St Martin's 1936 onwards

Rev’d Lysons began his ministry in Sherwood on February 6th 1926 and exactly eleven years later to the day the new church was consecrated by the Bishop of Southwell.

It is a monument to the enthusiasm, drive and hard work of the then Rev’d Lysons and his helpers. The dedication to St Martin, the great soldier-saint of the 4th century, was appropriate. In 1926 Sherwood, with a population of around 9000, was made a Conventional District, and on November 13th, 1936 St Martin's became an Ecclesiastical District. It was taken partly from the parishes of St Paul's, Daybrook , St John’s, Carrington, and St Jude’s, Mapperley.

The Diocese acquired the site on Trevose Gardens, for the church and parsonage. Following the clearance of the debt incurred in building the temporary church, a new Building Fund was started with the aim of raising £20,000 by December 1932. At last, on December 14th 1935 the foundation stone was laid by Brigadier General Sir Edward Le Marchant. Edward H Heazell, a local man, could now proceed with the erection of the church he had designed. The Bishop of Southwell, the Rt Revd Henry Mosley, performed the consecration ceremony on February 6th 1937. The following day the first Eucharist was marred by the death in church of John Bradley, the verger, whose wife had died only the day before.

Sherwood now had a permanent church although the building was not completed until 1960’s. The vicarage, adjacent to the church, was completed in 1956. Prior to that Canon Lysons lived in a large house at the corner of Elmswood Gardens and Mansfield Road.
Rev’d William Willatt continued the traditions established by Canon Lysons.

Following him, in 1960, came Rev’d Timothy Tyndall who insisted that the church building be completed. He was also a great believer in 'the building of God's Kingdom ... by the churches in partnership'. His work was carried on by his successor Rev’d Ian Gatford, Ian was succeeded by Rev’d Christopher Gale in 1984. One of his innovations was a monthly magazine, The Sherwood Messenger, which is still distributed free to all houses in the parish.

The first female incumbent, the Revd Sylvia Griffiths, was appointed in 1999.