RESTORATION REVIEW

Once again there is a BUZZ in the churchyard! On 19 March we received the first glimpse of our online churchyard survey showing our church, surrounding monuments, memorial benches, all the trees, surrounding iron fence and perimeter stone wall. Since then, our task has been to locate and identify on the computer map each monument in the church yard! With great volunteer efforts, this phase is nearing completion! Approximately 350 monuments identified, with 225 monuments to go!
Meanwhile, since January, we have been working to catalogue the retired churchyard of Holy Trinity. Volunteers have transcribed the inscriptions, created 2 monument maps locating 149 standing monuments and listing another 129 inscriptions that no longer have stones. These maps and lists will also be a part of UPCs Marvellous Monument Mapping Mission. But since it is a retired church, the information will be listed, but not on an interactive map.
Our next push will possibly be the hardest – requiring a few remaining volunteers to prepare all the data for upload! Each area will be listed in computer byte size bits for easy digestion! A big thank you to all the volunteers who have made it possible to get this far!

There has been quite a buzz of volunteer activity in the churchyard in recent weeks, preparing the way for Atlantic Geomatics to photograph & survey our churchard! Last Friday (date?) the spring-like weather was a blessing, as Atlantic Geomatics successfully completed the work!

They will provide a working blue print of our monuments in the yard, and we will be asking volunteers to help identify the monuments on the blue print in preparations for creating an interactive map. Once online, this interactive map will enable people to search for their ancestors, find a particular memorial or explore the rich heritage stories Ulverston Parish Church has to offer. As it goes live, access details will be available on UPC website: ulverstonparishchurch.org

The regular volunteers supporting the Marvellous Monument Mapping Mission had already racked up 840 hours, but needed more volunteers to join them in order for all the external gravestones and tombs to be cleared of ivy and other growth before the end of the January, when experts from Atlantic Geomatics came to do the photography and survery.

Others did offer to volunteer, and we are grateful for their help in completing the work that needs to be done by the end of January.

Although the church building has been closed because of the Covid pandemic  we have still been working as family to improve and look after our buildings as well as each other.

We are in the process of transferring the information we have about our churchyard into a digital format. We are looking for people to help with proofreading. Can you help?

Our gifted Monument Mapping team has created a discovery trail of history and symbolism emblazoned in our stained-glass windows.

There is now a printed booklet which provides an overview of our rich history, notes details and points out the Biblical stories for each window. A digital version with slide presentations of each of the stained glass windows has also been uploaded to the UPC web site.

Local historian Jennifer Snell engaged 20+ curious folks with stories from Ulverston newspapers from the 1800s during the Parish Fellowship Meeting. A video of  Jennifer’s presentation has been uploaded to our UPC web site, together with an introduction to Jennifer Snell’s latest publication “Ulverston Canal, its Shipbuilders, Ships and Seamen” which  catalogues many, if not most, of the Ships, Shipbuilders and Seamen that reside for ever more in our churchyard. Anyone else see a ‘SSS Discovery Trail’ in our future?