THE seven year long task of rescuing and restoring the stained glass windows from the deconsecrated All Hallows Church, Fellside in Kendal and relocating them into Kendal Parish Church comes to a conclusion this week.

The final three windows depicting the parable of The Good Samaritan were stored in boxes in Cockermouth until Northern Lights Stained Glass on Highgate, Kendal took on the painstaking task of dismantling, cleaning and rebuilding them.

The new home for The Good Samaritan windows will be in the north aisle of Kendal Parish Church alongside three windows depicting The Resurrected Christ which were relocated from the Fellside Church by Northern Lights in 2008.

The All Hallows windows were made during the 1870s in memory of Rev William Gregson Rigden, pastor of the parish 1865-1868 and were half the size of the Parish Church windows, so new sections needed to be designed and painted which would be in the style of the original. After a year restoring the last three windows to their original glory, work began painting the 1500 pieces of new glass which would make the Fellside windows up to the size of the Parish Church windows.

Sarah Walkley, who designed the new sections, said,

“Victorian stained glass tended to be very ornate, with hundreds of small pieces of stained glass usually painted and silver stained. All the new panels needed to be in the same style of the original which meant many months of intricate painting. We think our new work is pretty much indistinguishable from the original and, hopefully, enhances it.”

Northern Lights added the new dedication:

“A commemorative window from All Hallows Church, Fellside. In memory of all who worshipped there 1866-2002.”

The new windows will be re-dedicated in a ceremony on Thursday 20th August at 10.30am.