Colsterworth Church Statement of Need

1. Introduction

The Church of St John the Baptist in is an outstanding example of heritage, in that it provides a physical narrative of over a thousand years of architecture, culture, spirituality and the conflict between science and religion. Embedded in its history we find an indisputable connection with Sir , a figure of global, scientific significance. This provenance transcends even Newton’s link with Westminster Abbey, though tragically, like many other examples of significant heritage, it is at risk.

An article in the Guardian newspaper (8.6.15) reminds us that our significant heritage is largely dependent on the support of small, declining religious communities: ‘Congregations are falling – so what can be done to keep historic churches open?’ One solution is to make the buildings work harder for rural communities. Dr Jill Hopkinson, the Church of ’s national rural officer, reminds us of some of the basic principles of increasing the use, and therefore the longevity of the buildings. She adds that this might involve adding toilets and kitchen facilities; in some places the church could be used as a post office or community shop: ‘We do need to think creatively. Shutting the doors should be the last option, not the first.’

It is our proposal that we go further than this. We wish to make this significant example of heritage a dynamic entity which enriches engagement with history, heritage and creativity. In order to do this, through the establishment of a heritage centre for learning and the arts, we need the addition, at a very basic level, of certain essential facilities. It is only with these changes and improvements that we believe we can keep our fragile heritage alive and preserve the church as a much loved place of worship and vital amenity for the local community.

Following site visits from the DAC and Historic England in 2012 and 2015, including additional advice from the Church Development Officer, the Pastoral Secretary, the Historic Churches

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Support Officer, and the DAC Assistant in 2016, we have amended and adapted our plans accordingly.

2. The Parish Church of St John the Baptist, Colsterworth

St John the Baptist is a Grade 1 listed church of Saxon origin and, as such, is one of the oldest churches in . It is the primary church in the Colsterworth group of churches (with , , , , and Gunby) in the Deanery of in the . The church is open daily for visitors. It is located in the centre of the growing village of Colsterworth, which adjoins the hamlet of Woolsthorpe (combined population of 1,713 in the 2011 census), in which is located , the birth-place of Isaac Newton in 1642. The local district authority is South District Council.

3. Our Mission

While the primary purpose of our church is as a place of worship, prayer and spiritual comfort for the residents of and visitors to the parish of Colsterworth, it has international significance as the church of Isaac Newton and his family and national historic significance as a Grade 1 listed building. To capitalise on this, and as a result place us in a better position to share and preserve this historic and ecclesiastical heritage, we need to reorder the church. The Parochial Church Council agreed a Mission Statement to reflect our aims and to guide the Newton Project steering group. Without substantial and sympathetic reordering, this important asset will continue to fall short of fulfilling its mission potential as an important place of worship and spiritual sustenance and continue to appear to undervalue its status as a site of national and international significance and interest. Our mission includes making the church a more welcoming and useful venue in the centre of the village for all members of the local community. The response to our plans from local consultations so far has been favourable, both in terms of promoting the Newton heritage and in making the church available for a much wider range of community activities. To achieve

2 this we need to provide modern facilities as outlined elsewhere in this Statement. We are preparing an application for a Heritage Lottery Fund Grant to support and finance our plans.

4. Why action is needed now

Colsterworth Church is typical of the rural churches described in the introduction. The Colsterworth Group has one parish priest with several small, aging congregations. St John’s Church seats 150 people, but attendance at most Sunday services, which occur three or four times a month, is between 8 and 16 people. Larger numbers attend at Christmas and Easter and on Remembrance and Newton commemoration Sundays. There are some weddings and funerals and more frequent baptisms. Annual income averages about £12,000, or £7,000 after insurance and other expenses, which is insufficient to maintain this important example of our national heritage and only just allows us to meet our parish share. Urgent action is needed now to preserve the church as a place of worship, as an important historic building, and to increase its use by members of local, national and international communities.

But, as the Leader of the local Brownie pack puts it: ‘The space within the church as it currently stands does not lend itself to sharing the story and showing off the Newton family and local artefacts within it. It is most unwelcoming due to its being inaccessible to all but the fittest, with its steep entrance steps and lack of toilet facilities. The internal space is inflexible due to fixed pews…limiting showing off the artefacts to out-of-the-way edges and corners with poor lighting within these areas.’ (see letter from Ruth Hollis: 18.8.15).

Or as the Leader of District Council puts it: ‘There is a great need for community facilities (in Colsterworth) that are easily accessible, that incorporate additional toilets, improved heating and comfortable seating.’ (see letter from Bob Adams: 20.8.15) for which a reordered church is ideally suited.

Our participation in ’s biennial Gravity Fields Festival in 2014 and 2016 and opportunities for closer cooperation with the National Trust at Woolsthorpe Manor because of the Newton connection have added impetus for the speedy implementation of our plans.

