Ten years ago, the plan to replace the West Window of the Church with a stained glass depiction of the worship and intertwined lives of West Buckland School and East Buckland Church over 150 years was put into a back drawer and the monies raised were given back to the many donors.

Now, on September 12th 2021, Paul Smalley has resurrected the attempt, raised funds again, re-rendered the West wall of the Church and installed a beautiful, leaded, plain-glass window surrounded by beautiful blue and red colours.  He invited The Rev’d Shaun O’Rourke and Christopher James, Priest and Lay-Reader of the parish and The Rev’d Alan Kettle (The Chaplain 1992-2011) to be present and to Dedicate the Window.

(From L to R: Christopher James, The Rev'd Alan Kettle, The Rev'd Shaun O'Rourke, Di Tearall (Church Warden) Philip Stapleton, Lady Arran and Paul Smalley)

These colours pick up the deep red and blue of Jesus’ and Simeon’s cloaks and the sky above the Synagogue and Temple in the side-lights of the East Window which Hugh, the second Earl Fortescue (and Great-Great-Grandfather of Lady Arran) installed on September 14th 1861, as Alan remarked in his sermon at the evening Dedication Service to bless the new window.   He said that the red of Jesus’ and Simeon’s shoulders now adorns the shoulders of the West Window, and the blue which framed the Synagogue that the Roman Centurion was showing Jesus, and the Temple where Simeon held Jesus as a baby now frames the light and clarity which streams the North Devon countryside in through the new West Window.

For Alan to be invited back was a real pleasure for him – and to hear the WBS Chapel Choir singing Simeon’s Nunc Dimittis and God be in my Head was quality and joy all rolled into one.  The church was resplendent with roses, lilies and candles thanks to Church Warden Diane Tearall and others.  The School and the Church have not been so intertwined in the past ten years, and maybe the recent celebration of this relationship will rekindle efforts to re-unite WBS with its founding place of worship and the prayers of the locality.   May God bless the School and the villages.

Kathy & Alan Kettle