Stained glass reflection St Peter’s, Bridge. ©Carole Tyrrell

On a clear day, when the sun shines through, the stained glass in a church window takes on a beauty all of its own. Detailed pictures within the glass can become abstract shapes when reflected on floors and furnishings.

I love stained glass and one of the greatest pleasures of ‘church crawling’  is in wondering what I will find in its windows; remnants of medieval glass, colourful Victorian Biblical scenes or bespoke contemporary creations.

Detail of Victorian stained glass window, St Peter’s Bridge. ©Carole Tyrrell

Patterned stained glass window, St Peter’s Bridge. ©Carole Tyrrell

But St Mary’s in Rainham, Kent had a surprise in one of its windows.  ‘Are you one of the christening party?’ The vicar asked as I entered the church and I shook my head. But we started chatting as I attempted to impress him with my knowledge of church architecture. He told me that a guidebook to the church was in preparation and he was kind enough to point out several interesting features.

Stained glass window, St Mary’s Rainham.©Carole Tyrrell

One of them was this window. It’s dedicated to a former rector as the dedication in the bottom corner of the left hand panel attests.  Most, if not all, Victorian stained glass features white people but this one portrays people from other races. There is in the crowd of onlookers:  a Chinese man , a black man and others and this is certainly the first time I’ve seen such diversity in a stained glass window.

Detail of stained glass window, St Mary’s Rainham. ©Carole Tyrrell

Dedication in stained glass window, St Mary’s Rainham. ©Carole Tyrrell

However, there is no way of knowing, at the moment, if the dedication is contemporary with the window or added later and whether the Rector had a hand in the design. However, more research is currently been done within the church and perhaps more will be known about the window and its origins.

©Text and photos Carole Tyrrell