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Heritage Lottery Funded Project:
Ashton's Heritage Lottery Funded projects


                                                                                             

Ashton ‘Roots’ Book :
( Project to run from 2009 to 2010 )

As the second part of Ashton’s commitment to the HLFP it was agreed to create and publish an up to date history book on Ashton. The last such book was published by the Ashton Women’s Institute in 1953.  

This project was started directly after the Roots weekend, in July 2009.  We hope to complete the work by the end of 2010.

Click Here for more information >>>Ashton ‘Roots’ Book

                                                                                             

Roots Weekend - July 17,18,19 -  2009

As the first part of Ashton’s commitment to the HLFP it was agreed to hold a Roots Weekend in July 2009.  Seven years after our first weekend.  

Details of the weekend can be seen here:
Click Here for more information >>>Roots 2009

                                                                                             

Knights’ Hall - Progress report ( May / June )

Marion Wilson
                                                                                             

Knights’ Hall - Progress report (April )

Marion Wilson
                                                                                             

"Knights’ Hall"
Official Opening and Dedication
Ashton Church
Sunday 18 January 2009


The pupils at Ashton Village School selected the name for the open space in the church from the suggestions sent in by locals.  It is to be called The Knight's Hall.

The official opening and dedication of the refurbished Church and The Knight's Hall will  take place on 18 January during the Family Service at 10.30am.  The Archdeacon of Northampton, Rev. Christine Allsop, is coming to the service to mark this event.

We would like as many people from the village as possible to come along to this service to see the new facilities and to bring ideas and suggestions of how it can be best used.  The PCC are keen to see a variety of activities, which will serve the whole commnuity, taking place.

Marion Wilson

                                                                                             

Work on the Church :
( December 2008 )

Official Opening and Dedication
Date for your Diary - Sunday January 18th
Official Opening and Dedication of the refurbished Church and "open space". The Archdeacon of Northampton, Rev. Christine Allsop, is coming to the Family Service on 18th at 10.30am to mark this event.

We would like as many people from the village as possible to come along to this service to see the new facilities and to bring their ideas and suggestions of how it can best be used. The PCC are keen to see a variety of activities taking place, which will serve the whole community.  To book an event, please contact Stephanie Fowler on 862904.

Formal  Handover:

On 9th December there was a formal  handover by the builders, as most of the major structural work has been completed. There is still a fair amount of work to be done before completion. The electrics need to be upgraded and heating and lighting to be modernised.  All in time for our Christmas celebrations !



Do come along to any of the services and see how things are shaping up.

More Pictures:







                                                                                             


Work on the Church :
( November 2008 )

Work on the Church is really progressing now.  The pews from the North Aisle have all been removed and the floor relaid with reclaimed tiles and flagstones. The drainage channels have been dug and backfilled ready for connection to the water and drainage supplies. This will hopefully be done during half term when less disruption will be caused. Joiners have begun fitting the new ringing floor in the bell tower, and soon the toilet cubicle will be in place.  After that, there is still a fair amount of work to be done. The electrics need to be upgraded, the kitchen and storage chests built and the screens resited. Then the heating and lighting will be modernised.  All in time for our Christmas celebrations (we hope!).  Do come along to any of the services and see how things are shaping up.  We hope you will have some ideas for using the great open space which is being created for the village community.

What shall we call the "open space"?. It's a bit of a mouthful, so can anyone come up with a good suggestion? It is for use for the whole village, so will be a bit like a village hall, but not quite. We would like any suggestions you may have by Monday 15 December. There will be a small prize for the person who comes up with the winning name which will be announced at the Village Carol Service on Sunday December 21 at 10.30am. Suggestions to Marion Wilson on 864254, Ann Lamb on 862975 or Stephanie Fowler on 862904. Otherwise they can be handed to any PCC member.

Marion Wilson
                                                                                             

Work on the Church :
( September 2008 )


Work on the re-ordering scheme is now well under way. We are hoping that the dirtiest work is finished and that the building part of the project will not cause quite so much dust. The wet weather has not helped, with mud inevitably being tramped into the Church, but we have been lucky in our choice of builder, as each week the men have performed minor miracles with mop, bucket and furniture polish. The Church has been left spotlessly clean for our regular services, and also for the baptism, renewal of wedding vows, and wedding which have taken place while the work has been ongoing. We expect to see the new bell-ringing floor installed, the flooring in the North Aisle completed, and the drainage and water channels finished before long.

Help is still needed for the second part of the overall project, the Roots 2009 weekend. If you feel you may be able to help in any way, whether it be on the day or doing research or presentation, please contact Andy Fowler on 862904, or Marion Wilson on 864254. No experience is necessary, just willingness to join in. Whether helping or not, make a note of the date in your diaries for next year. July 17th, 18th and 19th for Roots 2009.

Marion Wilson

                                                                                             

Work in progress on the Church reordering:






                                                                                             

Ashton Heritage Lottery Grant Success:
( August 2008 )

After yet another delay, building work finally began on August 6th. It is really exciting to see the Church re-shaping to allow many more village events to take place there...with all the modern day comforts!

Over the next month or two, we would like everyone to come up with ideas of how they would like to see the open space used, whether it is for regular events, or one-off occasions. All ideas will be considered, and we hope many of them may be adopted. There will be a booking system in place, and we would like to see it filled with all the things you've always wanted to do, but never had the place to do them in within the village. Contact any member of the PCC with your ideas.

Marion Wilson


                                                                                               


Ashton Heritage Lottery Grant Success:
( April 2008 )

Many of you will have seen the front page of the Herald and Post on March 20th and
wondered what the £151,400 grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund was all about.

Ashton is not the sort of place that you expect to receive such an amount of money!
The award has several aims. One is to conserve, for future generations, the two effigies
in the Church. They are both quite rare and, therefore valuable to our heritage. Another
is to remove pews from the North Aisle, to create a large open space for the use of the
village. The Ashton village Hall "The Hut" was demolished many years ago due to its
poor state of repair, and has never been replaced. Consequently, Ashton has not had a
village hall since.

This new space in the Church will be for everybody in the village, Church-goer or not, to
use for social, recreational or educational purposes. The heating and lighting are to be
up-dated, and a toilet and small kitchen unit installed, to make the area comfortable.
Have you ever fancied a local art/painting group, a drama group, or holding an exhibition
or after school club? How about whist/beetle drives, or cake/craft sales? There are
many uses for the new space (yet to have a proper name), and we want as many ideas
as possible. Don't forget, though, if you have a good idea, you will have to help make it
happen!

Part of the grant is to help Ashton stage another Heritage "Roots" weekend in 2009.
This will be a follow-up from the first successful "Roots 2002".
The final part of the grant is to help with the cost of printing a high quality book about the
history, people and countryside around Ashton. This should be available during 2010.
We are a small village, and there is a lot going on. We are very grateful to the Heritage
Lottery Fund, and to the other grant-making bodies who have so generously supported
our efforts. Other funding has come from SNC, The Bernard Sunley Foundation, Council
for the Care of Churches, Mellows Trust, and the Cripps Foundation.

Thank you all for your support

Marion Wilson and Andy Fowler