Church of St Mary, Chilton Foliat, Wiltshire
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Church of St Mary, Chilton Foliat, Hungerford, RG17 0TQRecommended by
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St Hubert Hunting window, north naveArtist, maker and date
John Hayward, 1966Reason for highlighting
A fine design of a hunting window dedicated to St Hubert.
The scene is set with a Stag in the central lancet, very finely drawn, and painted hunting scenes in the outer lights. It is typically of John’s very personal style with beautifully drawn figures and imaginative narrative content as he so often produced.
The story is, that on Good Friday one year, whilst most faithful people attended church for mass. Hubertus was in the forested of the Ardennes instead, stalking a magnificent stag. As Hubertus stalked in for the kill, the stag is said to have turned directly toward him revealing a glowing crucifix hanging between its majestic antlers. As it did so, Hubert is said to have heard a voice say: “Hubert, unless thou turnest to the Lord, and leadest an holy life, thou shalt quickly go down into hell.” Hubert was so affected by his vision, he asked what he should do and was told to seek Bishop Lambert of his diocese, to learn what God required of him.
Artist/maker notes
John Hayward (1929-2007) was not only one of the foremost stained glass artists of the post-war period but also a designer of church furniture and interiors. After St Martin’s School of Art he turned down a place the Royal College of Art to join Faithcraft, designing church furniture and arranging whole interiors where glass was one important element, before establishing his own studio.
Source: John Hayward’s obituary in The Church Times 7 August 2007
Other comments
Three other windows in the church are also worthy of attention.
Opposite the south door is a two light window made by James Powell & Sons c.1931. Note the bottom of the right hand light, which has a lovely little interior scene, showing Mary with her mother St Anne. “The figures are engaging and have just the right amount of illustrative simplicity, they are set off by a background, with two sizes of chair and a traditional flooring pattern, that is similarly clean and crisp.” Sasha Ward
Up in the gallery, and unfortunately partially hidden by the organ, is another two-light window, portraying St Cecelia by Arthur Buss for Goddard & Gibbs, 1976.
Much earlier than the above is the east window of 1843 by Thomas Willement, one of the most important figures in the revival of stained glass in the early nineteenth century.