Ryhall Church - St. John The Evangelist Church, Ryhall
History Of The Ryhall Church
The Ryhall Church you see today is not the original one. An earlier one, built in 1108, was where the nave now stands, and probably had a small chancel to the East. Presumably it fell into disrepair, and the one you now see was built early in the thirteenth century. The side aisles were built a little later.
The chancel was added in the fifteenth century when both aisles were widened, and the clerestory (rank of windows high on the walls) added.
Its clear glass windows, typical of Rutland churches add to its beauty. The stained glass window in what was the Lady Chapel, to the East of the chancel arch, is by Thomas Kempe – you can see a sheaf of wheat, his trademark.
Around the Ryhall church are niches where statues once stood. These were almost certainly destroyed at the Reformation.
The Ryhall church has two unusual features –the C15th carved human heads and animals and the remains of St Tibba’s cell. St Tibba, Patron Saint of falconers was an Anchorite (Female Hermit). Roads in the village are named after her and St Eabba, another Anchorite.
The outline of her cell, a squint, or window through which she could hear the Mass and a niche where food was passed to her, are still visible on the outer East wall.
Ryhall Church Today
The Ryhall church is currently undergoing a large restoration and renewal programme. We have to replace the roof, which is leaking in many places, and the old guttering and down-pipes.
We plan to replace the life-expired heating system with a more efficient and environmentally-friendly one, and to install a new lighting and audio-visual system – and, of course, to encourage more people to come to faith, rekindle a forgotten or abandoned faith, practise the faith they value or indulge their interest in church architecture.
We have strong links with our Church Primary School, Ryhall Academy. The children are regular visitors to church for their RE lessons and termly services. Rev Jo visits the school weekly to lead Assembly.
Another increasingly strong link is with our friends from the Methodist Church and their Minister, Revd William Booker. We share a common faith (plus coffee and cake) and worship from time to time as Churches Together in Ryhall.
Recent Ryhall & Belmethorpe News
News from the Village of Belmesthorpe – Mar 2021
GARDENERS’ CORNER March is the first month of meteorological spring and although winter is (in theory) behind us and the sun is gaining in strength as day length increases, we could yet see snow and frost. The average maximum temperature for March is 10 °C. So what should we be
St. John’s Restoration & Renewal Plan Update – Mar 2021
As I write this, snow is thick on the ground in the churchyard but it takes more than that to stop the building work underway. Thanks to Tom and James for all their hardy work restoring and replacing the old, cracked, iron drainpipes and gutters of the church thanks to
Ryhall Parish Council – Mar 2021
Dave Amies – Chairman – The Post Office , Ryhall Adrian Gombault – Vice Chairman – Elm Tree Cottage,Main Street , Belmesthorpe David Wilby – County Councillor – Orchard House Essendine Road, Ryhall Stamford PE9 4HE dwilby@rutland.gov.uk Richard Coleman – County Councillor – 5 Plover Road, Essendine Stamford PE94UR RColeman@rutland.gov.uk
News from the Village of Ryhall – Mar 2021
Fed-up with doing the same old walks? Walking in Leicestershire www.walkinginengland.co.uk/leics is the website for you! With hundreds of walks to download and print, free, it also has books of walks, contact details for all the walking groups in the county and much more. Whether you want to walk on
St John’s Church, Ryhall – Feb 2021
50PLUS WINNERS FOR JANUARY 1st Prize £112-50 – number 05 – Sandy Ellis. 2nd Prize £56-25 – number 42 – Shirley Catlin. 3rd Prize £18-25 – number 16 – Tina Sanderson. Join the 50Plus Club TODAY for just £5-00 a month. This gives you a chance of winning one of
St. John’s Restoration & Renewal Plan Update – Feb 2021
Betty Edwards just keeps on walking! Betty’s Challenge has now raised over £3,000 with her inspirational ‘Capt. Tom’ style walk fundraiser for St. John’s Church roof! Thank you Betty and also to your granddaughter Jordane who works as support team for the project. If you’d like to support Betty’s efforts,
News from the Village of Belmesthorpe – Feb 2021
The River Gwash, which flows through Ryhall and Belmesthorpe, begins its journey just outside Knossington, just over the border in Leicestershire, and is about 24 miles long. It flows past Braunston-in-Rutland and Brooke before passing under the railway near Manton. The river then flows into Rutland Water, continuing towards Great Casterton,
