All Saints' Church, Newchurch
Encyclopedia
All Saints' Church, Newchurch is a parish church
in the Church of England
located in Newchurch, Isle of Wight
, England. The church is medieval dating from the 13th century. In 1883, restoration
of the church was carried out by A.R. Barker, at the instigation of the vicar Rev. Alfred Dicker
.
The simple layout of the church consists of a nave
, a chancel
, northern and southern aisles, and a tower. It was built on the site of an older structure which was donated by William FitzOsbern
to the Lyre Abbey. Subsequently, the church came under the control of the Beaulieu Abbey
. When this religious authority was dissolved, the control of the church was entrusted by Henry VIII to the Bishop of Bristol
(now Gloucester
and Bristol
).
The church was one of the seven parishes on the Island when it was built, but now is part of several others. The unique white timber clad tower contains a small peal of six bells with a tenor weighing just 7 cwt or 350 kg.
to an Lyra Abbey in Normandy
, Henry VIII
was later to give it to the See of Bristol
. Living quarters are in a vicarage which included 3 acres of glebe
.
piers do not bond into the east wall of the nave, which, with its 4 feet (1.2 m) thick wall, probably formed part of the original church. The eastern arches of the aisles spring from plain-splayed imposts, and the starting pier of the south aisle does not bond into the west wall.
The 13th century builders practically remodelled the whole structure, leaving it much as it is today—a nave of three bays, a fourth being formed by the transept arches, north and south aisles, a long chancel, north and south transepts and a south porch supporting a wooden tower containing six bells. The massive piers at the entrance to the transepts suggest a central tower. Both transepts are singularly deep and must have been original features, though the south one has been lengthened 10 feet (3 m), probably in the 16th century when the east window was inserted. The aisles must have been undertaken later in the century, as they are not in alignment with the transept piers. They both end in pointed arches, that to the north being splayed inwards for some ritual purpose, while the south one was rebuilt when the way to the rood-loft was cut through in the 15th century. The south wall of the nave is lighted by 14th century windows with cusped heads, and has been raised to admit of their insertion. The north wall is pierced by two windows and a door of the 13th century, the westernmost window having been converted into a single round-headed light in the 17th century.
The entrance to the roof-loft still remains, with its steps on the aisle side. It has a semicircular head, from which springs the cross arch of the aisle with its two rings of voussoirs.
In the south wall is a priest's door. For some structural reason, its east and south walls have been rebuilt in the 16th century, and it is probable that at this time, the south transept was lengthened 10 feet (3 m) and the porch widened eastward to form the sub-structure of a wooden tower containing the three bells mentioned in the inventory of 1553. The west wall of the nave appears to be all of one date—c. 1200— and is pierced with three original windows, a small narrow lancet in each aisle, a circular window with simple cusped filling in the centre of the gable. The crown of the west entrance has been lowered to admit of the insertion of a large 'churchwarden' window and the external jambs have been replaced with plain cut stone.
It is probable that the Dillingtons were responsible for the churchwarden creations in the north transept, and the west wall, and the final remodelling of the tower. There are two small chapels succeeding the two transepts. Over the gable of the south transeptal chapel, a “singular SAINTS or SANCTE BELL turret" has been erected (the bell was first struck when the image of the Saint was deified). In the porch, there are inscriptions in Latin on two tablets that record the generous contribution made by Richard Gard to establishing a grammar school which was founded by Richard Andrews, in 1595.
The oak pulpit with its quaint sounding-board and canopy, as also the carved 'Pelican' lectern said to have been brought from Frome, belong to the Dillington period. There are memorials (eight inscriptions) in the north transept to the Dillington family, 1674 to 1749, wall tablets to Lieutenant General Maurice Bockland (Member of Parliament from Yarmouth
; d. 1765), W. Bowles (d. 1748), an author, and William Thatcher, 1776. Over the south door is a panel with the royal arms of William III, dated 1700.
Chancel
The chancel, unusually long for its width, is lighted on the north by the three blunt lancets already referred to, on the east and south by three-light 16th century windows. The original north wall of the chancel still remains with its blunt-lancet, ungrooved window openings. Over the chancel arch is a wide splayed lancet window or opening of early 13th century detail. The transept and chancel arches are very massive in appearance, with pointed heads and triple-splayed orders springing from slightly curved abaci, forming a continuous moulding round the piers. This responds in clumsy square bases the whole thickness of the wall, as if intended for a stop to some feature since removed. A chancel roof space is of unknown purpose.
Vaults
In the 17th and 18th centuries, a certain amount of renovation was done by the Dillingtons, then owners of Knighton Gorges Manor
. Both transepts appealed to them as excellent places for family vaults, so in 1688, Sir Robert Dillington (ca. 1664–1689) obtained a faculty to build a vault in the north transept. In 1725, the south transept received their attention as a further burial place for the family, the Dillington baronetcy
having become extinct four years earlier.
earthquake that occurred on 30 November 1811 at 3.20 am, which was felt in Portsmouth
at Rydes and in many other parts of the Isle of Wight.
