Frederick Preedy, chancel south window (1864), Church of St Mary, Gunthorpe, Norfolk.

Photo: Peter Hildebrand

Frederick Preedy, 'Corporal Acts of Marcy' south nave window (1872), Church of St Mary, Gunthorpe, Norfolk.

Photo: Peter Hildebrand

Church of St Mary, Gunthorpe, Norfolk

Address

Church of St Mary, Sharrington Road, Gunthorpe, Norfolk NR24 2NX

Recommended by

Norfolk Stained Glass (10)

Highlight

Four windows designed by Frederick Preedy

Artist, maker and date

Frederick Preedy, 1864, 1872 and c.1875-80

Reason for highlighting

As a collection the four windows designed by Preedy comprise a colourful selection, described by Birkin Haward as outstanding. Although his work was influenced by Butterfield, with whom he worked in the 1850s, he developed a very individual style with colour preferences for purples, blues & magentas – which are clearly evidenced here.

Other comments

Preedy directed the restoration of the church in the 1860s, substantially influencing both the exterior and the internal decoration. He designed all the stained glass with the exception of the east window of the chancel, which is by William Warrington, and commemorates the vicar’s son, who was killed at Balaclava in the Charge of the Light Brigade.

The rich colours of the two chancel windows harmonise well with Warrington’s east window, while the nave and west windows are more subdued and more appropriate to their setting.

The nave window features the six Corporal Acts of Mercy from St Matthew’s Gospel and may be compared to Preedy’s treatment of the same subject in the east window at the Church of St Andrew, Cleeve Prior, Worcestershire, made three year’s earlier.

Further reading: Norfolk Stained Glass – Gunthorpe

Artist/maker notes

Frederick Preedy (1820-98) trained as an architect and was of the same generation of High Victorian Gothicists as Butterfield, Street & Burges. In the 1840s & 50s opinion was divided as to whether stained glass design should be left to the best artists, or, as Street & Burges advocated, be decided by architects. As a result Street and his contemporaries often produced their own designs, but used others to undertake manufacture. Preedy was unique in both designing and painting stained glass himself, producing some windows of high quality and amongst the finest of the High Victorian period.

Source: The Stained Glass of Frederick Preedy (1820-1898) A Catalogue of Designs by Michael Kerney (The Ecclesiological Society, 2001)

Highlighted dates at this location

1864-c.1880 (Go to date search)