IMAGE CREDIT: Dr. Jonathan Foyle
Broadcaster and historian Jonathan Foyle leads Heritage Open Day—St.Nicolas church, Pevensey, 25 April 2018
Renowned architectural historian and presenter comes to Pevensey
Dr Jonathan Foyle, renowned architectural historian and presenter of the award-winning BBC TV programme “Climbing Great Buildings”, will be a special guest at St Nicolas, Pevensey’s Heritage Open Day on Saturday 12 May.
Jonathan will give a talk about the appeal of England’s parish churches and then lead an afternoon of painting, drawing and conversation in and around the 800 year old Grade 1 listed building.
The Open Day, funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund as part of the £250,000 St Nicolas Restoration Programme, will open at 11.30am with an organ recital of church music from different historical eras.
This will be followed by a bell ringing demonstration, with an opportunity for novices to have a go – no experience needed!
At 2pm, Peter Harrison, Curator of Pevensey’s Court House Museum, will explain the importance of Pevensey as a seaport when the church was built in the early 13th century.
Jonathan Foyle will then describe the national context at that time, which saw the English Church struggling under the turbulent reign of King John.
Jonathan Foyle commented “I often draw for TV programmes, and find it a great way of interpreting buildings visually. I look forward to members of the local community joining me to celebrate their cultural heritage and engage with the architecture of St Nicolas Church through their artistic endeavours, whether or not they are experienced in drawing and painting.”
Churchwarden Simon Sargent said “We are delighted that Dr Jonathan Foyle is able to join us for this special day to celebrate the 800 year history of our newly restored church. We are very grateful to the Heritage Lottery Fund for helping to make this happen, and for contributing to the cost of a number of attractive new displays about the history of St Nicolas and the village which it has served for so long. The Open Day is free of charge and we hope that the varied programme will appeal to people of all ages.”
Notes to the editor
About Dr Jonathan Foyle
Jonathan Foyle is an expert on historic buildings. From an immersive career in conservation, research and curating, he has found ways to share many discoveries and insights into our ancestors’ experiences. He is an award-winning BBC broadcaster, writes regularly for the Financial Times Weekend, presents multi-media interpretations at fascinating historic sites, and has explained the wonders of the historic environment to audiences from America to Australia. He has author four well-received monographs on Canterbury, Lincoln, Lichfield and Peterborough cathedrals, each of which contains his drawings, and wrote the National Trust’s guide to Bodiam Castle.
About St Nicolas Church, Pevensey
The parish church of St Nicolas, which celebrated its 800th anniversary in 2016, has undergone a £500,000 restoration programme over the past decade. As part of the second stage in 2017-18, which cost some £250,000, the Heritage Lottery Fund has helped to pay for the production of a series of displays around the church, designed to give visitors a better understanding of its history, and that of the village and port of Pevensey, over the 800 years since it was built.
