Bemerton: St John the Evangelist
Diocese of Salisbury
Closed Church, 634437
https://bemertonparish.org.uk/Overview
Grid reference: SU 120 306
St.John’s was designed by T H Wyatt, and built in 1861, with funding from the Pembroke Estate. The parish had outgrown St.Andrews church and it was expected that the village would grow westwards, towards Quidhampton. The Churchyard retains much of the C19 layout and planting.
Visiting and facilities
Building is closed for worship
Building
Ground Plan Description and Dimensions
Ground plan:
3½-bay aisled nave (the half-aisle of the nave protruding at the west end), cross-gabled south aisle with porch in west bay, 2-bay chancel, vestry under north-east tower.
Dimensions:
Nave 20m (66ft) long, chancel 10m long, 6m (19ft) wide.
Footprint of Church buildings: 427 m²
Description of Archaeology and History
There have been several important archaeological finds in the vicinity of the church including Palaeolithic tools and the “Salisbury Hoard”, a substantial collection of Late Bronze Age and Iron Age metalwork recovered illegally by metal-detectorists during the 1980s. The gravel flood-plains of the rivers in this area are in general of considerable archaeological potential and the churchyard is no exception, although no finds have yet been reported from within it.
Bymerton is mentioned in Domesday Book and was a small farming community until the 19th century, with a few scattered houses. The church of St Andrew was a Chapel of Ease from the 13th century to Fugglestone, a suburb of Wilton, the seat of Herbert’s kinfolk the Earls of Pembroke. The purchase of the Manor of Bemerton by the Pembroke estate in 1838 and the arrival of the railway at Fisherton (between Bemerton and Salisbury) in the 1850s led to the expansion of the village.
The Earl of Pembroke acknowledged the needs of the growing community by building the village school and the new church of St John, built in 1859-61 and designed by T H Wyatt (who also designed new churches at nearby Wilton, Laverstock, and East Harnham) as a memorial to George Herbert. W Howitt did the stone carving. The church was built with the help of donations from Herbert's admirers in America, and the British Prime Minister William Gladstone, who gave the lectern. It was restored in 1896 by C Ponting, the diocesan architect. The village was absorbed into the expanding City of Salisbury in 1929, and is now the largest parish in Salisbury with a population of over 15,000. St Michael’s was built in 1957 in the north part of the parish.
Exterior Description
This impressive church is designed in a mixture of the Early English and Decorated styles. It is one of Wyatt's best works. The unusually placed tower has a stair turret with spirelet at the south-west corner with vice, and a quatrefoil panelled parapet above paired 2-light bell openings above two widely spaced lancets. Stepped angle buttresses.
The nave is taller than the chancel and has a clearstorey, with alternately cusped Diocletian and trefoiled single light windows to each bay. The west gable has a plate tracery window with two pointed 2-light windows and a quatrefoil in the head, widely spaced. The end windows of the aisles have 3-light lancet windows stepped up to the nave.
The south show side has cross-gables to each bay, the western of which contains the porch, with a fine scrolled wrought iron screen. The middle bay has a 2-light plate tracery window, the eastern a lancet. The north aisle has pairs of pointed cusped lancets to each bay linked by continuous hoodmoulds. Buttresses of two weatherings to each odd bay.
Slightly lower chancel. Under the east window, a stepped 5-light lancet with cusping and shafts, is a recessed stone foundation panel recording the laying of the foundation stone in 1859 by Elizabeth wife of Sidney Lord Herbert. The south wall has two cusped lancets flanking a cusped pointed priest’s doorway.
Building Fabric and Features
Nave
19th century 3½-bay aisled nave (the half-aisle of the nave protruding at the west end).
Aisle
19th century cross-gabled south aisle with porch in west bay
Porch
19th century porch in west bay
Chancel
19th century 2-bay chancel
Vestry
19th century vestry under north-east tower
Tomb (component)
19th century north-east tower
Building Materials
Ashlar
19th century ashlar limestone
Limestone
19th century limestone ashlar
Tile
19th century roofs covered with tiles
Lead
19th century flat tower roof with lead
Interior
Interior Description
Moving inside, one finds a very impressive example of a High Victorian interior, with many details of quality. Bare ashlar stone walls, much high quality stained glass provides warmth and colour. Looking west there is an inscription across the west wall and brass plaque remembering George Herbert. Stone floor, every inch of the nave taken up by benches with plain ends, modern chairs in the aisles.
The aisle arcades have columns with naturalistic carved foliage capitals (signed by William Howitt, 1866) carrying pointed moulded arches, and a similar high chancel arch with hoodmould. Good waggon roofs with scissor-braces near the apices and complex wooden vaulting to the cross-gabled south aisle. The fine organ case and pipes takes up the north side of the chancel.
The east window has detached rere-shafts and a hoodmould, the middle lights are partly blocked by an ornate gilded reredos. Encaustic tiles to the chancel floor with central strip of red and gold carpet (see below), and good quality oak choirstalls with moulded ends. Fine corona lucis and chandeliers. All in all a dignified ensemble.
Fixtures and fittings
Altar
19th century Altar table of oak with tracery.
Reredos
19th century Reredos with very fine gesso and mosaic frieze with the Resurrected Christ flanked by angels above the entombment, designed and made by Miss Nellie Warre, daughter of the rector, probably dating from the time of Pontings restoration of 1896.
Pulpit
19th century Stone hexagonal pulpit with carved blind tracery and figures, stem with colonnettes, integral stone stair. Very high quality.
Lectern
19th century Wrought iron gilded reading desk, given by the British Prime Minister, William Gladstone.
Font (component)
19th century Stone octagonal font with carved decoration to the bowl with symbols including the Evangelists which is supported by eight marble colonettes, high quality.
Stained Glass (window)
19th / 20th century A high quality collection. East window by O’Connor with Crucifixion. West windows with the Royal Arms and scenes from Christ’s Ministry by Hardman. South and north chancel glass with Suffer the Children, Christ’s Baptism, Holy Family by Lavers & Barraud, 1861. South chapel east window by Heaton Butler and Bayne, Faith, Hope & Charity, c 1902. A Kempe window of 1878 in the north aisle.
Organ (component)
20th century Two manual pipe organ by A Monk, rebuilt by R Huntingford in the 1920s. Handsome covered case. Potentially a good instrument.
Portable Furnishings and Artworks
Registers from 1860, held in the Wiltshire and Swindon Record Office.
Chancel carpet, kneelers and other textiles made for the church by the Wilton Royal Carpet Factory, 1880.
Pair of chairs in Jacobean style.
Jacobean style table.
Churchyard
Grid reference: SU 120 306
Burial and War Grave Information
It is unknown whether the building is consecrated.
It is unknown whether the churchyard has been used for burial.
It is unknown whether the churchyard is used for burial.
The churchyard has war graves.
National Heritage record for England designations
There are no records of National Heritage assets within the curtilage of this site.
Environment
Ancient, Veteran & Notable Trees
Caring for God's Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.
To learn more about all the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.
There are no records of Ancient, Veteran or Notable Trees within the curtilage of this site.
Renewables
| Renewable | Installed |
|---|---|
| Solar PV Panels | No |
| Solar Thermal Panels | No |
| Biomass | No |
| Wind Turbine | No |
| Air Source Heat Pump | No |
| Ground Source Heat Pump | No |
| Ev Charging | No |
Species summary
There are no records of species within the curtilage of this site.
Caring for God's Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.
To learn more about all the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.
'Seek advice' Species
More information on species and action to be taken upon discovery.
Caring for God's Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.
To learn more about all the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.
Further information
Sources
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