The Parish of St Edmund
HOLME PIERREPONT
Toilet Project 2006
Formal dedication of “Green Toilet”, after 800 years!
St Edmund’s has existed since the 13th Century and is a Grade I listed building, but until now, it has existed without proper facilities! Over the years, there had often been talk of installing a toilet, but for one reason or another, nothing happened! The churchyard was used by the more daring – but it was not for the faint-hearted at night!
Following the discovery that a toilet could be installed without the expense of either mains drainage or a septic tank, the Parochial Church Council decided to obtain a price of such a project. The WC (a misnomer, since there is no water connected to it!), was supplied second hand by St Mary’s Church, Plumtree, following their connection to mains drainage, and is manufactured by the Biolet Company of Sweden. It works by evaporating liquids through a vent pipe in the ceiling, whilst solids are dealt with at ground level by bacteria in the special humus. So no handles to flush, no noise of gushing water, just one or two new “rules for use”!
The project was costed at around £18k and included improving our very limited servery facilities. English Heritage supported our efforts, as did the Diocesan Advisory Committee. When the Diocese announced that it had set up a fund to support such facilities, we were towards the front of the queue! Other charities were sympathetic to our cause, and grants were made by the Jessie Spencer Trust, the John Warren Foundation, the Sir John Eastwood Foundation, the Gray Trust, and Waste Recycling Environmental (WREN), whose funds were administered by Nottinghamshire Historic Churches Trust. We had a number of substantial private donations, and of course, a lot of hard work was put in by the congregation for our own money-raising efforts. All this, enabled us to put the work in hand to install the Biolet disabled toilet and the re-vamped servery area in October 2006. The high quality installation was completed just before Christmas by main contractors, William Woodsend Ltd.
On Saturday, 10 February, around 50 people attended a short service, led by the Rector, the Revd Robert Breckles, during which the new facilities were dedicated by Canon Peter Hill, acting Archdeacon of Nottingham. The celebration was rounded off with a three-course meal.
This is what the Nottingham Evening Post had to say about the project.
NOTTS OLDEST CHURCH TO GET NEW LOO
11:00 – 23 January 2007
The long wait for a loo at one of Notts oldest village churches is finally over.
After almost 800 years without any blessed relief the congregation of St Edmund’s Church, Holme Pierrepont, originally established in the 13th century, have a ‘green’ super-loo.
About £18,000 has been invested in a disabled access BioLet – which uses no water but instead breaks down waste into harmless fertiliser. The money will also be used to improve the church’s kitchen.
The church is so pleased with its new facility it has invited the Acting Archdeacon of Nottingham, the Rev Peter Hill, to officially open it on February 10.
The church is near Holme Pierrepont Hall, once home to the Manvers family. It has been partly rebuilt a number of times over the centuries. Stones left over from one restoration are thought to have been used to strengthen the banks of the nearby River Trent.
Churchwarden Ian Godson said the church was confident its new toilet was the first in its history. He said: “We’ve been waiting to get one for a considerable period of time.
“Inevitably our congregation is aging and as people get older they tend to need the toilet more often.”
The church can hold about 130 people but its Sunday services usually see 40 or fewer parishioners.
Its new convenience was paid for by the diocese, grants from charities and congregation fund-raising.
Minister the Rev Robert Breckles said he was delighted with it. “It’s certainly enabled at least one person to come back to church services again and various other people feel more at ease than perhaps they did,” he said.
Arrangements for the Archdeacon’s visit have to be finalised, but it is thought a celebratory service will be organised.
Perhaps the hymns will include All Ye Who Seek For Sure Relief’?
Nottingham Evening Post
