Church of St Peter, Hornblotton
Encyclopedia
The Church of St Peter at Hornblotton in the parish of West Bradley
, Somerset
, England was built in 1872–74 by Sir Thomas Graham Jackson
, for the rector, Godfrey Thring
replacing a medieval church on the same site. It is a Grade I listed building,
The Victorian
building is on the site of an earlier church which had fallen into disrepair, from which a stump of the tower remains in the churchyard.
One of the feature of the church is an early electric clocks and the first in England to have a striking mechanism. It was controlled from a master clock in the nearby house. The clock mechanism was taken to the Science Museum
in London for restoration in 1984. It was made by Charles Shepherd who also made the Shepherd gate clock
mounted on the wall outside the gate of the Royal Greenwich Observatory.
The interior walls of the church are decorated with Sgraffito
which is produced by applying layers of plaster
tinted in contrasting colors to a moistened surface, or in ceramics
, by applying to an unfired ceramic body two successive layers of contrasting slip
, and then in either case scratching so as to produce an outline drawing. The decoration includes representations of Moses
, Isaiah
, Jeremiah
and the Annunciation
. The technique is attributed to the Arts and Crafts Movement
and, at Hornblotton, have been created by cutting away the upper coat of white cement and leaving exposed the strawberry coloured undercoat of plaster including terracotta patterns of sunflowers and leaves.
The parish is part of the Six Pilgrims benefice
within the deanery of Bruton and Cary.
West Bradley
West Bradley is a village and civil parish 4 miles south-east of Glastonbury in the Mendip district of Somerset, England. The parish includes the hamlets of Hornblotton and Lottisham....
, Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
, England was built in 1872–74 by Sir Thomas Graham Jackson
Thomas Graham Jackson
Sir Thomas Graham Jackson, 1st Baronet RA was one of the most distinguished English architects of his generation...
, for the rector, Godfrey Thring
Godfrey Thring
-Life:Godfrey Thring was born at Alford, Somerset, the son of the rector, Rev. John Gale Dalton Thring and Sarah née Jenkyns. He was brother of Theodore Thring , Henry, Lord Thring , Edward Thring and John Charles Thring -Life:Godfrey Thring was born at Alford, Somerset, the son of the rector,...
replacing a medieval church on the same site. It is a Grade I listed building,
The Victorian
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
building is on the site of an earlier church which had fallen into disrepair, from which a stump of the tower remains in the churchyard.
One of the feature of the church is an early electric clocks and the first in England to have a striking mechanism. It was controlled from a master clock in the nearby house. The clock mechanism was taken to the Science Museum
Science Museum (London)
The Science Museum is one of the three major museums on Exhibition Road, South Kensington, London in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. It is part of the National Museum of Science and Industry. The museum is a major London tourist attraction....
in London for restoration in 1984. It was made by Charles Shepherd who also made the Shepherd gate clock
Shepherd gate clock
The Shepherd Gate Clock is the clock mounted on the wall outside the gate of the Royal Greenwich Observatory building in Greenwich, London. The clock, an early example of an electric clock, was a slave mechanism controlled by electric pulses transmitted by a master clock inside the main building...
mounted on the wall outside the gate of the Royal Greenwich Observatory.
The interior walls of the church are decorated with Sgraffito
Sgraffito
Sgraffito is a technique either of wall decor, produced by applying layers of plaster tinted in contrasting colors to a moistened surface, or in ceramics, by applying to an unfired ceramic body two successive layers of contrasting slip, and then in either case scratching so as to produce an...
which is produced by applying layers of plaster
Plaster
Plaster is a building material used for coating walls and ceilings. Plaster starts as a dry powder similar to mortar or cement and like those materials it is mixed with water to form a paste which liberates heat and then hardens. Unlike mortar and cement, plaster remains quite soft after setting,...
tinted in contrasting colors to a moistened surface, or in ceramics
Ceramics (art)
In art history, ceramics and ceramic art mean art objects such as figures, tiles, and tableware made from clay and other raw materials by the process of pottery. Some ceramic products are regarded as fine art, while others are regarded as decorative, industrial or applied art objects, or as...
, by applying to an unfired ceramic body two successive layers of contrasting slip
Slip (ceramics)
A slip is a suspension in water of clay and/or other materials used in the production of ceramic ware. Deflocculant, such as sodium silicate, can be added to the slip to disperse the raw material particles...
, and then in either case scratching so as to produce an outline drawing. The decoration includes representations of Moses
Moses
Moses was, according to the Hebrew Bible and Qur'an, a religious leader, lawgiver and prophet, to whom the authorship of the Torah is traditionally attributed...
, Isaiah
Isaiah
Isaiah ; Greek: ', Ēsaïās ; "Yahu is salvation") was a prophet in the 8th-century BC Kingdom of Judah.Jews and Christians consider the Book of Isaiah a part of their Biblical canon; he is the first listed of the neviim akharonim, the later prophets. Many of the New Testament teachings of Jesus...
, Jeremiah
Jeremiah
Jeremiah Hebrew：יִרְמְיָה , Modern Hebrew:Yirməyāhū, IPA: jirməˈjaːhu, Tiberian:Yirmĭyahu, Greek:Ἰερεμίας), meaning "Yahweh exalts", or called the "Weeping prophet" was one of the main prophets of the Hebrew Bible...
and the Annunciation
Annunciation
The Annunciation, also referred to as the Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary or Annunciation of the Lord, is the Christian celebration of the announcement by the angel Gabriel to Virgin Mary, that she would conceive and become the mother of Jesus the Son of God. Gabriel told Mary to name her...
. The technique is attributed to the Arts and Crafts Movement
Arts and Crafts movement
Arts and Crafts was an international design philosophy that originated in England and flourished between 1860 and 1910 , continuing its influence until the 1930s...
and, at Hornblotton, have been created by cutting away the upper coat of white cement and leaving exposed the strawberry coloured undercoat of plaster including terracotta patterns of sunflowers and leaves.
The parish is part of the Six Pilgrims benefice
Benefice
A benefice is a reward received in exchange for services rendered and as a retainer for future services. The term is now almost obsolete.-Church of England:...
within the deanery of Bruton and Cary.