Faith and Life

The Tickhill Tomb Restoration

Local Aston on Trent History of National Importance Awarded Heritage Fund Grant

Aston on Trent residents are celebrating a grant award of £30,000 from The National Lottery Heritage Fund for a major restoration and conservation project. The funding has been made possible thanks to National Lottery players.

Within the Grade 1 listed All Saints’ parish church, lies a rare example of a 15th century alabaster tomb; of cultural significance as a work of art and reference to the social history of England at that period of time.

The Tickhill Tomb is a memorial to Thomas Tickhill an attorney at law to the Duchy of Lancaster, carved from Chellaston alabaster by Master sculptors Prentys and Sutton, noted for their work for royalty and the nobility. Thomas Tickhill and his family were living in Aston on Trent at that time, one of the new emerging middle-classes.

Unusually, the tomb is jointly for Tickhill and his wife depicted holding hands, unique to memorials in the late 14th and 15th centuries with only 38 know examples.

Martin Nicholson, project manager with responsibility for the fabric of the church explains; ‘We have been concerned for some time at the deterioration of the tomb from moisture. A thorough examination by specialists Skillington Workshops recommended repositioning and conserving this remarkable tomb with sympathetic repairs where appropriate to avoid potential loss forever. It also allows us to engage with our local history group, village school and residents as the conservation work is in progress. We could not have conducted this project without a Heritage Fund grant so it’s very exciting to know we are restoring a tomb of such importance’.

Thomas Tickhill

Thomas Tickhill (possibly spelled Tykhull) was Attorney at Law for the Duchy of Lancaster, a large area of lands owned by King Henry IV (The Crown) and held by John of Gaunt

Tickhill was responsible for the legal processes for land & property sales, conveyancing, tenants rents etc

He owned an estate in Aston with links to Shardlow

We think he was first married to Agnes then later Elizabeth with whom he shares his tomb (history is a bit vague on his marriages)

Prentice & Sutton were renowned Chellaston stonemasons to the Crown and were commissioned by Tickhill to make his double tomb which is made from local alabaster. If you look carefully at the tomb you’ll see the trademark angels of the Chellaston masons. Prentice & Sutton being known for their links with the nobility.

The tomb is unusual for being a joint tomb with Tickhill and his wife holding hands and the fact that Tickhill was classed as a ‘commoner’ although influential; one of the rising ‘middle-classes’. At their feet you’ll see their dogs, these carvings were mutilated during the Puritan period.

The tomb has been assessed as being rare and of ‘local & national significance’, hence the funding by The National Lottery Heritage Fund

The tomb is being moved, restored and conserved due to its deterioration and that of the church wall through damp

Tickhill died around 1431 (we think)