The church is valued by members of the local community and their support for enhancing the church building’s role within the community is clear (see below para 5). Without significant adaptations to facilitate changes of use, however, St John the Baptist Church is unlikely to survive as a place of worship.

The Quinquennial Inspection Report (Hutton & Rostrom July 2014) has drawn attention to the need for prompt repairs to the lead and slate roofing, to rainwater goods, to stone-work and windows. To prevent further deterioration and decay, measures to control the problem of rising damp and efflorescent salts are recommended. Until we meet these requirements and the condition of the building is considered good, it would be unwise to go ahead with other improvements and developments, and the condition of the church could deteriorate further. Furthermore, we have been told by the Heritage Lottery Fund that we should be unlikely to have our application for a grant approved without these repairs, which they say should form part of the application for funding.

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5. The Value of the Church to the Community and the Aims of the Newton Project

Why do so few people come to the church? For many years, its use has been largely restricted to Anglican services. People are discouraged from attending for many reasons: the heating from an ancient, underground oil-fired boiler is inadequate and inefficient, and potentially hazardous because of noxious fumes and unsafe heating grilles (see below, para.13); the seating consists of simple, plain, late C19th pews, ‘of limited significance in themselves’ (English Heritage report: 8.8.14), which are uncomfortable and ill-suited for different activities (for further evidence, see below para.12); there are no toilets or catering facilities. For some, the church seems only to accommodate regular church-goers and is not seen as welcoming to all-comers or as being a facility suitable for use by all members of the community. A village survey carried out on behalf of the Colsterworth and District Neighbourhood Plan in 2014 indicated a need for flexible meeting places in the centre of the village. We have found that children’s events, community events and events for disabled people and the elderly are restricted because of the lack of toilets, comfortable seating, flexible space, adequate heating and other facilities. We need to adapt the building to make it easier for visitors with disabilities and therefore more inclusive. We are also attempting to comply with the Equality Act 2010 as fully as possible.

The building needs to possess the qualities of a welcoming venue which both serves and is served and sustained by the community. Its focus is faithful, educational and cultural, and it is unique in uniting the ostensibly disparate cultural pillars of science, economics and faith. Isaac Newton was himself a foundation figure in modern science, a natural philosopher, mathematician, theologian, and a man who worshipped here as a person of faith. This makes St John the Baptist Church, Colsterworth an ideal location for education, heritage and the arts. It will include a teaching and learning centre focused on science and faith in Isaac Newton’s life and work. A small team of volunteers from Woolsthorpe Manor, under the direction of their Conservation Manager, is ready to research this (see letter from the Conservation Manager: 19.9.17). The centre will be an additional attraction for more than 50,000 visitors to Newton’s birthplace at Woolsthorpe Manor annually and ‘will be of interest to visitors to scholars and publics around the world’ either in person or via a new website (see letter from Melissa Lo, Dibner Assistant Curator of History of Science, Medicine and Technology at the Huntington Library in California: 28.8.15).

Local consultation was carried out by means of a Village Life Survey for the church in November 2012, for which questionnaires were delivered to some 650 households in the parish of Colsterworth and Woolsthorpe. Approximately 5% responded; of these 85% agree that the church is a building which adds character to the village; 88% think it is a useful place for local events; 85% see it as a place for peace and quiet to sit and think; 88% would like to see changes so that it can be used for a range of activities. Written comments include: ‘It’s beacon in the community’ ‘Sadly under-utilised – it’s a potential central hub’ ‘It has potential for social gatherings, eg. coffee mornings’

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‘Could be used for music and art events’ ‘A beautiful church at the heart of the community’.

While a 5% response is apparently not unusual for such surveys, it is an indication of the need to attract and engage more local people in the future use of the church. Letters received from various voluntary bodies (mentioned above para 4) provide further evidence of local interest and support.

The local Church of England primary school, which is a five-minute walk from the church, makes good and frequent use of the church. As the head teacher writes: ‘As a place of worship, the church provides a very important focus for the school. Our recent Diocesan inspection celebrates…particularly the close links the school has forged with the village church.’ (see head teacher’s letter: 15.5.15).

Sample Comments from the Colsterworth Church Visitors’ Book: 12.10.15 Wonderful atmospheric church 6.4.16 On sabbatical from the USA, here to study Isaac Newton 22.4.16 Thanks for a nice place to try and solve problems Passim Thanks for keeping it open 12.5.16 An exceptionally attractive church – well worth a visit 13.5.16 Beautiful. A feast for sore eyes.

6. The Newton Heritage and Reinstatement of the Newton Family Chapel

Isaac Newton was baptised in Colsterworth Church in 1642 (as recorded in the church’s record of baptisms - see below) and he and his family have a long association with the church.

