Church of St John the Evangelist, Milborne Port
Encyclopedia
The Church of St John the Evangelist in Milborne Port
, Somerset
, England is a cruciform church of late Anglo-Saxon
date and parts may well span the Norman conquest. The church has been designated by English Heritage
as a Grade I listed building.
(a survivor from Edward
’s reign into William
’s) rebuilt his Minster at Milborne Port in “a sumptuous hybrid style.” It would seem logical to assign the now-demolished nave to this period, since the surviving south doorway of the nave was incorporated into the 1860s rebuild and is of Saxo-Norman design.
The church was part of the original endowment of Cirencester Abbey
by Henry I
, and held by them until the dissolution of the monasteries
. An attempt was made around 1199 to make the church a prebend in Wells Cathedral
however this was unsuccessful. In 1543 Winchester College
acquired control and held it until 1824 when it passed to the Marquess of Anglesey
and he sold his estate to Sir William Coles Medlycott in 1835. The Medlycott family memorials survive in the north transept.
Despite the Victorian
nave (almost totally rebuilt 1867–69 to the designs of Henry Hall) and accompanying north aisle, there remains the pre-conquest
central tower and chancel
. The south transept
was heavily restored
and the north chapel wall rebuilt in 1843. The north transept was rebuilt along with the nave, so compared to pre-1867 half of the Anglo-Saxon church has now gone.
The new nave is 28 feet (9 m) longer than the original it replaced. The old west front exhibited vestiges of triangular-headed arcading
on either side of the inserted Perpendicular
west window, and the lower part of the front was divided into compartments, by broad pilaster
s of plain square section. This was recorded by photography and the photo was published in 1893 by A. Reynolds.
The crossing (tower) is wider in plan than the nave, and markedly wider than the transepts or chancel. This is a distinctive Saxon trait, which may also be observed at nearby Sherborne Abbey
(where traces of the Saxon rubble west wall may be seen).
Inside, the four crossing arches with their jambs survive, although the east and west arches have been rebuilt in pointed 14th-century form; the south and north arches have been slightly deformed to elliptical shape due to the pressure of the masonry, perhaps by the addition of the top stage of the tower at some later date. There are eight bells in the tower, three of 1736 by Thomas Bilbie
, two by A. and C. Mears of 1846, and the rest recast in the 20th century.
Further restoration of the Chancel took place in 1908 when Sir Walter Tapper
included plaster medallions high on the sanctuary walls. The glass in the east window is by Bainbridge Reynolds.
The chancel exhibits pilaster
strip work, much disturbed and cut by Early English period
windows, and has a close parallel at Bradford-on-Avon. The wall thickness of the chancel is 2 ft 8in, which is a typical Anglo-Saxon dimension.
The church, with its Anglo-Saxon features, is of major importance to our understanding of the larger minsters in pre-conquest England.
Milborne Port
Milborne Port is a village and civil parish in Somerset, England, east of Sherborne, and in the South Somerset district. It has a population of 2,735...
, 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 is a cruciform church of late Anglo-Saxon
Anglo-Saxon
Anglo-Saxon may refer to:* Anglo-Saxons, a group that invaded Britain** Old English, their language** Anglo-Saxon England, their history, one of various ships* White Anglo-Saxon Protestant, an ethnicity* Anglo-Saxon economy, modern macroeconomic term...
date and parts may well span the Norman conquest. The church 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 I listed building.
History
The chancellor RegimbaldRegimbald
Regimbald was a Benedictine abbot of Lorsch Abbey, and bishop of Speyer, from 1032. He was previously at the abbey of Saints Ulrich and Afra and at Ebersberg Abbey.He is a Catholic and Orthodox saint, feast day October 13....
(a survivor from Edward
Edward the Confessor
Edward the Confessor also known as St. Edward the Confessor , son of Æthelred the Unready and Emma of Normandy, was one of the last Anglo-Saxon kings of England and is usually regarded as the last king of the House of Wessex, ruling from 1042 to 1066....
’s reign into William
William I of England
William I , also known as William the Conqueror , was the first Norman King of England from Christmas 1066 until his death. He was also Duke of Normandy from 3 July 1035 until his death, under the name William II...
’s) rebuilt his Minster at Milborne Port in “a sumptuous hybrid style.” It would seem logical to assign the now-demolished nave to this period, since the surviving south doorway of the nave was incorporated into the 1860s rebuild and is of Saxo-Norman design.
The church was part of the original endowment of Cirencester Abbey
Cirencester Abbey
Cirencester Abbey in Gloucestershire was founded as an Augustinian monastery in 1117 on the site of an earlier church, the oldest-known Saxon church in England, which had itself been built on the site of a Roman structure. The church was greatly enlarged in the 14th century with addition of an...
by Henry I
Henry I of England
Henry I was the fourth son of William I of England. He succeeded his elder brother William II as King of England in 1100 and defeated his eldest brother, Robert Curthose, to become Duke of Normandy in 1106...
