Church Heritage Record 612018

In 1849 a small Wesleyan Methodist Chapel was built on Nottingham Road, where the Church of St Thomas now stands. In the early 1850s, the Methodists agreed to sell this chapel to the Church Wardens of Riddings for a sum of £400. The building was adapted for Anglican worship and a stone chancel added to the existing square brick-built chapel, which seated about 270 people. Dr Lonsdale, the Bishop of Lichfield, consecrated the church and dedicated it to St Thomas the Martyr, on 22nd July 1854. A stained-glass window was placed in the chancel to commemorate the event, financed by Thomas Hadden Oakes. Nothing of the original Methodist chapel remains.

By the 1890s the growth of Somercotes and increasing church membership made it apparent a new church was needed. An Endowment Fund was opened to make Somercotes a separate Ecclesiastical parish, which was achieved in 1898. Funds were then raised for the rebuilding of the church, a substantial amount of money being donated by Sir Charles Seely and James Oakes, as well as the fundraising efforts of the parishioners. Plans were submitted by the Diocesan Architect, Mr. Percy H. Currey, of Derby, and approved in August 1901. The rebuilding of the church commenced under the contractors Messrs Ford and Co. of Derby.

The old brick nave was removed and replaced by a stone nave with north and south aisles to which porches, choir and clergy vestries were added. The final cost was £3912, and the church was consecrated by Dr Ridding, Lord Bishop of Southwell, on 15th October 1902.

On the night of the 30th January 1980, the church was devastated by a fire that gutted the roof and destroyed the organ. The damage was estimated at £200,000. It is ironic that the year prior to the fire the congregation had raised £10,000 to install new lighting and heating. The main aim of the refurbishment was for fire prevention. The Church finally re-opened at Easter in 1981.

During the rebuilding work the font was moved from the back of the church to its current position. A glass screen was erected across the back of the church to form a foyer and a new sacristy was constructed in part of the north aisle. A new organ, by J.J. Binns, was installed by Woods of Huddersfield, and dedicated on 4th March 1983.

The main door leads into a 20th century narthex, with a false low ceiling, separated from the main body of the church by a screen of wood and glass, with glass doors into the nave. At the far end of the narthex is the sacristy, in practice a corner of the nave partitioned off by wooden screens, but without a ceiling; this houses a fine stained-glass window depicting St Phoebe.

The main ceiling of the church consists of exposed timber trusses with purlins and intermediate trusses, and white plaster work; the two lower aisles are similarly constructed. The walls, pillars and arches are of local Coxbench stone, with dressings of red stone, some of which is rendered. The floor of the nave is of herringbone hardwood block; a carpet runs down the main aisle and continues into the chancel. The church has comfortable modern chaired seating, set in four sections, up to the crossing and transept.

The left-hand aisle (geographical south, ecclesiastical north) is fore-shortened, owing to the presence of the organ; at the side of the organ there is a small altar on a dais, creating a Lady Chapel. At the end of the right-hand aisle (geographical north, ecclesiastical south) is a small side chapel, the Resurrection Chapel, where the Blessed Sacrament is reserved. The font is 20th Century, made of carved white sandstone, possibly Mansfield white. The pulpit is a well-crafted carved octagon of grained sandstone, erected in 1896.

Two finely carved angels can be found on either side of the balustrade – all that remains of the rood screen, following a fire in 1980. The choir holds original choir stalls, with the choir vestry to the left-hand side; there is oak-panelled screening between the choir and the choir vestry, and between the choir and the Resurrection Chapel. The wooden communion rail in the chancel was installed in 1963. There is a very fine oak altar, with an image of Christ represented as a lamb. The altar is backed by an ornately carved oak reredos with some gold work, dating from 1854 and crafted in London.

There are several fine stained-glass windows, mostly installed as memorials. There is an image of the Ascension (1921, ecclesiastical south aisle); an image of Jesus and the boy with the loaves and fishes (post 1977, ecclesiastical north aisle); the resurrected Christ, flanked by angels, with a separate roundel of the Holy Spirit as a dove (post 1960, Resurrection Chapel); a triptych of patterned glass containing images of “doubting” Thomas and the four creatures of the Apocalypse (1854, chancel). The side windows in the chancel are patterned; the remaining nave windows are of plain mottled or frosted glass.