A principal attraction to the building will be the reinstatement of the Newton family chapel, which was associated with the Lordship of the Manor, which Robert Newton, Isaac’s grandfather, acquired with his purchase of Woolsthorpe Manor in 1627 (see Wm. Stukeley’s biography of Newton’s early life, 1752).

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The aim is to enlarge the Newton chapel to approximately 26 square metres from its present size of 18 square metres and provide easier access to Newtonian artefacts by removing the organ. The four artefacts (Newton’s sundial, the memorial to his family, the gothic stone cross and the memorial to William Walker) will be re-sited to be more accessible in the reordered chapel, as suggested by the Diocesan Monuments Adviser (see report by John Lord: 18.2.15).

The chapel will have a specially designed altar (for example, by Treske or Robert Thompson of Yorkshire) and a newly commissioned, commemorative Newton-themed stained-glass window in the east wall of the chapel, for which Trinity College, Cambridge has already pledged financial support, and for which the DAC is happy to give examples of good work within the Diocese (ibid). The space will have seating in keeping with the replacement wooden seating in the rest of the building, with room for 20 bespoke chairs, each bearing the Newton coat of arms. It will provide a place for worship, quiet prayer or silent contemplation, or as a comfortable, numinous venue for small meetings and functions.

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7. Newton Heritage Teaching and Learning Centre

While we wish to retain our building for its primary purpose as a place of worship, we also plan to establish a heritage centre to facilitate teaching and learning related to Isaac Newton and issues of faith and science in his life and work, for the benefit of visitors, schoolchildren and other interested groups. At the suggestion of the Heritage Lottery Fund, a Heritage Engagement and Outreach Officer will be appointed to promote and deliver this. At the moment the connection of the church with the Newton family and Isaac Newton in particular is not well- known or articulated.

This centre will be located in the north aisle to the east of the north doorway. The north aisle is the largest space available which is not needed for church services. The view of the chancel and altar from the east end of the north aisle is obscured by the position of the organ and pulpit. The permanent education display could include an exhibition of the history of Colsterworth, based on material assembled by the Village Archive Group in 2005-8, to enhance children’s learning and provide an interesting experience for the local community to engage with. We will utilise professional methods of display and the latest technologies in the centre. The nature of the displays has yet to be determined, but will include video or DVD facilities, static displays and electronic retrieval systems. We will commission a professional exhibition designer in the preparatory phase of the project to achieve this, but we would also welcome DAC advice. Visits have already been made to the reordered churches of St Andrew’s Epworth and St Mary’s Melton Mowbray, and the new Civil War museum in Newark. A new guidebook will explain the history of the church.

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These facilities are essential to serve the building’s role as a teaching and learning centre. They will be upgraded as necessary to make the project sustainable and economically viable as a venue. A church trail launched in June 2015 and sponsored by NADFAS which focuses on the history and architecture of the church and the Newton heritage, has already been enjoyed by local and visiting schoolchildren.

8. Why do we need two toilets rather than one?

The church does not have a toilet, which is a common complaint from visitors and local people who would otherwise come to the church. It also prevents our making greater use of the church for concerts and large social occasions. As the organiser of a recent musical wine and cheese party attended by 130 people writes: ‘The majority of people who came along were of an age when toilets are very necessary, and unfortunately one or two people had to go to the , which isn’t always convenient especially if we have someone who is very infirm or disabled.’ (see letter from Focus Group: 15.7.15). We wish to install two toilets, as one for concert-goers, small children, visitors from Woolsthorpe Manor or people attending baptisms, weddings and funerals, often from far afield, is not enough. At the moment, when children from the local CofE primary school attend regular assemblies or services or become involved in workshops at the church and need to use the toilet, several children tend to want the toilet at the same time and have to be escorted back to school by two or more teachers, an exercise that can take up to twenty minutes or longer. For this reason, at the moment other school parties do not visit the church. When people attending weddings or funerals in the church arrive after a long journey and often ask for

9 the toilet, we can only direct them to a public house nearby, which does not have a public toilet and which is not always open. The proprietor of The White Lion makes it clear that it is ‘essential that toilet facilities are high on your list of priorities’ (see letter: 17.10.16). When over 20 members of the St Wulfram’s church choir from Grantham recently participated in our annual Isaac Newton commemoration service, we had to ask for special permission for them to use the pub toilets. With the reinstatement of the Newton Chapel and the new heritage learning centre, we expect to attract more of the visitors to Woolsthorpe Manor, for whom such facilities will be essential.

