Athelhampton: St John the Divine
Overview
Grid reference: SY 771 941
Although small, the church has all the elements demanded by the Ecclesiologists at the time when it was built. The style is Middle Pointed with plate tracery windows throughout save for the east window which is Decorated.
Visiting and facilities
Building is closed for worship
Building
Ground Plan Description and Dimensions
Ground plan:
Four-bay aisleless nave, north porch and west bell-cote. Chancel with tiny south vestry.
Description of Archaeology and History
By John Hicks of Dorchester, 1861-2. This is a late work since Hicks died in 1868; his architecture is usually considered to be proficient, and his chief claim to fame was that Thomas Hardy was articled to him. It was in 1862 that Hardy went to London to study under Blomfield.
Exterior Description
Although small, the church has all the elements demanded by the Ecclesiologists at the time when it was built. The style is Middle Pointed with plate tracery windows throughout save for the east window which is Decorated. The west wall has a pair of lancets with a pointed quatrefoil above all within an arch, and all the nave windows (four in the south wall and three in the north) are the same but without the surrounding arch. The gable rises into a bell-cote which is pierced with two arches and a quatrefoil in the same proportions as the windows and is steeply gabled. A small central buttress begins over the window head with a foliated corbel and an attached colonette.
There is little to say of the rest of the exterior except to point to the careful detailing throughout the building; the nave windows have already been described and the chancel windows are simpler, merely two lancetes in the north wall and one in the south, all with the additional feature of an ogee trefoiled head. The south wall is partly covered by a small vestry under a pent roof lit by a pair of lancets. The east wall has low gabletted buttresses with big fleur-de-lys at each corner and the east window is a three-light Decorated design with heads of a king and a queen at the label stops and a cinquefoil and two trefoils as tracery. High in the gable is a small lancet opaing to the roof space.
Interior
Interior Description
The north porch is faced internally with yellowish ashlar masonry, as indeed is all the interior of the church; this contrasts with the greyish-pink stone used for the external wall facing. The floor is paved with stone flags.
The smooth ashlar facing to the walls inside the church throws into prominence profuse foliated carving on the corbels which support the scissor-braced roof. Amongst the leaves and flowers may be found several beasts and birds. The carving is said to be by Parsons.
The windows are within plain reveals and allow a fair amount of light into the nave since the only stained glass is limited to the east windows in the north and south walls. The original stanchions and saddlebars remain. The floor is paved with stone flags and the roof is stained pine.
Lavish carving appears again on the chancel arch, which is an unusual design of considerable strength with an inner order cusped like a big trefoil-headed window. This is carried on small colonettes of highly polished black marble, a most effective detail. The corbels and capitals have elaborate foliage and the spandrels higher up also are deeply carved with naturalistic flowers and tendrils. The pulpit stands in the south east corner of the nave and is of stone, bracketted out from the wall is approached through a small arch from the tiny vestry the far side of the chancel arch.
Within the chancel, which is not large, most of the original fitting survive, giving an atmosphere of twinkling brass lamps and coronae. The roof is a heavier design than that of the nave, with big hammerbeams ending in shields. The floor is covered with patterned tiles and a former sedilia in the embrasure of the south window has had a wooden shelf inserted to act as a credence table.
Fixtures and fittings
Lectern
Small eagle.
Rail
The communion rails are continuous trefoiled arcading with curious elongated pinnacles against the two main uprights each side of the central opening.
Altar
The altar is a stout oak table.
Churchyard
Grid reference: SY 771 941
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.
It is unknown whether 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 | N/A |
| Solar Thermal Panels | N/A |
| Biomass | N/A |
| Wind Turbine | N/A |
| Air Source Heat Pump | N/A |
| Ground Source Heat Pump | N/A |
| Ev Charging | N/A |
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
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