Our unusual and beautifully carved pews have been a feature of St Mary’s since the 1870s. Carved locally from oak they are a heritage feature. But as fixed pews they prevent the church being used in a more flexible way both for worship and for community purposes.
We have permission to reduce the number of pews to 20 (just one less row than at present) and to make them mobile. We are also taking the opportunity to make them more comfortable.
Two local craftsman Newman’s of Bath and Hanney in Bitton have been working with our architect to recreate our pews so that they can be moved around the church as needed and have much more padding. On Shrove Tuesday (Pancake Day) they will be returning the first of the pews to be altered – the prototype, for us to try out and make sure it meets our needs.