Nottingham
St Philip

Glass

It is known that some of the glass at St Philip’s was replaced, but only limited evidence has been found to identify the original glazing scheme. The photographs available mainly date from about 1963 being taken as the church faced closure and demolition. Fortunately an advert for a Sale of Work which can be dated to 1910-14 shows the original glazing in the chancel apse. None of the windows are known to have survived. Some of the information recorded below is from personal memory.

Click on the blue numbers for details of each window.

North Aisle

One of the north
aisle windows

Windows 1 to 4

Four pairs of small lights. Five of the eight were filled with stained glass depicting saints. They were possibly the work of Kempe and Company and were a gift from Mrs Mabel Player wife of John Player the cigarette manufacturer. The other three were filled with lozenge shaped Cathedral glass slightly tinted blue and green.

Chancel Apse

Window 5

No definite information available, but this window is thought to have been glazed with Cathedral glass with lozenge pattern leading.

Windows in the apse
as in 1963
Photograph of 1910-14
showing original
apse windows

Windows 6 to 10

Each of these windows was a tall recessed single pointed light terminating at the springing point of the arch, which was completed with a circular light topped by a small triangle of glazing. Similar glazed spandrels filled the small areas between the lower half of the roundel and the curve of the arch. A photograph taken in 1963 records the three central lights and parts of the other two. The central one (Window 8) depicts the crucifixion and in Window 9 is possibly St George.

These windows were replaced in 1919 as a War Memorial to the men of the parish who died in World War I. Fund raising started in January 1919 and the sum of £310 5s 6d was raised by September of that year. Local dignitaries contributed including John and Mabel Player £10 each, Oliver Hind, Solicitor £2 2s 0d and Thomas Fish Builder £1 1s 0d. A strawberry tea raised £4 10s 0d, but most of the subscriptions were less than £1 and came from the local community.

Two stained glass manufacturers were invited to bid for the work. A Mr Stoddart about whom nothing is known and Gascoyne’s a local company with works in the town on Shakespeare Street. The work was awarded to Gascoyne’s at a cost of £200. The final cost was £292.

Prior to the 1919 replacement the glazing was plain glass set in small squared lead.

Vestries

Window 11

A window in the same style as Windows 1 to 4, but with plain leaded glazing. The room had been divided to form two vestries with one light in each.

South Aisle

Windows 12 to 15

Four pairs as Windows 1 to 4, but with Cathedral glass set in lozenge pattered leaded glazing

Window 16

A single light. Plain leaded glazing

West Windows

All the west windows were re-glazed in 1884 as described below. The cost was met by the ‘vicar and two or three members of the congregation’.

Windows 17 and 22

Two single windows, one at the end of each of the aisles. Each had two lights with a roundel filling the arch. Glazing not identified.

West end showing
Windows 18 & 21
The rose window above
the other west windows

Windows 18 and 21

Set part way up the gable wall these windows were either side of the west door. Much larger then others in the church, each had three pointed lights rising from the sill, the central one extending above those on either side. A large circular light rested on the point of the central light and two smaller circular lights over the outer verticals filled the arch. The larger light had quatrefoil tracery and the smaller ones trefoils. All these lights were glazed with stained glass carrying geometric designs.

Window 19

A large rose window with eight petals and glazing coloured stained glass.

Window 20

This small window was set high in the west gable. It had three lights. The central one being slightly taller than the outer two. Glazing: cathedral glass in lozenge pattern lead.

Clerestory

Three lights of equal size over each arch occupied most of the wall space of the clerestory walls. They were glazed with cathedral glass set in small leaded squares. Having these twelve lights each side made the church very light especially in the late morning when the sunlight came from the south.