TASHL and the de Berners' Window

St. Mary’s church West Horsley is an iconic part of our local landscape and it’s likely that you have been inside, either as a curious visitor or as a regular member of a thriving congregation.  Even so it is well worth making a visit to take a closer look at The de Berners’ Window.

TASHL is proud to have contributed a small amount towards the window restoration and ongoing protection. This stained-glass is a small but perfectly formed portrait of Sir James de Berner which is impactful in its simplicity and for the story behind the death of the young man.

I did not find the colours faded as mentioned below but this is probably due to the recent restoration.

The guide book tells us:

“On the north side of the CHANCEL is a 14^th century window of three cinque-foiled lights with a flowing tracery under a pointed head. It was common medieval practice to portray the donor of a window in the glass.

The glazed portrait of this benefactor, Sir James de Berners, is a fine example of white glass with the design placed upon it and then burned in.

The colours are now faded, but clearly show Sir James kneeling with hands clasped in prayer. The date of the window is placed between 1362 and 1388 when he was beheaded for having too much influence over the young king, Richard the second.

The white glass used for the figure has a distinctive greenish hue and may have come from Chiddingfold, one of the few centres of glass-making in England at that time.

Above the figure is a monkey, the emblem of the de Berners family.

This stained-glass window was chosen to be exhibited at the “Age of Chivalry” exhibition held at the Royal Academy, London in the winter of 1987/88.”

The church is open on Sundays and in addition to The de Berners Window, there is a wealth of history and multiple stories within.