Community appeal launched to save Roecliffe’s historic window

A community-led fundraising campaign has been launched to conserve the historic Virgin and Child stained-glass window at St Mary’s Church in Roecliffe, North Yorkshire. The project is a Community Initiative Project (CIP), led by local supporters in partnership with the Churches Conservation Trust.

The campaign aims to raise £45,000, with £7,000 already secured thanks to legacy gifts and determined local fundraising efforts. Further donations are now being sought to ensure the long-term survival of the window.

Set beside a picturesque village green, St Mary’s is an unusual barrel-vaulted neo-Norman church, admired for its simplicity and historic interior furnishings. These include a Jacobean pulpit, a 17th-century communion table and carved vestry panels, with a vestry door originating from York Minster. Above the altar, the east window remains the church’s most striking feature.

Created around 1843 by Barnett of York and inspired by the work of 15th-century Italian master Pinturicchio, the Virgin and Child window has filled the church with colour and light for nearly 200 years. However, time has taken its toll. The lead that supports the stained glass is now beginning to fail, causing the window to bow at its base.

Environmental changes have accelerated the deterioration. Higher summer temperatures, stronger winds and an increasing number of winter storms place additional stress on the ageing lead, which typically softens after 180 to 200 years. Without conservation work, the window faces the risk of significant damage.

Donations can be made via the campaign’s donate button or by calling 0800 260 1463. Anyone interested in becoming involved in the fundraising campaign can contact Charlotte Mee, Local Community Officer, at cmee@thecct.org.uk, to help secure this remarkable window for future generations.