Chancel

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The old medieval chancel was rebuilt in its current form between 1866 and 1868 to the designs of Henry Woodyer.  Woodyer used a 14th century grand Decorated Gothic style in the design and was influenced by the Arts and Crafts movement.

The rebuilding of the chancel and all its fittings were commissioned by William Henry Forman in memory of Anne Moore, his sister-in-law, who had been buried in the Forman Chapel of St George’s Minster, Doncaster in 1866. W.H. Forman lived at Pippbrook, Dorking; his family came from Doncaster and had made their money from a Welsh ironworks. 

The consecration service took place on 30 April 1868.

The organ was built by Elliott and Hill and was first installed in 1831. When the new chancel was finished in 1868 it was reconstructed in its present position by J.W. Walker, with the organ case decorated to Woodyer’s design. Further alterations were made in 1894 and major changes, including the new organ case at the east end of the north aisle, were completed in 1933. 

There were further tonal improvements made in 1986. The organ console was moved to the south aisle facing the chancel in 1950 and then moved to its present position in the chancel 2002. 

The Chancel windows were all made by William Wailes of Newcastle upon Tyne in 1867. They were commissioned, together with the rebuilding of the chancel and all its fittings by William Henry Forman in memory of Anne Moore, his sister-in-law. The glass in the Forman Chapel in Doncaster was made in the late 1850s and has many similarities with what is here.

East window: Five lights and tracery, the subject being Christ’s Passion. The first light shows the Virgin and St John, the second the three Marys, the centre light the Angel of the Resurrection, the fourth St John and the fifth Noli me tangere (Mary recognising Jesus after the Resurrection). Below these figures are scenes from the story of Holy Week, starting on the left with Christ’s entry into Jerusalem, then the agony in the garden, Christ carrying his cross in the centre, then Judas’s kiss and finally Christ before Pilate. In the tracery at the top of the arch is the Lamb with a cross, four angels below and two more to either side holding the symbols of the Passion, below again are the signs of the Evangelists and two heraldic shields, probably for Forman and Moore.

Details of the south windows below are numbered from the east end (from the alter). All are made up of three lights and tracery:

• Window 1: The subject of this window is the life of the young St Martin.  St Martin who was the son of a Roman officer and was educated and enrolled in the Imperial Cavalry at the age of fifteen. The most famous episode of him dividing his cloak with the beggar and his subsequent heavenly vision leading to his baptism are in the centre light.
• Window 2: This window has the standing figures of St Peter, St Andrew and St James the Great. Below the figures there are scenes from the life of St Peter as told in the Acts of the Apostles: the election of Matthias to take the place of Judas (Acts 1:26); the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost (Acts 2:3); and St Peter speaking with tongues (Acts 2:14).
• Window 3: This window has the standing figures of St John, St Philip and St Bartholomew. Below there are scenes with St Peter baptising (Acts 2:41), St Peter and St John curing the lame man at the Beautiful gate of the Temple (Acts 3:1-8), and Barnabas selling his field and giving the proceeds to the apostles (Acts 4: 36-37).

Details of the North windows below are numbered from the east end (from the alter). All are made up of three lights and tracery:

• Window 1: The subject of this window continues the life of St Martin from the window opporsite.  The scene in the bottom right is the saint being made Bishop of Tours by St Hilary, Bishop of Poitiers.  In the centre light he celebrates the Eucharist.  The top left image is of him condemning the persecution of heretics by the civil powers and top right image shows his body being taken away.
• Window 2: This window has the standing figures of St Thomas, St James the Less and St Simon. Below the figures, the life of St Peter continues with his vision of clean and unclean animals being let down from heaven in a sheet (Acts 10:10-16), as a symbol not to despise Gentiles followed by St Peter preaching to Cornelius the centurion (Acts 10:24-48) and finally King Herod killing St James (Acts 12:2).
• Window 3: This window has the standing figures of St Matthew, St Matthias and Jude. Below St Peter is miraculously freed from Herod’s prison by the Angel (Acts 12:4-10), followed by St Peter preaching before the High Priest (Acts 5:27-33). The final scene shows St Peter raising Tabitha/Dorcas from the dead (Acts 9:36-41).