 November 1857 and rebuilt. The modern "Kelham Hall is considered a masterpiece of high Victorian Gothic
Gothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
architecture, entirely asymmetrical, with a gloriously irregular skyline, and crowning 'grandiloquent' towers." It was designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott
George Gilbert Scott
Sir George Gilbert Scott was an English architect of the Victorian Age, chiefly associated with the design, building and renovation of churches, cathedrals and workhouses...
.
Not long after the fire, "a new Kelham Hall, of magnificent proportions, and of an architectural beauty far superior to that possessed by its predecessors, either at Kelham or Averham
Averham
Averham is a village and civil parish in the Newark and Sherwood district of Nottinghamshire, England. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 187. The village is just west of Newark-on-Trent.-Averham weir:...
was erected in the Italian style...and is justly said to be one of (Scott's)...most successful works."
The Hall was bought up by the Society of the Sacred Mission
Society of the Sacred Mission
The Society of the Sacred Mission is an Anglican religious order founded in 1893 by Father Herbert Kelly, envisaged such that "members of the Society share a common life of prayer and fellowship in a variety of educational, pastoral and community activities in England, Australia, Japan, Lesotho,...
in 1903, and run as a theological college, but was occupied by military forces during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. The Great Chapel "was dedicated in 1928 and was a masterpiece. It was almost square with a great central dome, (62 feet across and 68 feet (20.7 m) high) the second largest concrete dome in England. A few visitors said it reminded them of Stonehenge
Stonehenge
Stonehenge is a prehistoric monument located in the English county of Wiltshire, about west of Amesbury and north of Salisbury. One of the most famous sites in the world, Stonehenge is composed of a circular setting of large standing stones set within earthworks...
- massive, austere and mysterious." A bronze sculpture, known as the Kelham Rood, depicting Christ on the Cross
Rood
A rood is a cross or crucifix, especially a large one in a church; a large sculpture or sometimes painting of the crucifixion of Jesus.Rood is an archaic word for pole, from Old English rōd "pole", specifically "cross", from Proto-Germanic *rodo, cognate to Old Saxon rōda, Old High German ruoda...
accompanied by figures of St John
John the Evangelist
Saint John the Evangelist is the conventional name for the author of the Gospel of John...
and the Virgin Mary was commissioned from the English sculptor Charles Sargeant Jagger
Charles Sargeant Jagger
Charles Sargeant Jagger MC was a British sculptor who, following active service in the First World War, sculpted many works on the theme of war...
to adorn the chapel in 1927, and was completed in 1929.
The Hall was occupied again by military personnel during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
"The main accommodation building at the front of the Hall was completed in 1939 to house the Monks and the theological students but its first occupants were a garrison of the ‘Blues’ cavalry and also Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
and Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
oil men who were involved in drilling for oil at the nearby Eakring
Eakring
Eakring is a village in the Newark and Sherwood district in Nottinghamshire.-Geography:It is situated between the A617 and the A616 roads between Ollerton and Southwell. Dukes Wood to the south is situated on the top of an escarpment, giving good views over the Trent valley to the east and towards...
oilfield."
The theological college closed in 1972 due to declining numbers and also the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
policy to reduce the High Church
High church
The term "High Church" refers to beliefs and practices of ecclesiology, liturgy and theology, generally with an emphasis on formality, and resistance to "modernization." Although used in connection with various Christian traditions, the term has traditionally been principally associated with the...
influence.
Since 1973, the Hall has been the head office of Newark and Sherwood
Sherwood
-United Kingdom:*Sherwood Forest, north of the city of Nottingham, England; the place where the legendary Robin Hood is said to have lived*Sherwood, Nottingham, a residential area of Nottingham*Sherwood -United States:...
District Council. Jagger's Kelham Rood sculpture was removed and re-erected at Willen Priory in Milton Keynes, where it stood in the garden until 2003 when it underwent restoration and was moved to the Church of St John the Divine, Kennington
St John the Divine, Kennington
St John the Divine, Kennington is an Anglican church in London. The parish of Kennington is within the Anglican Diocese of Southwark. The church was designed by the architect George Edmund Street in the Decorated Gothic style, and was built between 1871 and 1874...
, in London.
External links
- Kelham Hall by Leonard Jacks, 1881
- Kelham Hall history and architecture in article of Newark Advertiser, April 1999
- SSM homepage
- Kelham village webpage with pictures of the area
- Council webpage & brief history courtesy of Tree Foundation
- Site with numerous quality pictures of Kelham Hall
- Excellent picture of the domed prayer hall from the air
- Article concerning the loss of the old Kelham bridge in 1855
- Kelham Hall Website