The church of St Saviour, Retford, is the featured church for January 2025. The church is located in the north-east part of the town.
It was built in 1827-29 to serve the growing population of the Moorgate area of Retford. Moorgate was historically part of neighbouring Clarborough parish and it was down to the vicar of Clarborough’s efforts that a church for the area was financed and constructed. A separate parish was established in 1933.
The church is by the Lincoln architect, E. J. Willson, and it was his first major project. The design is inspired by King’s College Chapel in Cambridge. It is built of yellow brick with stone dressings. The west end has two polygonal turrets with ogee caps. The aisles have narrow Perpendicular windows.
James Fowler of Louth restored and refitted the church in 1877-9.
The lower sections of two north aisle windows contain stained glass by C E Kempe & Co. The westernmost window depicts Faith, Hope and Love and was installed in 1921; the easternmost of the two shows Saint Gabriel, Saint Michael and St Raphael and dates from 1908.
On the north wall is a monument to the Rev Charles Hodge, Vicar of Clarborough, who drowned when the Royal Charter ship sank off the coast of Anglesey in October 1859.
Further information on the church can be found at the Southwell and Nottingham Church History Project website.