The church has a pipe organ by Bevington dating from 1857. A specification of the organ can be found on the National Pipe Organ Register.
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
in the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
located in Newchurch, Isle of Wight
Newchurch, Isle of Wight
Newchurch is a village and civil parish on the Isle of Wight. It is located between Sandown and Newport in the southeast of the island. Anthony Dillington, owner of the Knighton Gorges Manor in Newchurch wrote to his son Robert in 1574 that, "This is the very Garden of England, and we be privileged...
, England. The church is medieval dating from the 13th century. In 1883, restoration
Victorian restoration
Victorian restoration is the term commonly used to refer to the widespread and extensive refurbishment and rebuilding of Church of England churches and cathedrals that took place in England and Wales during the 19th-century reign of Queen Victoria...
of the church was carried out by A.R. Barker, at the instigation of the vicar Rev. Alfred Dicker
Alfred Dicker
Alfred Cecil Dicker was an English clergyman and rower who won the Diamond Challenge Sculls at Henley Royal Regatta three times and the Wingfield Sculls twice....
.
The simple layout of the church consists of a 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 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...
, northern and southern aisles, and a tower. It was built on the site of an older structure which was donated by William FitzOsbern
William Fitzosbern, 1st Earl of Hereford
William FitzOsbern , Lord of Breteuil, in Normandy, was a relative and close counsellor of William the Conqueror and one of the great magnates of early Norman England...
to the Lyre Abbey. Subsequently, the church came under the control of the Beaulieu Abbey
Beaulieu Abbey
Beaulieu Abbey, , was a Cistercian abbey located in Hampshire, England. It was founded in 1203-1204 by King John and peopled by 30 monks sent from the abbey of Cîteaux in France, the mother house of the Cistercian order...
. When this religious authority was dissolved, the control of the church was entrusted by Henry VIII to the Bishop of Bristol
Bishop of Bristol
The Bishop of Bristol heads the Church of England Diocese of Bristol in the Province of Canterbury, in England.The present diocese covers parts of the counties of Somerset and Gloucestershire together with a small area of Wiltshire...
(now Gloucester
Gloucester
Gloucester is a city, district and county town of Gloucestershire in the South West region of England. Gloucester lies close to the Welsh border, and on the River Severn, approximately north-east of Bristol, and south-southwest of Birmingham....
and Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
).
The church was one of the seven parishes on the Island when it was built, but now is part of several others. The unique white timber clad tower contains a small peal of six bells with a tenor weighing just 7 cwt or 350 kg.
Geography
All Saints' Church is located at the north end of the village of Newchurch. On the west side of the church, the road has a steep descent which gives the impression that the church is on a bluff. The geographic setting has been described by Venables, a poet as: "To the north the gazes embraces the whole of the vale of Newchurch with the undulating ridge of the chalks down beyond, ending towards the valley of the Medina in the abrupt Slope of the St.George’s Down. The whit cliffs of Culver…"History
All Saints' Church is an ancient cruciform structure. Although it was one of the six churches given by William FitzOsbernWilliam Fitzosbern, 1st Earl of Hereford
William FitzOsbern , Lord of Breteuil, in Normandy, was a relative and close counsellor of William the Conqueror and one of the great magnates of early Norman England...
to an Lyra Abbey in Normandy
Normandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
, Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
was later to give it to the See of Bristol
Diocese of Bristol
The Diocese of Bristol is a Church of England diocese in the Province of Canterbury, England. It is based in the city of Bristol and covers South Gloucestershire and parts of north Wiltshire to Swindon...
. Living quarters are in a vicarage which included 3 acres of glebe
Glebe
Glebe Glebe Glebe (also known as Church furlong or parson's closes is an area of land within a manor and parish used to support a parish priest.-Medieval origins:...
.
Exterior
The church of All Saints' is a 13th century cruciform structure with a south porch. The exterior features a red-tiled roof, walls of rough sandstone, a weatherboarded tower, a south porch, and a short spire. The nave's roof and the exterior of the north aisle appear barn-like.Interior
The earliest building must have been of the 12th century, as there evidence of 13th century additions. The transeptTransept
For the periodical go to The Transept.A transept is a transverse section, of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In Christian churches, a transept is an area set crosswise to the nave in a cruciform building in Romanesque and Gothic Christian church architecture...
piers do not bond into the east wall of the nave, which, with its 4 feet (1.2 m) thick wall, probably formed part of the original church. The eastern arches of the aisles spring from plain-splayed imposts, and the starting pier of the south aisle does not bond into the west wall.