We concur with the conclusion of All Saints in Winterton, which has one existing toilet, that visits by young children are curtailed because of inadequate toilet facilities, and the single toilet is inadequate for large concerts. ‘A disabled toilet and infant pedestal were required as well as the need to avoid extensive queuing at intervals in our concert programme.’ (see email from Robin Shawyer, Treasurer All Saints PCC: 28.8.15). All Saints believes that their activity plan for regular use by members of the community requires more than one toilet (three toilets in their situation). Another church, St Mary’s Church in Shipton-under-Wychwood in Oxfordshire, where a recent funeral service accommodated over 150 mourners, followed by a reception in the churchyard, is aware of the problem and is planning to build a second toilet: ‘Where there are large numbers for weddings, funerals or baptisms, we need two toilets to prevent queuing and to cope with the numbers. People have often travelled quite a distant to such events and many can arrive at the same time. Similarly, if we hold lectures or concerts in the church, we are likely to have in excess of 100 people. At the start and during the interval there is always a need for people to use the toilet and one is inadequate. The other factor is that there is no other facility near the church. The pub is not a public toilet. Young children are usually accompanied by an adult and tend to be a long time in the toilet. Hence, the need for two toilets.’ (see email from James Walmsley, Church Warden: 28.8.15). We wish to be able to do better than ‘manage quite well’ with one toilet (DAC visit report: 30.9.15).

9. Why there is no alternative location inside the church for two toilets

We have considered all possible options for locating toilets and vestry inside and outside the church. The floor-space in the church is limited: the floor area of the nave and two aisles is approximately 147 square metres. The south aisle consists of the Lady Chapel at the east end and the planned baptistery, with the re-sited font, at the west end. The north aisle, where there is a restricted view of the chancel and altar, has been designated to accommodate a servery at the west end and the Newton Heritage Learning Centre at the east end. Therefore, to try to incorporate toilets in the aisles would reduce the space for worship and other activities, would reduce light coming in from stained-glass and plain-glass windows and would gravely jeopardise the symmetry and beauty of the architecture of the church. The chosen site for the toilets needs to be discrete for social reasons.

We now believe that two toilets, one with facilities for people with disabilities and baby- changing (minimum size: 1500 mm wide x 2200 mm long, or 3.3 square metres by law, but with reasonable adjustments for listed buildings), could be installed in a small extension on the north- east side of the church.

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The base of the tower was seriously considered as an alternative location. This option has been rejected for a number of reasons. We believe in the need to preserve the tower as an important historical feature, which exists in its original C14th condition, and as an integral part of the architecture of the church, with easy access to the bells. We also wish to rehang the two Victorian hatchments, when restored, to their original position on the walls of the tower.

The architect, Dr Valeria Passetti RIBA IHBC, Managing Director of Conception Architects in Nottingham, considers that lowering the floor of the tower, which is two steps up from the nave, could conflict with the foundations and threaten the structural stability of the tower (see letter dated 27.7.15). Other areas within the church to accommodate toilets and vestry were considered but dismissed as being too intrusive and injurious to the balance and integrity of the architectural interior and liturgy of the church.

In future, if funds allow, it would be advantageous to construct a mezzanine floor within the tower with access for bell-ringers from the existing spiral staircase. A survey by Peter Dann, Consultant Engineers, indicates that this would be possible: ‘I would expect the existing bell tower wall structure to be able to support a new timber floor...the visual information so far available suggests that the build quality is likely to be good enough for this (a new opening from the spiral staircase into the bell tower) to be carried out satisfactorily.’ (Report: 17.5.17) This would provide much needed space at the base of the tower for the existing small lending library of books related to Christianity and the display of guidebooks, post cards, gifts and other items for sale.

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Building toilets in other areas outside the church would be injurious to the main entrance and principal view of the church from the south side. At an informal meeting at the offices of South Kesteven District Council with Dr Passetti, architect, David Mather, former Growth and Investment Manager, and Ian Wright, Conservation Officer, on 23.4.15, Ian Wright opined that he could see no objection to building such an extension, particularly as the new facility would be of great benefit to the local community.

The former Leader of SKDC and currently local district and county councillor, Bob Adams, has written enthusiastically to add his support ‘to the application for funding to extend and enhance the church.’ (ibid) and has made two donations from the Lincolnshire County Council’s Big Society Fund, totalling £750.

Historic England thinks that an extension adjacent to the north porch would harm the significance of the church, particularly in external views of the north elevation of the church and the important mediaeval doorway (ibid).

This doorway is also the nearest entrance for visitors following the heritage trail from Woolsthorpe Manor and most probably the entrance used by Isaac Newton and family. It is also the preferred entrance for people with mobility issues, as it is free of steps. Instead, Historic England is most likely to support an extension adjacent to the Victorian doorway at the eastern end of the north side of the church, which would be less obtrusive and give direct access to the reordered Newton Chapel: ‘locating it here would resolve the difficulty of finding space for two toilets, which could easily be accommodated in the new building’ (see report on DAC visit:

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30.9.15). This north doorway is currently too narrow for wheelchair access, but ‘could possibly be adapted’ (ibid). A small extension of approximately 9 sq. m. would be relatively unobtrusive. We would incorporate any guidance from the DAC into our thinking, so that it may inform any future dialogue with whoever is appointed lead consultant on this project and help us to include costs, estimated at about £150,000, in our application for HLF funding. We are aware that an extension on this site would require the removal of a number of gravestones and an archaeological investigation.