, and held by them until the dissolution of the monasteries
Dissolution of the Monasteries
The Dissolution of the Monasteries, sometimes referred to as the Suppression of the Monasteries, was the set of administrative and legal processes between 1536 and 1541 by which Henry VIII disbanded monasteries, priories, convents and friaries in England, Wales and Ireland; appropriated their...
. An attempt was made around 1199 to make the church a prebend in Wells Cathedral
Wells Cathedral
Wells Cathedral is a Church of England cathedral in Wells, Somerset, England. It is the seat of the Bishop of Bath and Wells, who lives at the adjacent Bishop's Palace....
however this was unsuccessful. In 1543 Winchester College
Winchester College
Winchester College is an independent school for boys in the British public school tradition, situated in Winchester, Hampshire, the former capital of England. It has existed in its present location for over 600 years and claims the longest unbroken history of any school in England...
acquired control and held it until 1824 when it passed to the Marquess of Anglesey
Marquess of Anglesey
Marquess of Anglesey is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1815 for Henry Paget, 2nd Earl of Uxbridge, a hero of the Battle of Waterloo...
and he sold his estate to Sir William Coles Medlycott in 1835. The Medlycott family memorials survive in the north transept.
Architecture
The chapel roof has been dated at 1641. In 1712 a west gallery was built for the singers and there was also an east gallery by 1747. The west gallery was enlarged in 1812-14 and in 1826 a two-bay north aisle with a gallery was added to the nave. In 1841 the east gallery over the rood screen was taken down.Despite the Victorian
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
nave (almost totally rebuilt 1867–69 to the designs of Henry Hall) and accompanying north aisle, there remains the pre-conquest
Norman conquest of England
The Norman conquest of England began on 28 September 1066 with the invasion of England by William, Duke of Normandy. William became known as William the Conqueror after his victory at the Battle of Hastings on 14 October 1066, defeating King Harold II of England...
central tower and 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...
. The south transept
Transept
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...
was heavily restored
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...
and the north chapel wall rebuilt in 1843. The north transept was rebuilt along with the nave, so compared to pre-1867 half of the Anglo-Saxon church has now gone.
The new nave is 28 feet (9 m) longer than the original it replaced. The old west front exhibited vestiges of triangular-headed arcading
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....
on either side of the inserted Perpendicular
Perpendicular
In geometry, two lines or planes are considered perpendicular to each other if they form congruent adjacent angles . The term may be used as a noun or adjective...
west window, and the lower part of the front was divided into compartments, by broad pilaster
Pilaster
A pilaster is a slightly-projecting column built into or applied to the face of a wall. Most commonly flattened or rectangular in form, pilasters can also take a half-round form or the shape of any type of column, including tortile....
s of plain square section. This was recorded by photography and the photo was published in 1893 by A. Reynolds.
The crossing (tower) is wider in plan than the nave, and markedly wider than the transepts or chancel. This is a distinctive Saxon trait, which may also be observed at nearby Sherborne Abbey
Sherborne Abbey
The Abbey Church of St Mary the Virgin at Sherborne in the English county of Dorset, is usually called Sherborne Abbey. It has been a Saxon cathedral , a Benedictine abbey and is now a parish church.- Cathedral :...
(where traces of the Saxon rubble west wall may be seen).
Inside, the four crossing arches with their jambs survive, although the east and west arches have been rebuilt in pointed 14th-century form; the south and north arches have been slightly deformed to elliptical shape due to the pressure of the masonry, perhaps by the addition of the top stage of the tower at some later date. There are eight bells in the tower, three of 1736 by Thomas Bilbie
Bilbie family
The Bilbie family were bell founders and clockmakers based initially in Chew Stoke, Somerset and later at Cullompton, Devon in south-west England from the late 17th century to the early 19th century....
, two by A. and C. Mears of 1846, and the rest recast in the 20th century.
Further restoration of the Chancel took place in 1908 when Sir Walter Tapper
Walter Tapper
Sir Walter Tapper was a British architect known for Gothic Revivalist architecture. On his death in 1935 his son Michael Tapper completed some of his works....
included plaster medallions high on the sanctuary walls. The glass in the east window is by Bainbridge Reynolds.
The chancel exhibits pilaster
Pilaster
A pilaster is a slightly-projecting column built into or applied to the face of a wall. Most commonly flattened or rectangular in form, pilasters can also take a half-round form or the shape of any type of column, including tortile....
strip work, much disturbed and cut by Early English period
English Gothic architecture
English Gothic is the name of the architectural style that flourished in England from about 1180 until about 1520.-Introduction:As with the Gothic architecture of other parts of Europe, English Gothic is defined by its pointed arches, vaulted roofs, buttresses, large windows, and spires...
windows, and has a close parallel at Bradford-on-Avon. The wall thickness of the chancel is 2 ft 8in, which is a typical Anglo-Saxon dimension.
The church, with its Anglo-Saxon features, is of major importance to our understanding of the larger minsters in pre-conquest England.