St Mary's Church, Lambourn Woodlands
Encyclopedia
St Mary's Church, Lambourn Woodlands, is a redundant
Anglican
church in the village of Lambourn Woodlands
, Berkshire
, England. It has been designated by English Heritage
as a Grade II listed building, and is under the care of the Churches Conservation Trust
. The church stands on the south side of the B4000 road, some 2 miles (3 km) south of Lambourn
.
, a pupil of Augustus Charles Pugin
, in Gothic Revival
style. It was declared redundant on 1 June 1990, and was vested
in the Churches Conservation Trust on 24 July 1991.
with stone dressings, and has slate
roofs. Its plan is simple, consisting of a three-bay
nave
, a north aisle
and a chancel
. To the north of the west end is an octagonal spire. There are three two-light windows in Decorated style, and a three-light east window.
Inside the church is a three-bay arcade
carried on octagonal piers
. The chancel contains a sedilia
and a piscina
. The reredos
was carved by John Bacon
, whose son was the first parish priest.
Redundant church
A redundant church is a church building that is no longer required for regular public worship. The phrase is particularly used to refer to former Anglican buildings in the United Kingdom, but may refer to any disused church building around the world...
Anglican
Anglicanism
Anglicanism is a tradition within Christianity comprising churches with historical connections to the Church of England or similar beliefs, worship and church structures. The word Anglican originates in ecclesia anglicana, a medieval Latin phrase dating to at least 1246 that means the English...
church in the village of Lambourn Woodlands
Lambourn Woodlands
Lambourn Woodlands is a small village in the English county of Berkshire.The village is situated in the civil parish of Lambourn, and is to the south of the village of Lambourn...
, Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
, England. It has been designated by English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
as a Grade II listed building, and is under the care of the Churches Conservation Trust
Churches Conservation Trust
The Churches Conservation Trust, which was initially known as the Redundant Churches Fund, is a charity whose purpose is to protect historic churches at risk, those that have been made redundant by the Church of England. The Trust was established by the Pastoral Measure of 1968...
. The church stands on the south side of the B4000 road, some 2 miles (3 km) south of Lambourn
Lambourn
Lambourn is a large village and civil parish in the northwestern part of the ceremonial county of Berkshire in England. Its metropolitan district has a population of 4,017, and is most noted for its associations with British National Hunt racehorse training....
.
History
The church was built in 1852 and designed by the architect Thomas Talbot BuryThomas Talbot Bury
Thomas Talbot Bury was a British architect and lithographer.Bury was articled to Augustus Charles Pugin in 1824 and started his own practice in Soho in 1830. At various times he collaborated with other notable architects including Charles Lee, Louis Vulliamy and A.W.N...
, a pupil of Augustus Charles Pugin
Augustus Charles Pugin
Augustus Charles Pugin, born Auguste Charles Pugin, was an Anglo-French artist, architectural draughtsman, and writer on medieval architecture...
, in Gothic Revival
Gothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
style. It was declared redundant on 1 June 1990, and was vested
Vesting
In law, vesting is to give an immediately secured right of present or future enjoyment. One has a vested right to an asset that cannot be taken away by any third party, even though one may not yet possess the asset. When the right, interest or title to the present or future possession of a legal...
in the Churches Conservation Trust on 24 July 1991.
Architecture
St Mary's is constructed in flintFlint
Flint is a hard, sedimentary cryptocrystalline form of the mineral quartz, categorized as a variety of chert. It occurs chiefly as nodules and masses in sedimentary rocks, such as chalks and limestones. Inside the nodule, flint is usually dark grey, black, green, white, or brown in colour, and...
with stone dressings, and has slate
Slate
Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. The result is a foliated rock in which the foliation may not correspond to the original sedimentary layering...
roofs. Its plan is simple, consisting of a three-bay
Bay (architecture)
A bay is a unit of form in architecture. This unit is defined as the zone between the outer edges of an engaged column, pilaster, or post; or within a window frame, doorframe, or vertical 'bas relief' wall form.-Defining elements:...
nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
, a north aisle
Aisle
An aisle is, in general, a space for walking with rows of seats on both sides or with rows of seats on one side and a wall on the other...
and a chancel
Chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
. To the north of the west end is an octagonal spire. There are three two-light windows in Decorated style, and a three-light east window.
Inside the church is a three-bay arcade
Arcade (architecture)
An arcade is a succession of arches, each counterthrusting the next, supported by columns or piers or a covered walk enclosed by a line of such arches on one or both sides. In warmer or wet climates, exterior arcades provide shelter for pedestrians....
carried on octagonal piers
Pier (architecture)
In architecture, a pier is an upright support for a superstructure, such as an arch or bridge. Sections of wall between openings function as piers. The simplest cross section of the pier is square, or rectangular, although other shapes are also common, such as the richly articulated piers of Donato...
. The chancel contains a sedilia
Sedilia
Sedilia , in ecclesiastical architecture, is the term used to describe stone seats, usually to be found on the south side of an altar, often in the chancel, for the use of the officiating priests...
and a piscina
Piscina
A piscina is a shallow basin placed near the altar of a church, used for washing the communion vessels. The sacrarium is the drain itself. Anglicans usually refer to the basin, calling it a piscina. Roman Catholics usually refer to the drain, and by extension, the basin, as the sacrarium...
. The reredos
Reredos
thumb|300px|right|An altar and reredos from [[St. Josaphat's Roman Catholic Church|St. Josaphat Catholic Church]] in [[Detroit]], [[Michigan]]. This would be called a [[retable]] in many other languages and countries....
was carved by John Bacon
John Bacon (sculptor) (1777-1859)
John Bacon was an English sculptor.Bacon was the second son of the sculptor John Bacon R.A. He entered the Royal Academy Schools at the age of twelve. At fifteen he exhibited his first work, at sixteen he was awarded the silver medal of the Royal Academy, and at seventeen the gold. His prize work...
, whose son was the first parish priest.
See also
- List of churches preserved by the Churches Conservation Trust in South East England