Julie and I were driving to the Hexham Book Festival – a marvellous few days of authors and events in what has become our favourite town. It was a beautiful morning, so I went the pretty way. Healey is a Grade II listed building, on a minor road, with a handful of houses nearby – NZ014583. The church was built in 1860, tower added 1890.
Nice porch, but every single poster in it was out of date, the details are given of the Vicar who retired a year ago, and the inside noticeboard still has an article dating from 1994 about the Church Commissioners loosing money – depressing. It is not rocket science to have one A4 poster welcoming people into a church, giving a contact number and times of services – but if no one in the church will even do that, one does wonder if there is any point in keeping these churches open.
It’s a nice little church, and there are three rather nice Evetts windows, the life of Cuthbert. Sorry these photos are not brilliant. I tried to find better ones and failed – but I did find this rather good flickr site of Evetts windows.
There are two moderner windows – and they won an award. I don’t like them, but most people writing in the visitors’ book think they are marvellous. If you want to find out more, read this article from The Guardian.
Times change and the porch no longer has old notices, but it is bright, cheerful and with information about how to contact me (the present vicar). It has a lively, small congegation and certainly deserves to stay open fopr a long, long time!
Thanks Helen. Hope you’re settling in. I must come and explore the rest of your churches.