C. P. Allix and Curtis, Ward & Hughes, western most window, north nave (1919-20), Church of St Mary, Swaffham Prior, Cambridgeshire.

Photo: Chris Parkinson

C. P. Allix and Curtis, Ward & Hughes, second window from the west, north nave (1919-20), Church of St Mary, Swaffham Prior, Cambridgeshire.

Photo: Peter Hildebrand

Church of St Mary, Swaffham Prior, Cambridgeshire

Address

Church of St Mary, 59 High Street, Swaffham Prior, Cambridge CB25 0LD

Recommended by

Chris Parkinson (10)

Highlight

Three windows in the north aisle

Artist, maker and date

Reason for highlighting

A truly remarkable set of windows with many depictions of scenes relating to World War I under Gothic canopies with passages of scripture, from sketches and cuttings by C P Allix, and made by Curtis, Ward & Hughes.

The first window from the west end has as its theme ‘Weapons’ and includes illustrations of Zeppelin airships, tanks and perhaps of the greatest interest a woman working in a munitions factory.

The next window’s theme is ‘the means of mitigating war’ and includes scenes of a YMCA hut, water pipeline across the Sinai Peninsula during the invasion of Palestine and a Red Cross hospital in French house.

The final window ‘s theme is Peace, with various rural scenes and a noticeable introduction of lighter green glass.

If you have a relation who is of secondary school age and is or will be studying the First World War, these windows will make an excellent primary source of information and a reminder to us all that stained-glass windows in churches need not always be overtly religious with depictions of Christ, saints, biblical scenes etc.

Artist/maker notes

Charles Peter Allix (1842-1921)
The Allix family has a long association with Swaffham Prior. At the time of the First World War Swaffham Prior House and estate was owned by C P Allix, a magistrate, antiquarian and railway promoter. The War Memorial windows in the church are to his design, including the biblical inscriptions.

Curtis, Ward & Hughes
Ward & Hughes was a partnership between Thomas Ward (1808-70) and Henry Hughes (1822-83), who became the chief designer, while also producing windows under his own name. On his death the firm was taken over by a relative Thomas Figgis Curtis (1845-1924). The firm continued for a few years after Curtis’s death, in the hands of a cousin, Mrs Ethel Kibblewhite.

Sources:
A Guide to the Church of Saint Mary the Virgin Swaffham Prior, 3rd Edition, 2016
Victorian Stained Glass by Martin Harrison (Barrie & Jenkins Ltd, 1980)

Highlighted dates at this location

1919-20 (Go to date search)