10. The importance of the vestry and the need to relocate it

‘I am very concerned about the loss of vestry and storage space, especially if the extension to the building is not pursued or refused…Many country churches have no vestry space, and it would be retrograde to add this church to the list. Vestries allow calm preparation for worship, but can also double as workspace, storage and a room where wedding couples can be interviewed.’ (Report by Diocesan Sacred Space Adviser, Richard Crossland: July 2015). The vestry is also needed for the secure storage of church vestments and supplies, altar frontals and valuable silver plate (see below para.20), etc. and possibly to house two new boilers. The vestry will also serve as an office for the heritage outreach worker.

Our plan is to remove the organ and replace it with a smaller electric organ, which would enable us to enlarge the space for the Newton Chapel and relocate the vestry in its place. The Diocesan Organ Adviser recognises that the organ is an outstanding example of its kind, but accepts that it

13 can be removed to facilitate our ‘laudable aims and objectives’ (see email from Paul Hale: 4.10.16).

11. Removing the Pews

We wish to remove the pews and replace them with high-quality oak chairs. The theological and liturgical tradition and character of the building are not dependent on the pews. The existing pews, which were installed in 1876, are of poor quality pine and some have woodworm. Their removal will in no way adversely affect the character of the church as a building of special architectural or historic interest. The Sacred Space Adviser’s report points out: ‘The fixed pews are clearly a substantial obstacle to any modern uses of the nave, worship or otherwise. The alternative chair plans are excellent…’ (ibid). Following the guidelines provided by ChurchCare (www.churchcare.co.uk), we propose replacing the pews with 40 good quality, oak, stackable chairs such as those made by a firm such as Treske from Yorkshire, together with 60 folding chairs for use in the south aisle and rear of the nave, which could be stored on trolleys at the back of the church. The folding chairs would also be used for teaching workshops with schoolchildren and for social events by members of the community. These chairs can be seen in cathedrals and churches throughout Britain, notably in St Andrew’s, Epworth. The chairs would be of pale oak to help create a lighter atmosphere in conjunction with a new, pale limestone floor, or stained to complement the choir stalls. The folding chairs can be moved and stored quite easily when not in use, making more space available for children’s workshops, coffee mornings and other social functions, art exhibitions, etc. Thus the removal of the pews and introduction of stacking and folding chairs would ‘allow the nave and chancel to become a clear space what would both be flexible, and create a powerful and cohesive impact on the visitor and worshipper. This is an extremely striking liturgical space potentially, and would also be a great place for concerts, exhibitions, social functions and conferences of national significance on themes of science and religion’ (ibid). ‘Music in Quiet Places’, an arts organisation based in Stamford, said they were unable to offer us a concert in 2016 because the fixed pews did not allow enough space for their musicians to perform. To be able to turn the chairs round to face the west would also enable us to make good use of the unusual sloping floor for concerts and other public events.

The present layout of the church limits the range and variety of uses planned to meet our mission for the reordered church and in particular restricts the use of the church as a learning centre for young people, who need to sit in groups or at tables. It also restricts the number and variety of community activities which are planned after the reordering of the church. Children from the local primary school (at present about 120 pupils) use the church for regular worship and workshops. In a survey of changes children in classes 5 and 6 would like to see in Colsterworth (July2014), they reported to the Colsterworth and District Neighbourhood Plan team that the pews were uncomfortable and restrictive. The pupils frequently bang their heads on the pews, while smaller children cannot see over them. Their head teacher comments: ‘The pews are fixed and uncomfortable for children, making it difficult to organise and lead workshops and other activities.’ (ibid). Adults using the church for social and artistic events make similar complaints: ‘It was quite difficult for 130 people to move around and admire the art work with the pews being fixed and immoveable.’ (see letter from Focus Group: 15.7.15 ibid). Only 18% of those questioned in the Village Life Survey (ibid) think that the pews should stay. The placing of art installations and exhibitions, the facilitating of church and community events, music and drama,

14 all require a creative reordering of seating and free movement around the building. A small number of 1876 pews could be retained along the walls of the new baptistery, because, although mass-produced and of little merit, they do form part of the heritage story. The Victorian pews in the choir are of better quality and will be retained, as they contribute to the character and integrity of the chancel, which is often used successfully for small services.

