The Parish of St Martin Owston Ferry In the Isle of Axholme Deanery
The Church The church is a Grade 1 listed building and is situated at the west end of the village, standing in what was once the northern bailey of a Norman motte and bailey castle; remains of the motte (mound) and surrounding ditches can be seen to the south of the church. The south aisle is the oldest part of the present church with 15th century windows added. The north aisle windows are the same period but were re-used when the aisle was rebuilt in 1844 using yellow London brick. The tower dates from the 14th century. The Archway The vestry dates from 1823 and in 1835 an organ was placed in a loft in the tower. In 1840 the church porch was replaced, probably of similar design to the original. The Gothic triple archway at the entrance to the church grounds was erected in 1859. The church comprises a late 13th century south arcade, 14th to 15th century north arcade, tower, south aisle, chancel and north aisle windows. There is a stained-glass east window of 1836 by Thomas Ward of Lincoln and also stained glass north aisle windows of 1847 by Wailes of Newcastle. A medieval mensa slab reset as an altar can be found in the south aisle. This was discovered during Victorian restoration work. The stone bears the five crosses which would be anointed by the priest during Mass. The Chancel has a gothic-style 7-bay screen of 1913 by H G Gamble of Lincoln, with Perpendicular tracery, coved hood and rood above with carved wooden figures. The Baptistry The Baptistry The baptistry contains a 19th century Gothicstyle octagonal font brought from Woodhall Spa, Lincolnshire. From 1820 to 1862 the Revd. William Brocklehurst Stonehouse M.A., D.C.L. was vicar of the church. He also served as Archdeacon of Stow from 1844 to 1862. Together with his wife, Elizabeth, and his sister-in-law Francis Sandars he made many additions to the church and village. Revd. Stonehouse is well known locally for his comprehensive publication The History and Topography of the Isle of Axholme, published in 1839. Part of the phase two restoration, which was completed in 2014, included the fitting of a completely new oil-fired heating system. At the same time, a new lighting system was installed, incorporating low energy fittings. This has made a vast improvement to, what was, a cold and dimly lit church. Ongoing work includes repairs to the windows and complete redecoration. 1 The Nave
St Martin s Church Year This beautiful church is open in summertime for anyone to visit. It has close links with the community. Children are among those who come into the church which has valued relationships with the local school. The aim of the church family is to be approachable. Come along and you will see that it is inclusive and hospitable. St Martin's hosts a range of activities and the church is a place for creativity, humour and fun. Of course we can be serious but laughter is an important part of church life. Spirituality with a smile, you might say. Harvest Pew decoration Regular services are held at 9.15 am each Sunday, apart from the 5th Sunday in a month, when there is a Deanery Service held at churches around the Isle of Axholme. The services at St Martin s vary, in that Holy Communion is sung or there is a Service of the Word. At Christmas, a Christingle Service is held in church attended by a large number of children and their parents. There is also a Carol Service as well as a Crib blessing on Christmas Eve. Christmas Communion is held on Christmas morning. relationships with the local school. Easter Services comprise Good Friday Children's Workshop in the morning and a Deanery Service in the evening, with Holy Communion on Easter Sunday. On Ascension Day there is an evening service. Regular family services are held in the afternoon. A Harvest Service is held in the afternoon, and all donations of tinned food are given to the Forge Project in Scunthorpe, an organisation which helps the poor. The week after the Harvest Service a quiz evening is held in the Coronation Hall, and is attended by up to 80 people, who enjoy a quiz together with a 2 course buffet supper, prepared by members of the congregation. The proceeds are put to church funds. Regular family services are held in the afternoon and a coffee morning or afternoon tea is held annually as a fund raiser. 2
The Music at St Martin's Church The singing heard every week at St Martin's Church has always been strong. The services held most Sundays at 9.15 am are usually held in the choir stalls and this closeness helps to make the singing vibrant and sincere. The organist likes to round off the service with a memorable voluntary which is widely appreciated by the congregation. The organ is over 100 years old and has given excellent service over the years. It can easily lead a full church with the singing. There are occasional concerts and special services for the church festivals such as Harvest, Christmas and Easter. The organist is conscious of the history of the church which dates back to the 13th century. The church is a favourite for wedding couples and the organist tries to take the couple through the wedding pieces that might appeal to them. Church music is there to help us praise the Lord and to unify the congregation so we all sing to Him with one voice. Village Life and Charities Owston Ferry is what you make of it. With a population of about 1500 people in Owston Ferry, Kelfield and Gunthorpe, there is no need for anyone to ever feel lonely as there are many organisations to join, including a Bowls Club which is very active, playing matches in the summer and in