Yesterday I went to visit the parish church of St. Michaels which is where Horrocks went to fulfill his spiritual duties. His observations of the transit were interrupted 3 times so that he could attend to what he reffered to as matters of greater importance. The church is just round the corner from Carr House where it is believed he observed the transit.
I was very fortunate to get into the church as I’d not booked ahead. Luckily there was a confirmation class just finishing as I arrived and I met Eric Barker the Church warden outside and he kindly showed me round and introduced me to The Vicar.
Its a beautfiul place, very small and therefore really warm and intimate, a lot cosier than any church I’ve ever been in. The stained glass which was the main reason for my visit was perfectly lit by one of the sunniest days of the year so far.
The warden and the Vicar allowed me to wander round and take as many photos as I wanted and every now and again dropped in a few facts about the building including where Horrocks would of sat.
There are various tributes to Horrocks and the transit in the church that have built up over the years. Above the altar the stained glass window contains a panel of Horrocks observing the transit and just to the left of the pulpit another two panes including one which commemorates the transit of 2004. that year saw a lot of activity in Much Hoole with scientists coming from all over the world to observe it and celebrate Horrocks achievment. This year, although there will be a lot of attention given to Much Hoole most Astronomers will be going to Tahiti, where Captain Cook obserevd the transit or Hawaii. The Pacific region has the best chance for viewing the last transit of our lifetime.
As well as the stained glass there is a carved inscription hung on one of the walls. Outside on the bell tower is another carved inscription and a sundial.
Eric told me that they are collecting money for a flag and a windvane so that there is an outward symbol that signifies the importance of Horrocks observations.
There have been a few booklets produced about the church, Carr House and Horrocks and after a good nosy round the vicar gave me some to take home.
I’m hoping to visit Carr House (privately owned) soon as Eric can provide an introduction to the current owners.
It was really good to get a sense of place as most of the research I’ve been conducting has been through books and the internet.
I have some idea of what I think I want to make for this project (More of that in the next post), but I’m intending to spend a few more months gathering information, thinking things over and playing around with ideas.