A Disability Access Audit (by Simon Jenkins BSC (H), CMIOSH, AIFE: 29.12.14) concludes that the pews ‘can restrict circulation space and be very uncomfortable for many people… ideally some of the pews should be removed, also to allow space for wheelchairs and families with young children in pushchairs…a mixture of seating options, with or without arms, should be provided for customers or visitors to the building. Whenever feasible, seating should have cushions… removable seating should be provided at various locations…restricted access to aisles due to pillars could be diminished by removable seating’.

12. New Heating

We wish to install a new heating system in the building. The present heating system (an ancient, subterranean, oil-fired boiler) is identified in the DAC report as ‘inadequate’, and ‘old and not effective’ according to the Diocesan Heating Adviser (Richard Taylor: 17.2.15); it is expensive and noisy and gives off pungent fumes. Ventilation grilles in the floor are dangerous for people with high-heels and have been known to melt shoes. New under-floor heating, provided by oil or gas-fired boilers, will help to preserve the fabric of the building, keep equipment free from damp and provide a warmer and more suitable environment for services and events. The boilers ‘could easily be installed in a plant area in the extension’ (ibid). A second report by the Diocesan Heating Advisor (25.4.16), however, indicates that underfloor heating system may not be sufficient to produce and maintain a suitable level of heat, so further investigation by experts will be needed to determine the best option.

Solar photovoltaic panels, fitted on the roof, are needed because they would reduce electricity costs, contribute to church income and be environmentally friendly. They would be hidden from

15 sight behind parapets from most parts of the village, apart from two locations between houses on the High Street, where part of the south slope of the roof can just be seen (see photograph). We believe that this problem is outweighed by public benefit and the need to embrace sustainable energy. The fitting of solar panels also meets one of the criteria of the church’s Environment Policy (based on the sample policy taken from the Diocesan website, which recommends solar panels wherever possible). The Church of England’s lead bishop on the environment, Nicholas Holtam, comments that more than 400 churches and church buildings have solar panels installed (letter to Guardian: 19.5.16) and 200 solar panels have been installed on the roof of Gloucester Cathedral as part of HLF Project Pilgrim, with the support of the Diocese and local community (Guardian: 21.5.16). They are also among the systems recommended by the ChurchCare guidance notes on heating systems. The feasibility of installing solar panels has been confirmed by a local contractor (see quotation from Redmile Energy: 5.6.15). The aesthetic impact would be minimal and we believe that this source of energy would be of great benefit in sustaining our work now and in the future. Solar panels could also reduce the likelihood of lead theft. The installation of solar panels, even if they are visible from certain locations, are likely to be welcomed by many as a contribution to the reduction of our carbon footprint, supported by the Church of England’s own national campaign. Isaac Newton would surely have approved! However, if placing solar panels on the southern slope of the roof is still considered undesirable, heating engineers could be consulted to see if there would be any value in placing them only on the northern slope.

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13. Flooring

Beneath the pew platforms is a void above soil (Graham Cook 2004). As the installation of underfloor heating will necessitate the lifting of the existing stone floor in the nave, aisles and Newton chapel, the plan would be for the installation of a new limestone floor, which would also cover the gratings of the existing heating system and the bare soil beneath the pews, with a consequent benefit for health and safety. Some of the existing flagstones are uneven and part of the floor is concrete made to look like stone. A number of visitors find the atmosphere in the church gloomy and off-putting, especially when the sun is not shining; a new floor of pale limestone would lighten the interior of the church, as it has done in St Andrew’s, Epworth. ‘Chairing a church has huge flooring implications, and a perfectly smooth and hard-wearing surface in keeping with and enhancing the historic feeling and colours of the building, will be essential. It will also improve acoustics for live music.’ (Sacred Space Report ibid). The existing stone slabs would be reused, possibly in the restored Newton Chapel or in one of the side aisles, or sold to off-set the cost of the new floor. The one ledger stone in the existing floor dedicated to Peter Groves, who died aged 100 in 1798, will be retained. The PCC cannot agree with the DAC that the Victorian hot air grilles should be preserved and ‘re-incorporated into the new floor as a decorative feature’ (see report on DAC visit: 30.9.15 ibid).

