Church of St Lawrence, Eyam, Derbyshire
Address
Eyam Parish Church, Church St, Eyam, Hope Valley S32 5QHRecommended by
Highlight
The Plague windowArtist, maker and date
Alfred Fisher and Chapel Studio, 1985Reason for highlighting
This Derbyshire village is famous for its heroic isolation in the face of the great plague of 1665, when the scourge was believed to have been carried in a parcel of cloth sent from London to the village tailor. The local Rector decided that the plague should not spread from there and the whole village was quarantined, with the resultant death of many of the inhabitants. This richly coloured narrative window by Alfred Fisher illustrates the major events in this historic saga and, with the village and Church, has become a major tourist focal point, the window being a useful tool to tell the story to many thousands of visitors each year.
Artist/maker notes
Alfred Fisher MBE FMGP FRSA (b. 1933) trained at Liverpool Arts College before joining James Powell & Sons (Whitefriars) Ltd, where he developed his own distinctive style. In 1973 he co-founded Chapel Studios and worked there until retiring, mixing new work with important conservation projects. Now retired, his legacy of work can be found across the country, including Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, Chequers and the Guildhall.
Source: Alfred Fisher website
Chapel Studio was established in 1973 by Alfred Fisher MBE FMGP FRSA and Peter Archer FMGP, who both had extensive knowledge of traditional craftsmanship acquired at James Powell & Sons. In 1975 Robert Holloway AMGP ACR joined the Studio, a second generation stained glass craftsman also from James Powell & Sons, bringing to the Studio his expertise on the practical side, which contributed to the establishment of the Studio in the early years, alongside the painting and design skills of Alfred Fisher and Peter Archer.
The studio continued under Robert Holloway following the retirement of Alfred Fisher and Peter Archer in 1999. Peter Campling ACR, of M. C. Lead Glaziers Ltd, bought Chapel Studio in 2016 and adopted the Chapel Studio name overall. Bob Holloway retired in 2020, and Peter Campling continues to run the company.
Source: Chapel Studio website