Come Ye Blessed...
EAST BRIDGFORD : CHURCH OF ST PETER
Church Post Code NG13 8PE
Open to Visitors
There were two Belvoir Angel gravestones recorded in the Heathcote's study; with these to be found close together to the south of the church but over to the east close to the chancel.
The first of the two Belvoir Angels to be found here has some faded unreadable script across the top of the stone.
It reads 'Here lies the body of Elizabeth the wife of John Upton. She died the 5th day of May 1728 aged 57 years.
'Remember all as you pass by. As you are now so once was I'
A familiar reminder/warning to those looking on that they will go the same way as the deceased; therefre live a good Christian life, trust in God and do not be caught short when your own time comes.
'Come Ye Blessed' is written across the top of the stone to Thomas Blagg, with the text flanked by the crossed bones and hourglass symbols.
The stone reads 'Here lies the body of Thomas Blagg who departed this life Decemr the 6th 1707 aged 52 years.
Grieve not for me my glass is run It is the Lord his will be done.
Fascinating to think that we have a stone here from someone who was born during the time of the English Civil War and who was a child when the bubonic plague swept through the country.
SOME NOTES FROM MY VISIT
It was a Saturday of changeable weather in early October 2026. The hot UK summer of that year saw record temperatures and five recorded heatwaves. The rains had finally come and the grass, which had turned in to a colour similar to the stonework in many of the local ironstone churches, had come out of its dormant state and was green again (at least in parts).
We had started off the day by doing three small gardening jobs before heading off to a football match in Nottingham; with Notts Olympic entertaining Arnold Town in the Nottinghamshire Senior Football League. In between there was the chance to do a two church crawl (if two churches could be construed to be a crawl); starting off with a visit to Muston in Leicestershire before moving on to the church of St Peter at East Bridgford.
This was a revisit, having previously visited here back in the late summer of 2020; travelling when able in accordance with covid restrictions; mainly to photograph the Belvoir Angel gravestones. As with the majority of churches at that time, it was closed to visitors. The church was open on the revisit; arriving in bright sunshine and departing under a leaden sky with steady rain.
The village itself can be found in the Rushcliffe Borough of Nottinghamshire; recording a population of 1763 at the time of the census of 2021 (or was that a population of 2021 in the census of 1763). Situated against the south bank of the River Trent Nottingham is around ten miles away to the south west with Bingham a short distance away to the south. There is a great deal of history here with the village close to the Fosse Way; a major Roman road which ran from Exeter to Lincoln with Margidunum, a Roman fort situated close by between East Bridgford and Bingham.
The village was mentioned in the Domesday Survey of 1086, with a church and priest recorded in Land owned by Roger of Bully. The church of St Peter stands off to the west of the village, in pleasant surroundings, on raised ground.
surroundings, on raised ground.
The church that we see today consists of west tower, nave with north and south aisles and clerestories, south porch, north Lady Chapel and organ chamber and chancel.
There is a great history of Christian worship on this site, possibly exceeding 1000 years, with evidence of the Saxon church mentioned in the Domesday Survey with foundations uncovered and some free standing stone still standing in the south wall of the chancel and fragments internally in the west tower.
This early church was rebuilt during the early 13th century, between 1200 and 1220, with the lower stages of the west tower and the chancel dating from this time.
There was further rebuilding in the years leading up to the Black Death in the 14th century. At that time the nave was enlarged, with aisles and transepts added with the chancel arch being rebuilt and south porch built. At this time a chantry chapel was founded by William Dayncourt, a powerful landowner who was the principal keeper of King John II of France during his captivity following his capture in 1356 at the Battle of Poitiers during the 100 Years War. It is thought that the chantry that he set up would have been in the south transept.
As with many churches the walls were heightened and clerestories added during the 15th century, at which point an east window was added.
During the 18th century the fabric of the church was in decay; major restoration at that time saw both transepts pulled down with each aisle being extended eastwards to cover where the transepts had stood. Roofs were replaced with the west tower also being substantially rebuilt.
In 1862 there was some internal restoration with a west gallery being removed and existing pews being replaced by benches along with the lady chapel and organ chamber being rebuilt at that time.
There was major restoration in the early years of the 20th century, with the work completed in two stages. This included the underpinning of the chancel and tower; following cracks appearing in each with the church being reroofed throughout.
There are eight bells in the ring here with the first two of the ring being modern; being added by Taylor of Loughborough in 2002. The third of the ring is dated 1649 and was cast by George I Oldfield of Nottingham in 1649. The same founder also cast the fifth of the ring in 1631, with this bell being inscribed ‘IESVS BE OVR SPEDE’.
The Hedderly family who were also Nottingham founders also added bells here, recasting two existing bells. In 1778 Thomas Hedderly I recast the fourth of the ring; this being inscribed ‘Glory to God on High’. A year later Thomas II Hedderly recast the eighth of the ring; this having the inscription ‘I to the church the living call and to the grave I summon all’.
This leaves bells number six and seven each of which were cast recast by Taylor of Loughborough in 1870 and 1844 respectively.
The visitor enters from a lychgate to the south; the path leading to the south porch lined with lavender on both sides, which on my initial visit was in full bloom with the constant buzzing of bees. Standing a little higher the path is flanked by slate gravestones from 18th and 19th centuries.
The three stage west tower is made with the most beautiful, delicately coloured stone, which I believe is Triassic Sherwood Sandstone; this also being used on the south porch. The tower is the only part of the church that is not heavily buttressed and is battlemented with corner pinnacles, each of which has a weathervane.
The date of rebuilding is commemorated by a date stamp on the south face which reads ‘The tower was rebuilt and the church roofed newed and repaired in the year of our Lord 1778 Moore Archt’. My spell checker did not care for the word ‘newed’.
The south porch has a modern statue of St Peter holding the keys to the kingdom of Heaven in an older image niche which doubtless would have held a similar statue before the reformation.
The clerestory takes the form of three square headed three light windows; a plain parapet can be seen at the clerestory stage and along the south aisle, where is rises to an apex at its eastern end. Gargoyles of high quality look out from the clerestory and aisle; with the latter taking the form of grotesque winged beasts; one in particular catching the eye, this taking on more of a human form with tiny wings which really don’t seem to be fit for purpose.
The chancel roof is steeply pitched tile; the east window is of five lights with intricate tracery. A bench is set against the chancel wall looking east. This would have been a pleasant place to sit and rest awhile; at least for twenty minutes or so when the rain arrived.
