Church kneelers

One of the more colourful features of the Abbey Church is the assortment of kneelers that can be found in the pews. They are also known as hassocks, a word that has a special association with the church because it is used to describe the thick cushions employed by the congregation to kneel on while at prayer.

These items began life in centuries past as a small pieces of furniture used as footstools but completely covered in cloth so that no legs were visible but progressed in design to the present embroidered cushions that in many cases are small works of art demonstrating the ancient craft of needlework and usually completed by ladies of the parish.

A large collection may be found in the Abbey Church with a variety of designs finished in coloured wools including birds, flowers, rural scenes, landscapes and commemorative motifs, the result of many hours of dedicated work by many pairs of hands.

Each has its own story, such as the kneeler which was added to the collection in the summer of 2013 commemorating a moment in the history of the town, the restoration of the wheel which once powered Baldock’s Mill in South Street, now the home of the Heritage Centre.

Avice Budd pictured outside Baldock's Mill in South Street with Jim Jones and the church kneeler she completed to commemorate the restoration of the mill wheel which had been defunct since 1920 and is now turning to produce green electricity and so reduce the heating bills.

The kneeler is the work of Mrs Avice Budd who wanted it dedicated to Jim Jones to mark his marathon task which he reckons took more than 400 hours of working time. She put the idea to the Civic Society and Doug Fownes produced a computer generated design showing the pattern and appropriate colours but the right materials were needed before work could begin.

Kneelers worked by church members in the past have come from tapestry kits supplied by Jackson of Hebden Bridge in West Yorkshire and they have become so popular that the finished products can be found in churches and cathedrals at 8,000 locations around the world. The average price is £44 each but the wheel design with the wording “Baldock’s Mill, Heritage Centre” around the edge was a special commission for an individual pattern and therefore cost three times as much but Avice managed to find sufficient money from donations to place an order. The kit arrived in November 2012 and she set to work, completing the kneeler the following February when it was handed over to the Civic Society.

There are currently 70 kneelers in the church, mostly worked in recent years although some are much older. A renewed interest in adding more began six years ago when a Knit and Sew Friendship Group was started by Mrs Rosie Cudmore with members meeting in the church on one Wednesday each month.

Avice’s kneeler is only one of several new ones that will soon be gracing the nave because £800 has recently been donated to the project by Jim and Betty James which was collected during their recent diamond wedding celebration held at the Abbey Church in April 2013 in lieu of presents. Betty has already completed several in memory of family members and she thought it appropriate that the money should be used to buy more and an appeal for volunteers has been made in the July issue of the parish magazine.

“We are now relying on some kind people who will be happy to work on a kneeler of their choice, one they can choose from the brochure”, said Betty. “We all know of someone who would appreciate such a token in memory of a loved one or perhaps someone who has contributed in some way to the Abbey Church or even the town itself.”

But the task is not an easy one. “All of us who have worked on the kneelers know that they cannot be polished off in five minutes”, said Betty, “so anyone who does decide to join in must allow several months for completion.”

Among those already in the pipeline is another connected with the Heritage Centre, this time a kneeler to commemorate the BRM victory in the 1962 world championships, a design again completed by Doug Fownes showing the winning car with Graham Hill at the wheel, and once the materials arrive the Civic Society will be seeking someone to sew it.

The mill wheel kneeler will be blessed by the vicar, the Rev Christopher Atkinson, at a forthcoming Sunday service this winter together with other kneelers completed in the meantime.

MORE KNEELERS

WRITTEN JULY 2013

See also

Church kneeler remembers historic event