Stained Glass Windows

In 2008 it was decided to commission the production of a stained-glass window to fit into the west window, at the rear of the tower. For as long as anyone could remember, and based on evidence from old photographs, this aperture had been boarded up. The boarding was showing signs of decay and vandalism, and repairs to the surrounding stonework were needed. Research had not shown any evidence of there ever having been a stained-glass window in the old church. The commission was given to ESCAPE which is made up of 10 to 15 women, supported by two workshop leaders who are stained glass artists, and meet in Eastwood. They held a workshop in Bramcote to determine what local residents would like in the final design.

The old boarding had a piece missing near the top and it was established by South Notts Bat Group that it was being used as a means of entry and exit by a small colony of brown long-eared bats who were resident in the top of the tower. It was decided to produce the stained-glass window with a small gap in exactly the same place so the bats could continue to use it.

It was constructed in four separate sections using a variety of types of glass and in April 2009 the completed window was installed.

The design shows a crescent moon with three bats in a night sky and the lower section depicts the plant broom which is how Bramcote got its name – ‘cottages in the broom’, a name believed to have Saxon origins.

The best time to view the window is on a sunny, late afternoon when the sun’s rays shine through the glass and project a myriad of colours onto the tower’s internal wall.