St James Nayland

While returning from my tour of Rosemary Rutherford's stained glass in the north-east of the Diocese of Chelmsford, I also called in at St James Nayland.  

The East Window here is believed to have been designed and painted by George Mayer (1822-1884) and erected by Tomas Baillie & Co., London. Behind the altar set in the centre of an 18th century reredos is a painting of Christ by Constable. "Christ Blessing the Bread and Wine of the Last Supper" a rare portrait of Christ commissioned in 1809 by John Constable's aunt who at that time was living in Nayland. The painting was stolen in 1985 but was swiftly recovered and has since been enclosed behind glass with a special security system. Two further paintings of Christ by Constable hung in All Saints' Church, Feering, Essex and in the parish church, Brantham, near Flatford Mill, Suffolk. “The Ascension” can be seen at St. Mary's, Dedham.

James Clark, who created the 'Farmiloe' window, was a provincial English painter born in West Hartlepool, in north-east England. He rose to prominence in 1914 when his painting entitled The Great Sacrifice was reproduced as the souvenir print issued by The Graphic illustrated newspaper with its Christmas number. Clark designed a number of war memorials and his painting was the basis for several memorial stained glass windows in churches.

The 'Kempe' Tower and West Window is found behind the font; its mellow colours (circa 1908) depict the figures of the Blessed Virgin, St. John and St. Luke accompanied by six small angels holding the background drapery aloft on ribbons. Tower’s symbols of a wheat sheaf and a castle can be seen low down on the left-hand-side.

Close to the Lady Altar are eight painted panels from the old rood screen. These are (from left to right) St. Cuthbert with the head of St. Oswald, St. Edward the Confessor – the best preserved shown with the ring supposedly given to St. John disguised as a beggar – a king who may be the Emperor Charlemagne, another unidentified king and an archbishop thought to be St. Thomas of Canterbury. 

Stations of the Cross along both the north and south aisles were added in 1987. Sculpted by Bette Curtis – a church member – they were commissioned in memory of Dr. Cloudsley-Smith.

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The Innocence Mission - Evensong.