St. Margaret's church in Hawes

When I started this blog a week or so ago, I didn't think I'd be posting windows in such bad condition as this from the outside. I think I have failed to show just how pushed out some of these panes are and the stonework certainly needs a bit of attention.

This is the same window from the inside. It's a petty little window - I like these simple window in churches. In some places you get as little decoration a just a little border round the edge. I'd imagine it costs an arm and a leg to fill your church with spectacular and unique glass but it doesn't seem to need a lot of colour to lift the atmosphere of the building.

Oh dear, this poor thing really has seen better days.

The windows at St Margaret's in Hawes don't seem to be on a down hill slide though as two of the windows (at least) have been recently restored.

It's quite a good idea to restore a window in somebody's memory and you get a little pane in the middle of the window to say so. I have to admit that on most memorial windows (and most windows in churches are), I pay little attention to who the window is for and more on what the window is about. Here it is certainly more obvious who the window is for.

And this one as a retirement gift for some ex churchwardens.

The Millennium seems to have been bonanza time for stained glass makers with communities up and down the length of the country wanting new windows. Doesn't seem to be different in Hawes.

Information on the window seems to be quite scanty. I saw nothing in the church save what was written on the glass.

 

A good rake on the net suggests that it was made by Sep Waugh, who has a stained glass studio in York and no web presence at all. From other windows of his, I could see he signed his windows with his initials and a hand holding up a sword. If  I had known this when I looked at the window it might have made finding the signature easier. I eventually found it tucked away on the right hand side by blowing my photos up to full size (it looks like it might be engraved on)

Having confirmed that the artist is correct, I am inclined to believe the other information I have on the window. The right hand frame features John Wesley preaching from a horse above a monk making cheese in Jervaulx Abbey. You can visit their  website and which tells that the Abbey was where Wensleydale cheese was first made (now a major industry in Hawes). Below that are the Knitters of Gayle. According to the AA, Gayle is a village 0.7 miles away from Hawes. This section from the left hand frame looks very like the last train to visit the station that I saw at the  museum when I was there - it is crossing the Appersett Viaduct here.