the winter practicing and playing in the local league in the Coronation Hall, which is situated in the village. A lot of events in the village are held at the Coronation Hall, which was built over a 100 years ago and is run by a board of Trustees. There is an active WI which meets monthly and a lot of the members are also members of either the church or the Methodist church. Speakers are booked and the members enjoy craft as well as other subjects. They also enjoy an annual outing and work very hard at raising funds by holding a coffee morning to provide for themselves and also hold a charity Coffee Morning, often choosing a local charity to support. The History Society is also very active running the Smithy Museum which is located in the village. It was the blacksmith's shop in the village until the last member of the Laming family decided to shut up shop which he did, leaving everything behind, and the tools are now housed in a wonderful exhibition. There are two fires in The Smithy which can be lit to The Smithy Museum keep the building warm at Christmas when Santa visits and it is a tradition that the children are taken to see him in his cottage. Upstairs in the Smithy Museum there is a museum of local history with photographs and memorabilia of days past. 3
The fire is also lit in order for a blacksmith to give demonstrations. The History Society holds monthly talks in the Coronation Hall in the winter and regularly hold events to raise funds. Not to be forgotten are the Christmas lights. Each year a small army of volunteers put up the lights in the village around the Market Place. The Committee who run this event hold coffee mornings to raise funds and also have a jar for change to be given in the local Post office which is in the The Smithy Museum Market Place. This is a very special event held at the beginning of December when the lights are turned on. The children from St. Martin's School perform a tableau of the Nativity Scene and carols are sung until Santa arrives in an open carriage drawn by horses. The opening ceremony has been carried out in the past by the headmistress of the school and the vicar. St. Martin's Church congregation has a close connection with the congregation at the Methodist Church. During the Interregnum, joint services have been held and a Healing Service is held annually, and has always been a shared event, each year alternating between church and chapel. The Methodist church holds weekly coffee mornings which are often attended by some of the St. Martin's congregation. The Methodist Church also holds an annual Christmas Tree Festival and the school, the WI and St. Martin's Church are amongst those who dress trees for this themed event. There are also contributions from the local chapel and chapels on the Isle. The chapel also holds coffee mornings in the Coronation Hall and events, such as musical evenings, to raise funds. Armistice is held on the nearest Sunday to the 11th of November and the church and the chapel alternate with the service. If it is held at the chapel, then wreaths are laid on the Cenotaph which is situated adjacent to the Recreation Ground. In recent years, a Community Group has been formed and their main event is held near Christmas when there is a tea in the Coronation Hall for the over 65s. This is open to all villagers of the right age and they are given a two course afternoon tea and entertainment. The Community Group has also held an outdoor cinema night on the Recreation Ground, which is near to the Coronation Hall, and lots of families attended taking picnics. They also occasionally have a bingo night. The village, although small, has two pubs. One pub, The White Hart, serves food all day every day along with Sunday lunch and is a popular place for those who live in the village. They hold bingo nights and regularly have live entertainment including a bonfire night. The White Hart has also hosted Auction of Promises nights in order to raise funds for St. Martin's Church. The other pub is the Crooked Billet who do not provide food on a regular basis, but do serve Sunday lunches. There are three Trusts where the present incumbent of St. Martins Church is required to be the chairperson. These Trusts are as follows: 4
1. Frances Sandars Almshouses Trust. Frances Sandars built six almshouses for single elderly ladies. The churchwardens are trustees together with two other volunteers. The Almshouses are governed by a Scheme document and in addition is a registered charity as well as a member of the Almshouse Association. The ladies live in self-contained units built in 1860 and over the years they have been modernised. The rules have also been amended to allow ladies over the age of 50 years to reside there. 2. Owston Ferry Consolidated Charities. The Charity is an amalgamation of various charities set up in the past being bequests. Originally it was for distribution of money and needs of the poor of the village, but has changed in recent years. It is a small charity which earns money from two plots of land rented to farmers. 