Tours on behalf of the
Church Monuments Society

If you want to know more about this organisation please contact:- The President, Church Monuments Society, The Vicarage, St Barnabas Road, Walthamstow, London E17 8JZ

 

European Capital of Culture
Saturday 3rd May 2008
LIVERPOOL

 

My past visits to this City have been either to the ferry terminal or to watch football, never to look at churches except for the Cathedral.
However, as this is a special year it might be interesting to look at some of the church buildings that reflect the complex history of a once great seaport.
The intention is to visit at least four varied buildings, Walton St Mary a medieval church entirely rebuilt in the 19th century, Toxteth Chapel a 17th century non conformist building, All Saints Childwall a real medieval church and Wavertree Holy Trinity a Georgian building. The tour will start from Liverpool Lime Street Station at about 1030 and will be back there by 6pm. Lunch will be provided during the day along with information notes and at some stops there will be short background talks. The advantage of such a tour is that the churches will be open, difficult in any urban area at anytime to get access, and you don’t have to contend with both the unfamiliar traffic and street layouts.
The cost for the day will be £18 for members and £22 for non members, all cheques to be made payable to the Church Monuments Society please. Meeting times and itinerary will be confirmed and sent out by the end of March.

I would like to book …….. place( s) on the Liverpool Tour of 3rd May 2008.
Please find enclosed a cheque made payable to the Church Monuments Society for £……..
Please return this slip with payment to: Robin Millerchip, 10 Newton Villas, Coxhoe, Durham DH6 4JF

NAME:………………………………………………….
ADDRESS:……………………………………………..
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Tel or Email:……………………………………………

 

An Overseas Adventure
Saturday 21st June 2008
The Isle of Wight

 

I will be the first to admit that this is a bit adventurous in terms of logistics, but it is a very attractive place that has some very interesting churches and monuments.
Times will be confirmed in late January, but probable scenario is to meet at Portsmouth Harbour Station around 1000am for a ferry to Ryde, and then ensuring a ferry is connected with for the return arriving at Harbour Station around 6pm.
Where to go? The possible hit list is varied and includes Quarr Abbey if arrangements can be made, Whippingham for its memorials of Queen Victoria’s family, possibly Newport for one very fine 17th monument, maybe Merstone which is difficult access, hopefully Godshill both for its monuments and wall paintings, and also Brading for its rare wooden effigy. Steam trains are also puffing in the background….
As usual lunch will be included in the charge of £18 members/£22 non members, but in this instance bookings must be made by the beginning of June so that it is clear as to whether there is a sufficient level of support for this adventure.
The final times and itinerary will be sent out at the end of April, and so far initial response suggests that this will be very popular, so don’t wait until the last minute to book!

I would like to book …….. place( s) on the Isle of Wight Tour and enclosed cheque made payable to the Church Monuments Society for £…….. at the rate of £18 members £22 non members.
Please return this slip with payment to:
Robin Millerchip, 10 Newton Villas, Coxhoe, Durham DH6 4JF

NAME:………………………………………….
ADDRESS:……………………………………..
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Tel or Email:…………………………………..

 

Saturday 18th October 2008
Prime Middlesex

 

This will be the last tour that I directly lead as Hon Excursions Secretary, do not all shout Hurrah!!! at once. We have visited all the original medieval parishes in the old and now long defunct county of Middlesex, but in doing so many have been surprised at the rich variety of buildings and their contents as well as the visual delights that have also appeared quite unexpectedly. We have seen every type of setting from chocolate box to worst concrete jungle in the course of the last twenty odd years of exploring the area, and as a Society have been involved in helping some such as Enfield in fund raising for monument repair and in others such as West Twyford given encouragement to hard pressed repair programmes. We have also witnessed the potential threat of modern civilisation; Heathrow Airport may yet be responsible for the demolition of one, two or possibly three ancient churches. Many members have discovered new interests in that time via these visits, whether it be studying angels on headstones, heraldry on ledger stones, or just marvelling at the knowledge of others. I have not decided where this last tour will go as yet, although there are some ‘themes’ that I could work around. You can help me decide by sending on a postcard your 3 churches in Middlesex that you wish to see (whether for the first or umpteenth time) and why. Only a postcard and it can be anonymous. Decisions will be made in July and communicated to all in the form of an itinerary. Whatever the result start and finish times will be around 1000am and 6pm, lunch will be included, and the price is £18 members and £22 non members made payable to the Church Monuments Society.

I would like to book …….. places for the Prime Middlesex Tour and enclose a cheque for £…….. at the rate of £18 members and £22 non members made payable to the Church Monuments Society.
Please return this slip to:
Robin Millerchip, 10 Newton Villas, Coxhoe, Durham DH6 4JF

NAME:………………………………………………….
ADDRESS:……………………………………………..
………………………………………………………….
………………………………………………………….
………………………………………………………….
Tel or Email:……………………………………………
Pick up times will be confirmed when summer Rail Timetable published

 

 

Wednesday 27th August 2008
IPSWICH

 

A large and prosperous medieval trading town and inland port, famous for being the home of Cardinal Wolsey and Sir Alf Ramsey (the only successful England football manager).
Ipswich still has a good number of medieval or medieval foundation churches (as well as a stunning chapel of national importance) although sadly some are no longer in use for worship and some no longer in use period. The intention is to arrange access to as many of the buildings as possible and to arrange local experts to tell us about them. This will be a walking tour but at a gentle pace with frequent stops to accommodate heat/rain/snow/blizzards/floods as appropriate. Lunch and refreshments will be arranged and we will meet at the Railway Station around 1030ish and will finish by 6pm at the latest (but probably earlier).
Cost will be £18 for members and £22 non members made payable to the Church Monuments Society. Although not as grand a town as Norwich, there are still 14 church buildings ranging from Norman to late Georgian worth rattling around in although in some this is limited due to change of use.

Please reserve …….. places on the day tour of Ipswich at a cost of £18 members and £22 non members for which I enclose payment of £……. Made payable to the Church Monuments Society. .
Please return this slip to:
Robin Millerchip, 10 Newton Villas, Coxhoe, Durham DH6 4JF

NAME:………………………………………….
ADDRESS:…………………………………….. 
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Phone or email…………………………………