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.
Sundays
- Low Mass at 8.00am
- Solemn Mass with Sunday School at 9.30am
- Holy Baptism at 11.30am (second and fourth Sundays)
- Vespers and Benediction at 6.00pm
Weekdays
- Morning and Evening Prayer are said every day at 9.00am and 6.00pm.
Mass times
- Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 9.30am
- Tuesday and Thursday at 7.30pm
- Friday at 12.00pm, usually followed by a charity soup lunch
History
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 restorationVictorian restorationVictorian restoration is the term commonly used to refer to the widespread and extensive refurbishment and rebuilding of Church of England churches and cathedrals that took place in England and Wales during the 19th-century reign of Queen Victoria...
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 & FosterBrindley & FosterBrindley & Foster was a pipe organ builder based in Sheffield who flourished between 1854 and 1939.-Background:The business was established by Charles Brindley in 1854. He was joined by Albert Healey Foster in 1871 and the company acquired the name Brindley & Foster.Charles Brindley was born in...
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. New organ by Peter Collins.
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
- Bernard Holdridge 1986
- Andrew R. Wagstaff 1994
- Nicolas Spicer 2007
Organ
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 2 ft replaced with new pipework by Stinkens; Cymbelstern added; entire stop action (slider solenoids excepted) was remade
with Alan Taylor solid state; sequencer added.
- Great Organ
- Principal 8
- Rohr Flute 8
- Octave 4
- Spitz Flute 4
- Quint 2⅔
- 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 1⅓
- 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
Organists
- Cecil Victor Berry
- Ellis White
- David Burnham
- Leslie Carrick Smith
- Michael Overbury 1999 - present
