A NEW stained glass window has been commissioned to celebrate a Tadcaster church’s 150th anniversary - complete with references to the town’s rebuilt bridge and its breweries.

The town’s bridge over the River Wharfe partially collapsed in 2015 following severe flooding, dividing the western and eastern sides of the community.

Its arches appear in the new window at St Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church, symbolising the unification of the town’s two sides when it was subsequently rebuilt, said Father John Newman.

Helen Whittaker, of Barley Studio in Dunnington, York, who was commissioned to create the window, said the bridge was one of the most familiar images of the town, and one which connected different areas bringing the wider community together.

She said the overall structure of the window’s design was formed by a series of concentric circles, framed by a decorative border of hops, giving reference to the historic brewing industry of Tadcaster.

“Below the arches of the bridge flow the waters of the River Wharfe, completing the outer circle,” she said.

“Fish dancing in the waters remind us of this early symbol of Christianity, often used to refer to Christ himself.

“Saint Joseph’s Church itself stands at the centre of the design, demonstrating its place in the heart of its town and its worshipping community.”

She said the ideas developed within the window had been inspired by themes set out in a brief from the parish: "faith and community, through the past, present and future".

Father John said the window was the last of 14 stained glass windows to be created at the church over the past 150 years.

l The new window will be installed shortly and dedicated by the Bishop of Leeds, the Right Reverend Marcus Stock, at a special Mass at noon on Saturday, August 31.