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Churches which still retain west gallery
features or connections |
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Bottisham,
Holy
Trinity |
"Perhaps the best church in the
County, with stone chancel screen, and wooden parcloses. (CEPC)
Gallery 1839. (RCHME) (No ref. in
Pevsner). |
|
Conington,
St
Mary |
Nave rebuilt in 1737. 18th C.
gallery. (RCHME) (No ref. in Pevsner). |
|
Gamlingay,
St Mary the Virgin |
17th C. gallery,(RCHME) made up of parts,
probably of a parclose screen. |
|
Swaffham Prior,
St Cyriac |
There are two ruinous churches in
one churchyard, overlooking the village street - St Mary and St
Cyriac. The latter has box pews and a little gallery. (CEPC) |
|
Trumpington,
St Mary and St
Michael |
Modern
west gallery (after 1950), with splat balusters and used for
organ. |
|
Wimpole,
St Andrew |
"A church in the squire's back
yard". 14th C. in origin, it was almost entirely rebuilt by Flitcoft in 1749.
Gallery with turned balusters, together with other fittings also of that date.
Remarkable series of monuments. (CEPC)
“Inside little survives of the good manners of the
C18, and the west gallery of 1887 with its elephantiasis of
Gothic forms leaves one bewildered.”
(Pevsner) |
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Churches which are known to have had west
gallery features or connections |
|
Cambridge,
St Benedict |
In the 18th C. there was a west gallery with
organ, as shown in a watercolour of circa 1800. Writer in Illustrated London
News in 1857 called it "an ugly organ loft".
The 1830s vestry archives
include "Duties and Emoluments of the Sexton", which include "To keep order
in the Church and Gallerys, and attend to the opening of the Pews." The
organ loft was removed in the 1860s.
In the later19th C. the
"delightfully soft little organ" gave way to a harmonium. But this was merely a
temporary measure. An organ was essential in the climate of the 1870s and an
appeal stated that several ladies had undertaken to collect subscriptions,
"feeling confident that the Parishioners and their friends will be glad to
contribute liberally towards this important means of producing heartiness in
the Choral portions of the service". As a result, a second hand Elliott organ
was purchased, and in the 1890s the patrons agreed to the use of their seats in
the chancel by a "competent surpliced choir". (Guide
Book). |
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Wisbech,
presumed to be St Peter & St Paul
|
In the 18th C. the church had galleries on north,
south and west sides, together with a second upper gallery on south side. All
removed in 1857. |
