Gringley on the Hill Parish Church

Key contacts

Priest-in-charge:
Rev. Jonathan Smithurst
Tel: 01777 817364

Church wardens:
Ann Marie Morley
Tel: 01777 818823

Hugo Dunkley
Tel: 01777 816003
 

A parish church has stood in Gringley on the Hill for a thousand years, and the present building has served our community for more than eight centuries. The church is used for regular Sunday and midweek services, as well as a cultural centre, as a setting for drama, music and exhibitions. The Church is also used by the thriving St. Peter’s Primary School in Gringley, for special occasions such as Harvest Festival and Christingle.

Services
Gringley on the Hill Parish is now grouped with Clayworth, Everton and Mattersey, and schedules of services for all four churches are planned together. Rev. Jonathan Smithurst was recently appointed the new Priest-in-charge of this group, and was installed in a service at Everton Parish Church on 3rd April 2006. Full details of service times are displayed on the Church Notice Board, just to the left of the entrance gate from High Street, in the Beacon, and in the monthly newsletter.

We try to provide a range of services, and everyone is welcome to attend any of the services. Holy Communion services are either according to the 1662 Book of Common Prayer, or Common Worship – Traditional language. The style of Holy Communion service is shown on the service listing. Regular Family Services are held about every eight weeks, and we also have services of Morning Prayer. Most services at Gringley are at 9.30 a.m., but once every six weeks (or thereabouts) the service will be at 8.00 a.m. On special festivals and on 5th Sundays in the month, a joint service for the whole benefice is held, which is usually the only service in the benefice on that day.

Sundays

Services for the next few weeks are as follows, all at Gringley unless stated otherwise.

2008

Sunday 6th July 10.00 a.m. Holy Communion – joint service for all four parishes
Wednesday 9th July 9.30 a.m. Holy Communion
Sunday 13th July 9.30 a.m. Morning Prayer with Holy Baptism
Sunday 20th July 9.30 a.m. Pets Family Service
Sunday 27th July 9.30 a.m. Morning Prayer
Sunday 3rd August 9.30 a.m. Morning Prayer with Holy Baptism
Sunday 10th August 8.00 a.m. Holy Communion (BCP)
Sunday 17th August 9.30 a.m. All Age Holy Communion
Sunday 24th August 9.30 a.m. Morning Prayer
Sunday 31st August 10.00 a.m. Holy Communion at Everton – joint service

Family Services are held every other month. There is a well-stocked children’s corner, and nappy changing facilities, so children of all ages are very welcome. The next Family Services are on Sunday 20th July and Sunday 17th August.

There are occasional sung evensongs which are detailed in the “Beacon” (see below) and on the church notice board.

Wednesdays
A mid-week service of Holy Communion is held once a month on Wednesdays, rotating round the Parishes.

Thursdays
There is a service of Morning Prayer every Thursday morning at Clayworth at 9.30 a.m.

Full details of all services are shown monthly in the diary section of the Gringley on the Hill village magazine
“The Beacon”, in the Church Newsletter, and on the external church notice board.
 

Access to church
Unfortunately, it is not possible to keep the Church open when services are not taking place. However, if you would like access to the church at other times, arrangements can be made. Please call one of the church wardens who will be able to make appropriate arrangements.


Bell Ringing
Gringley Church has an enthusiastic and active Bell Ringing Group, which practises at 10.00 a.m. on Saturday mornings, and rings at Sunday services, and for special occasions. The bells were augmented to six in January 2002, with the additional of two new bells. For further information, please contact the Tower Captain, Ann Marie Morley on 01777 818823. Visiting ringing groups are always welcome.


Choir
Gringley Church has an active choir, which sings at Sunday services and on special occasions. Practices take place as required, and usually on Wednesdays. We are always keen to have new members, either for the regular Sunday choir or for special occasions – please contact the Choirmaster – Hugo Dunkley on 01777 816003, for further information.
 

St. Peter’s Primary School
St. Peter’s School is a Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary school and is well supported by the community. A recent project to provide additional teaching and staff accommodation has just been completed, and provides much enhanced facilities. For further information, please contact the school on 01777 817330


Upcoming events:
2008
Details of forthcoming events will be posted as they are known.

A Brief History
A Church is recorded at Gringleia super Montem in the Domesday Survey of 1066, though nothing visible now remains of that Saxon building. After the Norman Conquest much of the land in north Nottinghamshire, including the Rectory of Gringley, was given to Roger de Busli, a favourite of King William I. Roger's estate passed to Sir William de Lovetot, a great benefactor of the Church, who in 1103 founded an Augustinian Convent in Worksop, endowing it "with all lands, tithes and things belonging" to a number of churches, including Gringley. Before the appointment of our first Vicar, Augustinian "Black Canons" from Worksop Priory, risking the dangers of Sherwood Forest, travelled fifteen miles along its tracks to celebrate Mass in this remote place hemmed in by forest on three sides and treacherous swamps to the north. Then Canons' Houses were built just to the South of the Churchyard. and a small community of priests moved in to serve Gringley and neighbouring parishes. The present Church, dedicated to the Apostles Peter and Paul, was begun around 1180, and originally consisted of Chancel and Nave, with a squat Tower at the West end. There was probably (see below) already a chapel on the site of the present Lady Chapel, possibly for the exclusive use of the Augustinian Canons, and the building imitates some features of their Priory at Worksop.

The Augustinian Canons served this parish until 22 November 1272, when Will de Burghes was instituted as the first Vicar. From that day unti1995 the parish had its own incumbent. Will and his successors were for centuries dependent for their living on tithes - a proportion of the produce from farms in the Parish - and would have sat to receive them at the Butter Cross, the shaft of which survives at the top of Cross Hill near the Churchyard gate. The Prior and Canons of Worksop remained Patrons of the Living, with the right to appoint the Vicar, until the dissolution of the monasteries in the sixteen-century.

Patronage is now in the hands of the Lord Bishop of Southwell, whose Diocese includes the whole of Nottinghamshire.

Further information can be found in the “Short Guide for Visitors” which is available inside the church.

Access to Information
We welcome to the church those seeking information about ancestors with connections with Gringley on the Hill. It should be noted that the churchyard was closed in 1910, and after that date burials have taken place in the Parish Cemetery which is located on the approach to the Village from Bawtry. All old parish records – weddings, funerals, baptisms etc – are held by Nottinghamshire Archives and the Southwell Diocese Record Office in Nottingham. Contact telephone No. 0115 958 1634 or visit the website www.nottscc.gov.uk and follow links to the archives.
 

This page will be regularly updated. Last update – 7 July 2008

Copyright: Gringley on the Hill Parochial Church Council

The section entitled “Brief History” is an extract from “A short Visitors Guide” written by Ivon Baker in collaboration with Ian Robinson, which made extensive use of researches of the late Leslie Ellis and Henry Minta.