Ryhall Parish Council – Feb 2021
Dave Amies – Chairman – The Post Office , Ryhall Adrian Gombault – Vice Chairman – Elm Tree Cottage,Main Street , Belmesthorpe David Wilby – County Councillor – Orchard House Essendine Road, Ryhall Stamford PE9 4HE dwilby@rutland.gov.uk Richard Coleman – County Councillor – 5 Plover Road, Essendine Stamford PE94UR RColeman@rutland.gov.uk CLERK : Caroline Adams 1, The Paddocks, Carlby
News from the Village of Ryhall – Feb 2021
RYHALL NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH: Unbelievably, scammers are trying to cash in on the vaccine roll out! People are being approached by email, text, telephone and at the door to say that they are due for their vaccine jab and then they are asked to confirm their details, which usually includes date
St John’s Church Ryhall – Jan 2021
Coffee Mornings are temporarily suspended 50PLUS WINNERS FOR DECEMBER 1st Prize £114-00 – number 75 – Stella Smith. 2nd Prize £57-00 – number 59 – Steve Jessop. 3rd Prize £19-00 – number 04 – Sheila Blowers. Join the 50Plus Club TODAY for just £5-00 a month. This gives you a
News from the Village of Belmesthorpe – Jan 2021
In C19th days when voting was rather more corrupt than it is now (though I’m sure Donald Trump would disagree,) Whig candidates, whose colour was blue, would buy pubs and inns in the constituency, and add “blue” to their names. They would then offer free ‘blue’ ale to drinkers in
St. John’s Restoration & Renewal Plan update – Jan 21
Happy New Year to everyone in our villages! Wishing you health and happiness in 2021 when hopefully life will get closer to resembling what we think of as ‘normality’. We’re still in Advent as I write this and we are indeed still ‘waiting in hope’ for a better future while
Ryhall Parish Council – Jan 2021
Dave Amies – Chairman – The Post Office , Ryhall Adrian Gombault – Vice Chairman – Elm Tree Cottage,Main Street , Belmesthorpe David Wilby – County Councillor – Orchard House Essendine Road, Ryhall Stamford PE9 4HE dwilby@rutland.gov.uk Richard Coleman – County Councillor – 5 Plover Road, Essendine Stamford PE94UR RColeman@rutland.gov.uk
News from the Village of Ryhall – Jan 2021
ARE YOU FORGIVING? OR UNFORGIVING? 2020 was the 75th anniversary of “VJ Day,” the celebration of the World War 2 victory over Japan, on the 15th August 1945.Well now then, I don’t wish to receive any answers from any of you, but for my family it caused more debate than
Ryhall Parish Council – Dec 2020
Dave Amies – Chairman – The Post Office , Ryhall Adrian Gombault – Vice Chairman – Elm Tree Cottage,Main Street , Belmesthorpe David Wilby – County Councillor – Orchard House Essendine Road, Ryhall Stamford PE9 4HE dwilby@rutland.gov.uk Richard Coleman – County Councillor – 5 Plover Road, Essendine Stamford PE94UR RColeman@rutland.gov.uk
Appeal For Help!
We hope you love the new play equipment. The Under Five Play Area installation will start soon. The Parish Council will be installing a new fence and gate to delineate the play area. Looking ahead it would be nice to buy some picnic tables and plant a few trees. Our
News from the Village of Belmesthorpe – Dec 2020
NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH NEWS Theft of catalytic converters from motor vehicles has been a recurrent crime in recent years, and a recent recurrence in Melton Mowbray serves as a timely reminder of the need to take steps to prevent this expensive nuisance. Catalytic converters have a value of £300-400 rising to several hundreds
St. John’s Ryhall Restoration & Renewal Plan update – Dec 2020
Thank you to all those who have supported fundraising activities or sent donations to save our church. If you would still like to, please go to our GoFundMe page at https://www.gofundme.com/manage/church-restoration-campaign or send a donation to Rev Jo Saunders revjosaunders@live.co.uk. We are very grateful for your support. November started with the
News from the Village of Ryhall – Dec 2020
FLAGPOLE: Sunday 8th November, Remembrance Sunday, and Wednesday 11th November, Armistice Day, saw the flying of the Union Flag in remembrance of those who gave their lives in the line of duty for us all. “They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old: Age shall not
News from the Village of Belmesthorpe – Nov 2020
In days gone by, when elections were often subject to irregular practices, voters could be bribed to cast their vote for a particular candidate by having drinks bought for them. Blue was the colour of the Whigs. It was not unknown for wealthy C19th Whig landowners to insist on a