Stanford on Soar
STANFORD ON SOAR CHURCH. There is a service for Ascension Day, ( Thursday 25th) at Stanford church of Choral BCP Holy Communion at 7pm, using Merbecke’s communion setting. All welcome.
SPRING FETE. The church of St John the Baptist at Stanford on Soar, the furthest south in Nottinghamshire, and so the most southerly parish in the whole of the northern province of York.
The church, which is not mentioned in the Domesday Book, was at one time dedicated to John the Baptist and St Luke, but in 1922 St Luke was dropped from its title.
From the beginning of Queen Elizabeth I’s reign until 1967, the owner of Stanford Hall was the patron of Stanford Church.
Stanford, present population in the region of 120, has always been a small village. In the year 1743 the following church return on the village was made: “In this parish there are only eleven families”.
Major restoration of the church occurred in 1893-4 and was due to the great generosity of Mr Richard Ratcliff, then owner of Stanford Hall and its patron. The alterations were extensive.
The story goes that Richard Ratcliffe had five daughters and one of them died before she married so her father spent her dowry on the chancel.
At the end of the 20th century there were great changes in the village.
The village was effectively moved from the field near the river and was almost rebuilt. Many of the houses were built by Richard Ratcliff whose initials are on some of the houses and on the attractive village pump.
He also built a new school on the outskirts of the village to replace the small one.
The annual Spring Fete is being held at 2pm on Saturday this weekend, May 20 when there will be teas and cakes, Skittles, Coconut-shy, a White Elephant stall; and a Bring n’ Buy. At the church that afterno
on at 4pm there will be a Special Service of Evensong for Rogationtide with uest Preacher, Rev’d Canon Jack Higham
The organisers say they hope also to have a good sized stock of homemade marmalade.
Help is needed in making the event a success and anyone able to volunteer assistance is asked to please contact Jamie Taylor at Jamie.taylor1662@gmail.com
The event not only importantly raises money for the upkeep of the Parish Church it also provides an excellent opportunity for a chance for people to join together locally.