The Church is participating in Heritage Open Days in September. A chance to explore aspects of Eckington for free. The National theme for 2023 is Creativity Unwrapped, and we have a week of events to explore creativity in the local context. Full details of all events are on the Heritage Open Days live directory at www.heritageopedays.org.uk and from the Eckington Heritage Centre on Southgate. Here’s a taster!
The Eckington Creativity Unwrapped Exhibition will be up in the church from Tuesday 12th September to Saturday 16th. Developed by the Eckington Heritage Centre, it features Eckington-born writers, musicians, crafters and sponsors of other artists, poets and architects down the years. These include Joseph Gale, a C18 radical writer, famous in the USA, to the Sitwell family trio active in the early C20 and patrons of other creative poets and writers, to our famous local female trumpeter, Joan Hinde who played with many mid-C20 big bands. Other connections may surprise you!
It is also the opportunity to explore the church, one of Eckington’s oldest buildings dating from 1100 AD, with its stained glass, carvings and beautiful internal features. Refreshments available for two sessions on Tuesday 12th September between 10 and 12.00 noon and Saturday 16th between 11.00 and 16.00.
Bells and Song: take an inside look at the two long-standing creative activities in Eckington – bell-ringing which has taken place in the church for centuries and choral singing. The Eckington church bell-ringers and the Eckington Singers are opening their rehearsals on Thursday 14th between 19.00 and 20.30. No bookings needed. There will be talks from the leaders of the bellringers and choir during the evening.
Architects, Poets and Gardeners: Friday’s event (15th September) is a guided walk between two of Eckington’s most iconic buildings, the Parish Church and Renishaw Hall. The walk will start at 11.00 from the church where, after a chance to view the Creativity Exhibition, it will set off through Church Street and the village centre, down Southgate to Renishaw, with a guide describing the many historical buildings along the way. At Renishaw Hall the Head Gardener will give a short talk in the gardens. Allow about 2 hours – walkers make their own way onwards from Renishaw Hall. The museum at Renishaw is free and has recently been updated with new material on Edith Sitwell. Places on the (free) walk can be booked by emailing Lainychambers@gmail.com between 22nd August and 13th September.
