Re-ordering of St Mary's

It was decided, both for aesthetic and practical reasons, that it would be best to replace the wooden floor with a stone floor with under-floor heating. As a result it became apparent that it would be impossible to restore the old pews. It was therefore agreed, albeit reluctantly by some, that the old pews be permanently removed and replaced by chairs. Since this work has been undertaken many who were disappointed that the pews had to be removed have now accepted the chairs as being a positive change, enabling the church building to be used in a variety of ways for the benefit of the whole community as well as for Church members.

The following pictures show the progress of the work that was undertaken to replace the floor and the transformation that has resulted. There are also a few to show how the church building can now be used for the community's enjoyment with the first Christmas Tree Festival that took place in December 2006 a year after the work was begun.
 

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1) These are the original pews with carpeting down the aisles. 2) & 3) The carpet was removed, the pews taken out and the floor taken up. If you click on picture 3) it is clearly seen how the pews on the south side were fixed to the wall. The same was true of those in the North Aisle. 4) The under-floor heating was laid. 5) The new tiles, made by the same manufacturer of the tiles already in the church dating back over a century and a half, are laid. It was a recommendation made by the architect that there was a clear deliniation showing where the pews had been for historical records so a line of rectangular tiles were laid around the diamond shaped ones.
 

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