14. Relocation of Font and Baptistery

The base of the font may date from 1170, and would have been in place when Isaac Newton was baptised in 1642, while the damaged bowl was replaced in 1876. The church’s register, which records the baptism of Isaac Newton, is kept in the archives at Lincoln, but a photograph is displayed in the church. We wish to move the font from in front of the tower to create a baptistery nearer the south church door. We believe that this will be close to the original location and will improve access to the tower. The DAC report (ibid) recognises this need. It also

17 corresponds with CofE canon F1 /1-3 on fonts: https://www.churchofengland.org/about us/structure/churchlawlegis/canons/section - f.aspx

15. Conservation of Features from the Victorian Reordering

Significant improvements and additions were made to the chancel between 1874 and 1877. The furniture and fittings from this period add much to the beauty of the church and will be preserved. They include the mosaic reredos of the Last Supper, stained-glass windows, the Minton tiled floor of the chancel, two hatchments, a painting of Salome with the head of John the Baptist, and the carved oak screen between the chancel and the vestry. Some of these features are in need of minor repair and conservation, including protection from damp, which will be carried out by accredited professionals once their conservation requirements have been determined and conservation reports written. Several pieces of Saxon stonework relating to early Christianity, including an important piece of a cross shaft with an ancient Celtic pattern, deserve to be better known and properly displayed.

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16. New Lighting and Sound System

The church will require new energy-efficient lighting. The present lighting is inadequate and does nothing to enhance the architecture of the building, displays, exhibitions and events. New lighting will facilitate the viewing of heritage artefacts, enhance artwork, provide a spiritual, numinous atmosphere and will improve the learning experience. A number of items, such as the Victorian reredos or the corbel of a bagpiper, could and should be better lit. New lighting and a new sound system, including a hearing enhancement system using induction loop, infrared or radio transmission, are also needed for people with vision or hearing difficulties (Disability audit ibid).

17. Servery

We will install a servery within the church at the west end of the north aisle for the provision of refreshments during events and for use by visitors and the local community, as there is currently no water supply to the church or suitable means of food and drink preparation. When not in use, the servery will be concealed to look like an item of ecclesiastical furniture. There are no plans to provide full café or catering facilities, as space is limited.

18. Bell Tower

The church tower houses six bells, three dating from Newton’s time. The bells are in good condition and were inspected and maintained in 1983. These bells are well-known and used regularly by local bell-ringers. It is possible that we shall be able to encourage newcomers to become bell-ringers.

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s

19. Church Silver

Among the six notable pieces of church silver, there is an inscribed paten and chalice dated 1667 and a second inscribed paten dated 1679. It is possible that one or more of these were donated to the church by Isaac Newton in memory of his mother (who died in 1679), although John Mirehouse maintains that these were the gifts of William Walker (ibid). To be able to use or display these on special occasions, but only when the church is staffed, would be an additional attraction to the church.

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20. Community Activities

With the upgrading and improvements described above, there is scope for a number of new activities which will preserve the church as a place of worship, a public meeting place and a centre for an increased number and range of events. Local primary school children already attend the church for their collective worship, for art workshops and to study the history of their community. Other local schools have pledged support for the creation of a Newton Heritage Teaching and Learning Centre (see list below in para.24). The former Leader of the SKDC wrote: ‘I know that facilities in this locality will be fully used and will fulfil a need for toddlers, teenagers and the not-so-young. There will be an added benefit in that it will bring people into contact with the church who may not ordinarily cross the threshold.’ (ibid)

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There is a village hall with toilets, which is suitable for larger gatherings, but it is situated on the edge of the village, half a mile from the church on foot and nearly three-quarters of a mile by road.

We have already engaged with a number of local organisations to develop closer cooperation and share the facilities of the church. We believe that with the reordering of the church many more activities of this nature will be both possible and popular. An installation of Davy and Kristin McGuire’s Ophelia’s Ghost was commissioned specially for display in the church by Altered: Contemporary Art in Ancient Churches, an Arts Council England and Lincolnshire County Council-sponsored project run by the Diocese of Lincoln, artsNK and the University of Lincoln (September 2014). This attracted over 500 visitors to the church over one weekend. Successful art exhibitions have been staged in the church, including a musical cheese and wine evening preview for local artists as part of the annual church fete weekend (July 2015), which attracted 130 visitors. Another exhibition of work by local artists in church coincided with the annual village fete run jointly by the parish church and the Methodist church on 9 July 2016.

The church played a prominent role in the Grantham’s biennial Gravity Fields Festival (September 2014), for which local school children designed flags and pennants, and which featured on a walk from Grantham to Woolsthorpe Manor entitled ‘Walking with Newton’. This association continued in September 2016, when the church hosted an exhibition of solargraph

23 photos of local places associated with Newton, and shared jointly with Woolsthorpe Manor a re- enactment of plague sufferers relating to the year 1666 when Newton returned home from Cambridge to escape the plague. Further events are planned for September 2018.

The annual Newton weekend in September enables closer cooperation with Woolsthorpe Manor and in 2014, for example, saw the re-enactment of a C17th wedding based on Newton’s half- sister, Hannah Smith, in conjunction with Woolsthorpe Manor. In August 2015 The National Trust in a holiday programme entitled ‘50 Things to do before 11¾’ devised a mapping/navigation trail to take families from the Manor to the Church, where they could follow the new NADFAS-sponsored Church Trail. The annual Isaac Newton Commemoration Service in September 2016 featured as guest speaker Professor Rob Iliffe, Professor of the History of Science at Oxford University and world authority on Newton. In 2017 we hosted a series of workshops for soundLINCS New Tricks, a programme, supported by the Arts Council, to encourage people to play a musical instrument, learn new skills and meet new friends.

