History to the north of the Stonebridge Park estate

ROSE HILL FARM

Two hundred years ago, the area we know today as the Stonebridge Park Estate was nothing more than open fields with Rosehill farm to the north. Rosehill farm is now occupied by Bluebell Hill primary school. The farm was at the top of long Hedge Lane leading from Sneinton Elements on Carlton Road to the west; today this has become St Matthias Road. Rose Hill farm was demolished in the early 1930s, and the Pierrepont Girls School was built on the land. Following further building work and modernisation through the 1980s & 1990s; it became Blue Bell Hill Infant and Nursery School. This illustration is by a Mr Beilby who also provided illustrations for my 1996 book on astronomer Thomas William Bush.

ST MATTHIAS CHURCH

Saint Matthias according to the Acts of the Apostles was the apostle chosen by the remaining eleven apostles to replace Judas Iscariot following Judas' betrayal of Jesus and his suicide.

The feast of Saint Matthias was included in the Roman Calendar in the 11th century and celebrated on the sixth day to the Calendars of March (February 24 usually, but February 25 in leap years). Owing to the reform of the Roman Catholic Calendar of Saints in 1969, his feast was transferred to May 14, so as not to celebrate it in Lent but instead in Easter.

Martin Cooper writing on the Southwell Diocese church history site, notes that St Matthias Church was built in 1867-68 on land off Carlton Road, at a time when the area was still rural, which is reflected in early pictures of the church. It was built to the designs of Thomas Chamber Hine and Robert Evans and provided 300 seats at a cost of some £3,000. (£200,000 as of 2012).
It is a Grade II listed building, and was consecrated as a chapel of ease in the parish of St. Stephen's Church, Sneinton, by The Rt. Revd. John Jackson the Bishop of Lincoln on 6 May 1868.

Although the church was built with a western triple bellcote only one bell is hung for swing chiming. It has a diameter of 20 inches and weighs 26 Kg. It was cast by J Taylor and Co of Loughborough in 1867 and is inscribed “Cast to the orders of Hine and Evans Architects in 1867 for this church”.

The chancel was damaged by enemy action during the Second World War. The three manual organ was by E. Wragg & Son dating from 1912.

During the 135-year history of St Matthias church, there were thirteen-priest incumbent here all listed below; the last was Malcolm Crook in 2003. This was when the church closed and later sold. Richard.P

1869-1882 Frederick Armine Wodehouse	1912-1931 John Henry Tomlinson
1882-1890 Arthur Powys Woodhouse	1931-1954 Frederick Llewellyn Forsaith Rees
1890-1892 George Perry-Gore	1955-1990 Kenneth Leigh Bennett
1892-1900 William Henry Castell Malton	1990-1993 William Albert Porter
1900-1904 William Walker	1990-1993 William Albert Porter
1904-1912 Ralph Mowbray Howard	1994-2002 Rodney Frederic Brittain Smith