Sad day for village as final service held at church
of a village church congregation have spoken of their sadness after the final service was held there.
The fate of Holy Trinity Church in Milford is unclear following its closure due to falling numbers of worshippers and high maintenance costs.
The Grade II-listed church was built in 1848 and has undergone several extensions and numerous repairs since then, including the creation of a vestry and church room in 1909.
Now the church has conducted its final service and the building has been handed over to the Diocese of Derby.
The Rev Geoffrey Marshall, 73, was the vicar of the church between 1978 and 1986 and says it is still very important to him and the local community.
He said: “It’s always sad when a place where one’s worked, whether a school or hospital, it’s just as sad to see it go when you knew it lively.”
Mr Marshall was invited back to conduct the final service last Sunday before the congregation moves to join worshippers at Hazelwood church.
The upkeep and refurbishment of the building is said to be beyond existing resources.
It is not known what is planned for Holy Trinity Church, but Mr Marshall believes that because it is unable to be modernised it will have to be sold and repurposed.
He said: “Church buildings are sometimes in the wrong place, the populations move, or with that one, for example, I think it has gone beyond repair again.
“It’s like repairing your house, sometimes it’s better just to move and rebuild it again. It needs a new roof, it needs new heating, it’s in a very awkward position with no car park so it’s probably incapable of being modernised. “What’s actually going to happen with it, I don’t know, what the authorities are planning on doing with it, I’m not sure.” Mr Marshall said that he hoped that elements of the church would be preserved.
One of its stained glass windows, in particular, should be saved, he believes, after it was installed in memory of a young couple, Paul and Bridget Ashley, who died in a car accident in the 1980s.
“There’s a rather lovely window that is a memorial to two people who died in 1980 while I was there, and I knew them well,” he said.
“We lost our Sunday school teacher and our organist then and I suspect the place hasn’t quite recovered since then.
“When you lose the two youngest star members, if you like, that rather shattered the place.
“But I hope that window can, in some way, be saved.”
John Morrissey, 75, from Belper, added: “The striking window commemorates Bridget and Paul Ashley, a young couple and parents; former students at Herbert Strutt School, Belper.
“Both were active participants in the life of this church, they tragically died together in a car accident in 1980.
“The glass was made by the emiMEMBERS nent artist Patrick Reyntiens and was installed in 1984.”
Mr Morrissey said the church is a big part of the community.
He said: “I’m interested in Milford as a historic community, and I’m sad to see the church go.
“I’d say a church is important to every community and it’s going to be more difficult for those without cars, as there’s no bus service from Milford to Hazelwood.
“I’m sad to see it go.”
The future of the building now rests in the hands of the Diocese of Derby.
It’s going to be more difficult for those without cars, as there’s no bus service from Milford to Hazelwood John Morrissey