Millennium window

The main three-light east window behind the altar was originally glazed with plain glass panes, set in an ironstone surround with cast‑iron tracery. In late 1999, however—as part of a Millennium project—it was replaced by a stained‑glass window depicting scenes from Denton’s history. Once the decision to replace the old glazing was made in principle, a committee was formed in February 1998, fundraising began, and the search for a suitable designer got under way.

Eventually, local artist Sue Brownridge was commissioned to submit drawings that fit the committee’s brief. From her proposals, a final design was agreed upon and sent to the Diocesan Advisory Committee and the Council for the Care of Churches. Approval from both bodies was essential, since a faculty is required for all such projects in churches. After an extended period of negotiation, the faculty was granted in August 1999, allowing work to proceed on a tight schedule if the window was to be in place by the start of the new Millennium.

Stained‑glass artist Nicholas Bechgaard was appointed to fabricate the window at his studio in Stroud. On a very cold day in November 1999, he—and two parishioners—installed the new glazing (see picture, left). Just a few days later, on Sunday 5 December, the Bishop of Peterborough, the late Right Reverend Ian Cundy, led a service of thanksgiving to bless and dedicate the window, with the Vicar, Reverend Michael Ryall, delivering the exhortation.

The total cost of £10,500 was half funded by the parish—a considerable achievement for a relatively small community. Church treasurer and appeal director Michael Clarke commented, “We were keen to emphasise that, despite the froth and gloss of the Millennium, it is still about 2,000 years since the birth of Jesus Christ. It’s a great achievement for the church: we faced many challenges with the planning authorities, and at one point I stressed that we really had to get a move on if the window was to be ready in time.”

Measuring 20 ft by 10 ft, the window reflects life in Denton. It features the church’s patron saint, St Margaret, alongside village landmarks—the dovecote, the village green, and the white doves that frequent the church grounds. Its foliage tracery also echoes and complements the mural scheme painted by Henry Bird on the church walls a quarter of a century earlier. The completed window is shown below.