3. Frances Sandars Apprenticing Charity. Frances Sandars left money to be distributed each year to young people leaving school and going to college or university. Applications are made to the Trustees of the Scheme and cheques are usually distributed during the Harvest Service at St. Martin's Church. St. Martin's Church of England School St. Martin's Church of England Aided School is smaller than average, with just over one hundred pupils. It is federated with two other church schools in the neighbouring villages of Haxey and West Butterwick. Under the leadership of one governing body and one head teacher, all three schools work very closely together: members of staff from each school regularly meet to share their expertise and pupils enjoy academic, sports and social activities together. St. Martin's Church of England Primary School provides a secure, happy environment where pupils can develop as well-rounded individuals; intellectually, socially, physically and creatively. The school serves its community by providing high quality education within the context of Christian beliefs and practice. It encourages an understanding of the meaning and significance of faith and promotes the Christian values of: respect, thankfulness, resilience, compassion, forgiveness and faith. In a recent SIAMS Inspection (June 2017), St. Martin's School was awarded 'outstanding'. The following was written by the inspector: The Christian values of friendship, forgiveness, fairness and equality, thankfulness, trust, respect, hope and peace shine out and are vibrant within every aspect of school work and the life of its community. Within this ethos pupils blossom academically and personally. Collective worship and religious education (RE) are of the highest quality and powerfully nurture pupils' spiritual development. Staff and governors share a philosophy The Playground inspired by Christian faith and an unshakeable determination to offer a very distinctive school provision. This effective leadership leads to the demeanour and maturity that pupils develop at St. Martin's. Our Work With Children At St. Martin's Church we are eager to support the children and young people in our village, always seeking new ways to extend our outreach. We are well represented on the governing body of St. Martin's School and members of our church support school by leading collective worship, voluntary teaching and by supporting planned class activities, 5
Messy Church and fund raising sessions. This enables us to have a close relationship with the staff and children. Messy Church, which takes place at least once each school term, is a sight to be seen. One hundred children with their teachers and support staff enter through our doors before 9 am and spend the whole morning with us. A huge variety of activities take place which include drama, discussions, painting, cooking, modelling and 'licking and The Playing Field sticking '. Of course this is accompanied by much laughter and chattering. The whole morning culminates in a short service. We are so proud of the way our children feel 'at home' in church whilst treating it with respect. On Good Friday, a good number of children come to church for a similar activity. We are delighted that, of late, more and more parents are joining us, staying to support their children and enjoying fellowship with other parents. Throughout the year, to celebrate the festivals of Harvest, St. Martin's Day, Christmas and Easter, St. Martin's School holds its own services in church. Eventually, Year 6 children complete their education at primary school and we all join together to celebrate their time there at the Leavers' Service. Church always provides a substantial donation towards the Year 6 'treat', a very special day out for them all - a thank you for their huge contribution to their school and their church. St Martin's Church holds several family services, usually taking place on a Sunday afternoon - a far more amenable time for families than 9.15 Sunday morning. When possible we love the children to take part. Christingle and the Crib Service are huge occasions when families flood into church. Our Year 5 and 6 children were asked what kind of vicar they would like in the future. "Oh," they replied. "Someone who's very fit, loves sport and enjoys playing football!" "And," another added, "Someone who can do magic tricks and is elegant!" When we had calmed down a bit, they suggested that they would love someone who could talk to them at their particular level and explain all the bits of the Bible which they found difficult to understand. Someone who was honest, resilient, had a sense of humour and made learning about Jesus, fun! We feel that our work with the children of Owston Ferry goes from strength to strength, but we cannot sit on our laurels, so we are constantly thinking of ways to extend our outreach, in particular towards older children and their parents. The Deanery Axholme Deanery is a small Deanery with eleven churches with a full complement of four clergy including the Rural Dean, there will shortly be two retired clergy living in the Isle. The Rural Dean and Lay Chair are keen to develop the role of the Deanery and further encourage joint working between the churches. New initiatives include Deanery-wide Bible study with the Rural Dean leading " The Bible Course", a Bible Society resource. This will be followed by Advent and Lent courses for the whole Deanery. Another initiative will use "Open the Book", another Bible Society resource which aims to bring the Bible to life for every primary school child through story telling, not preaching, for children of any faith or none. This will be rolled out initially in Belton and Owston Ferry. An older initiative ongoing for some years now is a Deanery Eucharist a single Sunday service at one church in the Deanery on all 5th Sundays in the month. This moves around the churches in the Isle and is usually well attended. The involvement of Laity in Worship Mission and the life of the church is encouraged and greatly enhances the flexibility in the ordained ministry of the church in the Deanery. Churchwardens: Mrs D Ekins (07590 598509) Mrs R Temperton (01427 728251) 6