The 13th century builders practically remodelled the whole structure, leaving it much as it is today—a nave of three bays, a fourth being formed by the transept arches, north and south aisles, a long chancel, north and south transepts and a south porch supporting a wooden tower containing six bells. The massive piers at the entrance to the transepts suggest a central tower. Both transepts are singularly deep and must have been original features, though the south one has been lengthened 10 feet (3 m), probably in the 16th century when the east window was inserted. The aisles must have been undertaken later in the century, as they are not in alignment with the transept piers. They both end in pointed arches, that to the north being splayed inwards for some ritual purpose, while the south one was rebuilt when the way to the rood-loft was cut through in the 15th century. The south wall of the nave is lighted by 14th century windows with cusped heads, and has been raised to admit of their insertion. The north wall is pierced by two windows and a door of the 13th century, the westernmost window having been converted into a single round-headed light in the 17th century.
The entrance to the roof-loft still remains, with its steps on the aisle side. It has a semicircular head, from which springs the cross arch of the aisle with its two rings of voussoirs.
In the south wall is a priest's door. For some structural reason, its east and south walls have been rebuilt in the 16th century, and it is probable that at this time, the south transept was lengthened 10 feet (3 m) and the porch widened eastward to form the sub-structure of a wooden tower containing the three bells mentioned in the inventory of 1553. The west wall of the nave appears to be all of one date—c. 1200— and is pierced with three original windows, a small narrow lancet in each aisle, a circular window with simple cusped filling in the centre of the gable. The crown of the west entrance has been lowered to admit of the insertion of a large 'churchwarden' window and the external jambs have been replaced with plain cut stone.
It is probable that the Dillingtons were responsible for the churchwarden creations in the north transept, and the west wall, and the final remodelling of the tower. There are two small chapels succeeding the two transepts. Over the gable of the south transeptal chapel, a “singular SAINTS or SANCTE BELL turret" has been erected (the bell was first struck when the image of the Saint was deified). In the porch, there are inscriptions in Latin on two tablets that record the generous contribution made by Richard Gard to establishing a grammar school which was founded by Richard Andrews, in 1595.
The oak pulpit with its quaint sounding-board and canopy, as also the carved 'Pelican' lectern said to have been brought from Frome, belong to the Dillington period. There are memorials (eight inscriptions) in the north transept to the Dillington family, 1674 to 1749, wall tablets to Lieutenant General Maurice Bockland (Member of Parliament from Yarmouth
Yarmouth, Isle of Wight
Yarmouth is a port and civil parish in the western part of the Isle of Wight, off the southern coast of mainland England. The town is named for its location at the mouth of the small Western Yar river...
; d. 1765), W. Bowles (d. 1748), an author, and William Thatcher, 1776. Over the south door is a panel with the royal arms of William III, dated 1700.
Chancel
The chancel, unusually long for its width, is lighted on the north by the three blunt lancets already referred to, on the east and south by three-light 16th century windows. The original north wall of the chancel still remains with its blunt-lancet, ungrooved window openings. Over the chancel arch is a wide splayed lancet window or opening of early 13th century detail. The transept and chancel arches are very massive in appearance, with pointed heads and triple-splayed orders springing from slightly curved abaci, forming a continuous moulding round the piers. This responds in clumsy square bases the whole thickness of the wall, as if intended for a stop to some feature since removed. A chancel roof space is of unknown purpose.
Vaults
In the 17th and 18th centuries, a certain amount of renovation was done by the Dillingtons, then owners of Knighton Gorges Manor
Knighton Gorges Manor
Knighton Gorges Manor was one of the grandest manor houses on the Isle of Wight. Located in the hamlet of Knighton, near Newchurch, it is reported to be one of the most haunted locations on the Isle of Wight....
. Both transepts appealed to them as excellent places for family vaults, so in 1688, Sir Robert Dillington (ca. 1664–1689) obtained a faculty to build a vault in the north transept. In 1725, the south transept received their attention as a further burial place for the family, the Dillington baronetcy
Dillington Baronets
The Dillington Baronetcy of Knighton, Isle of Wight in the County of Hampshire was created in the Baronetage of England on 6 September 1628 for Robert Dillington, who was a Member of Parliament and was succeeded by his grandson, and then by the three sons of the second baronet in turn. All the...
having become extinct four years earlier.
Fittings
There are six bells, four of which were founded in 1810 by Thomas Mears of London; the other two are inscribed 'ANNO 5189 [1589]. ANTHONY BOND MADE ME 1626.' The ancient communion pieces consist of a chalice 8 inches (20.3 cm) high and 3.5 inches (8.9 cm) in diameter, with the date 1620 pricked on the cover. The alms-dish is inscribed 'The gift of Mrs. Dillington to the Parish of Newchurch anno 1737.' There is also a Sheffield plate flagon, probably given at the same time, inscribed 'DEO ET ALTARI SACRUM.' A register has records of many events since 1582, and which includes information of a ChichesterChichester
Chichester is a cathedral city in West Sussex, within the historic County of Sussex, South-East England. It has a long history as a settlement; its Roman past and its subsequent importance in Anglo-Saxon times are only its beginnings...
earthquake that occurred on 30 November 1811 at 3.20 am, which was felt in Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
at Rydes and in many other parts of the Isle of Wight.
The church has a pipe organ by Bevington dating from 1857. A specification of the organ can be found on the National Pipe Organ Register.