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We have recently cooperated with the nearby Grimsthorpe Castle and now feature on their Newton’s Trail, which is designed to attract more visitors to the region.

21. Practical and sustainable activities for adults and young people

The primary purpose, which extends the building’s use as a place of worship, is as a Newton learning centre, which will act as a unique resource in the dialogue between faith, ethics and science. Facilities and resources will include activities and materials which support key elements of the new GCSE religious studies and philosophy (OCR, Edexcel and AQA). It will also provide a venue for creative and expressive arts to the local community and visitors.

These and other functions would materialise in some of the following activities:

 Lectures and educational learning days/sessions  Art installations and exhibitions  Political/ethical/religious/scientific lectures, seminars and debates  Structured film viewing, analysis and debates  Photography exhibitions and lectures  Community lending library  Voting venue for local elections  Workshops and meetings

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 Safeguarding courses  Community classroom workshops  Concerts  Dramatic performance  Soundscapes  Historical contextual drama  Art and photographic society venues  Chess club  Film club  Dance studio  Classroom/educational activities  Weekly coffee mornings or a luncheon club for the retired to meet and chat  Occasional café  Homework clubs  After-school drop-in centre (thanks to a new broadband mast on the tower, we now have free access to the fastest broadband and Wi-Fi connection in the area)  Fund-raising and charity activities such as coffee mornings  Educational activities for school children  Parents’ and toddlers’ group  Debt advice team consultations (with SKDC)  Legal advice in conjunction with Chattertons of Lincoln  Youth events  Branch of Grantham food bank  Flower festivals  Annual Newton festival of art and music  Children’s play groups  WEA/University of the Third Age/adult learning centre.  Exhibition centre activities  Business meetings

22. Support for the project

Support for the project and the reordering of the church has come from a number of local individuals and organisations, including the Parish Council, which has pledged financial support, the District Council, the County Council and from our patrons: Professor Rob Iliffe, Professor of History of Science at Oxford University and a world authority on Isaac Newton The Lord Cormack DL FSA, Chairman Historic Lincoln Trust, Vice-President Lincolnshire Churches Trust and National Churches Trust Neil McCorquodale, Esq., local farmer, land-owner, and uncle to Princes William and Harry.

23. Letters of support

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Letters of support have been received from: The National Trust at Woolsthorpe Manor Nick Boles, MP for Grantham and Stamford Former Leader of the South Kesteven District Council The Colsterworth and District Parish Council Head Teacher, Colsterworth CE Primary School Head Teacher, Great Ponton CE Primary School Head Master, The King’s School, Grantham (Isaac Newton’s old school) Principal, Stamford Endowed Schools Principal, Charles Read Academy, Chairman of Colsterworth Festival of Performing Arts Chairman Colsterworth Focus Group Leader of Colsterworth Brownies Festival Director of Gravity Fields Festival 2012 , 2014 and 2016 Canon Dr Jill Hopkinson, National Rural Officer for the Church of England Conception Architects of Nottingham NADFAS Education and Conservation The Royal Society of Arts () Trinity College, Cambridge Dibner Assistant Curator of History of Science, Medicine and Technology, The Huntingdon Library, California.

24. Consultation

All households in Colsterworth and Woolsthorpe were invited to respond to an article about our plans in the June 2016 edition of the village magazine In Touch. The Village Hall committee has given its approval and support, and the Methodist church community has been asked for comments. A new website for the Project has been created to keep members of the public up-to- date with proposals, plans and developments: www.newtonlearningcentre.co.uk

25. Business Plan

A business plans will be created during the Development Phase of the Lottery bid. Depending on the nature and extent of the improvements to the church, we estimate a total cost in the region of £1 million.

26. Conclusion

To survive, the church has to remain a special place of worship but must also become a multi- purpose building bringing about a closer engagement with the local community and meeting people’s needs, preserving the Newton heritage and providing a local centre for sustainable activities. We believe that our proposals outlined above will fully support our mission to achieve this end, and will be true to the spirit of best practice embodied in the Venice and Burra Charters. We hope that the Diocesan Advisory Committee, Historic England and other bodies will give sympathetic consideration to our plans, which aim to preserve the history and heritage of this ancient church but also adapt it to the needs and wishes of the local community.

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Simon Jowitt, PCC Member and Research Team Leader Peter de Voil, PCC Treasurer and Project Leader Peter Smith, Church Warden and Community Engagement Leader January 2018

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