The History of Colwick.

Prehistoric Colwick was populated with such diverse creatures such as salamanders, mastodonsaurus and many types of fish showing that Colwick was under the sea at this time.

Bronze age spears and axes have been found in the woodlands and dredged from the river all of which can be seen in Nottingham Castle.

Up until the Doomsday Book the village was in fact two villages Over Colwick and Nether Colwick. The latter eventually became known as Netherfield. The former was enclosed by the de Colwick family into the Colwick estate and is now listed as a one of the Lost Villages of Nottinghamshire. It was at this time that the first church in Colwick would have been erected, probably of wood and attached to the estate of the Colwick family. Sir William de Colwick was a Justice of the Sherwood Forest and would have been alive around the time of Robin Hood. The rector of Colwick at this time was one Robert Filio Hugonis and the church was linked to Newstead Priory.

There is an impressive list of rectors dating back to the Doomsday Book hanging on the wall here in church.

The "old" church in Colwick is sited near to Colwick Hall which was acquired by John Musters in 1648 and he decided that the church was in dire need of renovation. Nothing new here then it still is! The earliest part of the building was built in the 16th Century by Sir John Byron, and was built with a spire and not a tower as it has now. At the beginning of the 19th Century the chancel windows were replaced by stained glass, and towards the end of the century an organ chamber was added. Currently the church is in a poor state of disrepair, due in the main to the rector 'Walter Sidney Hildsley' selling the lead off the roof to 'help in the war effort'! There are many local dignitaries buried in the grave yard adjoining this old church, including members of the Musters and Byron families, and one John Clarkson, who died in 1647 whose great claim to fame was the invention of 'Colwick Cheese'

In 1939 the PCC had a meeting with the Bishop and was told that he was considering a union between here and the Netherfield Parish, however, this did not go ahead and in the meantime a temporary church was built, which is now the Community Centre. The two parishes were linked in the mid 1970's under a joint benefice, which lasted almost twenty years. A case of history repeating itself as we are currently considering clustering once again with Netherfield.

The present church, which we are in today, had it's foundation stone laid on the 26th February 1950, and was officially opened on Sunday 17th June 1951 at a total cost of £5,205! The church was build with a flat roof, despite the plans showing a pitched roof, thus saving the magnificent sum of £500. However, in the mid 1980's following a 'near miss' of falling plaster narrowly missing the Bishop the PCC decided to raise funds and complete the church as originally planned. The new roof cost just over £10,000!!! The eagle bible stand (commonly called the flying duck) we believe came from the old church, as did some of our silver wear, but little else from the old church remains. Our church boasts of a Grand Father Willis Organ, which can be seen in the nave, and a splendid silver goblet which is currently housed in the crypt in Newark Parish Church. Our church was originally built with a magnificent wooden rhearedos and pulpit, both of which suffered badly with woodworm and had to be burnt. My fellow church warden and I were responsible for this action, and the subsequent fire had the local fire engines in attendance, as they burnt so well!