St Stephen's Church, Pamphill
Encyclopedia
St Stephen's is the parish church of Pamphill
in Dorset
, England
. The current church lies on the site of a former church dating from 1229. The current church was laid out for construction in 1846 at the end of an avenue of trees. However the actual church was not finished until 1907, under the designs of builder C. E. Ponting. It is the family church of the Bankes Family of Dorset
.
(1215). In 1230 he was given the manor of Kingston Lacy
. He paid for a new church for one of the villages in his domain and in 1236 a church dedicated to St Stephen was constructed after seven years in the building process. It survived until the sixteenth century but by 1573 had been allowed to decay to such an extent that it was beyond repair and abandoned.
The current church was built with a financial bequest of Walter Ralph Bankes and lies in the grounds of Kingston Lacy
House, now a National Trust
property, near Pamphill. It was eventually built in 1907 as a memorial to Walter Ralph Bankes. The church was constructed under the leadership of his wife Henrietta Bankes and his son Sir Walter Ralph Bankes the second.
Gothic architecture. There is a forty foot tower. The walls are constructed from a mixture of Studland
sandstone and Purbeck Stone. Attached to the tower and above the left side of the porch, with its Arts and Crafts leaf surround, is a niche containing a statue by Palmer of St Stephen with his hand on the head of a small boy. The boy was modelled in the likeness of Ralph, Mrs Henrietta Bankes' son.
There is an alabaster font
, supported by four angel
s. When it arrived in the church, it had a crack. It was returned to the makers, who replaced it with the one currently in use. Perhaps the most striking feature inside the building is the quality of the woodwork, constructed from oak
grown on the Kingston Lacy
Estate. However also of note, are the pew
s, each end of which is carved with a Bankes' family fleur-de-lys, as well as the splendid choir stalls. The glittering tiled reredos is by Carters of Poole, who used 'battered brass' to form the golden wings of the angels and mother-of-pearl for their halos. On either side, it is flanked by Sanctus angels engraved directly into the stone.
The stunning east window depicts depicts Ralph Bankes sitting on Christ's lap with his sisters, Viola and Daphne, looking on. Mrs Bankes is reputed to have been devoted to her rather sickly son, but not to her two daughters. To the right, further panels of Mary and Martha, the Good Shepherd and the Calming of the Storm. There is a small organ by the Positive Organ Co. Immediately below the organ and attached to the wooden panelling is a simple, but moving record of the sixteen men who did not return from the First World War; which was unveiled on 2 April 1921. The eight Bankes' family pews are at the back of the church. Standing over the pew, is a copy of the Wimborne Minster (where most of the Bankes are buried) astronomical clock and above and behind, the west window features the historical family armorials with a fleur de lys and the various bride's arms. Before the building of St Stephens, the window was in Wimborne Minster.
Until the building of this church, the people of Cowgrove and Pamphill had to go to Wimborne Minster for services. However, the new church was within the parish of Wimborne Minster and not a parish in its own right. This had to wait until 1922, when as a result of Mrs Bankes' efforts and her endowment of £6,000, the benefice of St Stephen's was finally established with its own vicar
. The beautiful grass enclosure in which the church rests remains unconsecrated and consequently has never been used for burial. The stone cross in front of the church is a memorial to Walter Bankes, Mrs Bankes' husband and benefactor.
Pamphill
Pamphill is a village in south-east Dorset, England, just outside Wimborne Minster, four miles north of Poole. The village has a population of 704 .-St Stephen's:...
in Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The current church lies on the site of a former church dating from 1229. The current church was laid out for construction in 1846 at the end of an avenue of trees. However the actual church was not finished until 1907, under the designs of builder C. E. Ponting. It is the family church of the Bankes Family of Dorset
Bankes
The Bankeses were an important aristocratic family in Dorset, England for over 400 years. They owned large portions of land throughout Dorset and made significant contributions to the political history and development of the country.-Buildings:...
.
History
John de Lacy was one of twenty-five barons charged with overseeing the observance of the Magna CartaMagna Carta
Magna Carta is an English charter, originally issued in the year 1215 and reissued later in the 13th century in modified versions, which included the most direct challenges to the monarch's authority to date. The charter first passed into law in 1225...
(1215). In 1230 he was given the manor of Kingston Lacy
Kingston Lacy
Kingston Lacy is a country house and estate near Wimborne Minster, Dorset, England, now owned by the National Trust. From the 17th to the late 20th centuries it was the family seat of the Bankes family, who had previously resided nearby at Corfe Castle until its destruction in the English Civil War...
. He paid for a new church for one of the villages in his domain and in 1236 a church dedicated to St Stephen was constructed after seven years in the building process. It survived until the sixteenth century but by 1573 had been allowed to decay to such an extent that it was beyond repair and abandoned.
The current church was built with a financial bequest of Walter Ralph Bankes and lies in the grounds of Kingston Lacy
Kingston Lacy
Kingston Lacy is a country house and estate near Wimborne Minster, Dorset, England, now owned by the National Trust. From the 17th to the late 20th centuries it was the family seat of the Bankes family, who had previously resided nearby at Corfe Castle until its destruction in the English Civil War...
House, now a National Trust
National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty
The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
property, near Pamphill. It was eventually built in 1907 as a memorial to Walter Ralph Bankes. The church was constructed under the leadership of his wife Henrietta Bankes and his son Sir Walter Ralph Bankes the second.
Architecture and Features
The church is a good example of Arts and CraftsArts 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...
Gothic architecture. There is a forty foot tower. The walls are constructed from a mixture of Studland
Studland
Studland is a small village on the Isle of Purbeck in the English county of Dorset. It is famous for its beaches and nature reserve. In 2001 Studland had a population of 480, the lowest in 50 years...
sandstone and Purbeck Stone. Attached to the tower and above the left side of the porch, with its Arts and Crafts leaf surround, is a niche containing a statue by Palmer of St Stephen with his hand on the head of a small boy. The boy was modelled in the likeness of Ralph, Mrs Henrietta Bankes' son.
There is an alabaster font
Baptismal font
A baptismal font is an article of church furniture or a fixture used for the baptism of children and adults.-Aspersion and affusion fonts:...
, supported by four angel
Angel
Angels are mythical beings often depicted as messengers of God in the Hebrew and Christian Bibles along with the Quran. The English word angel is derived from the Greek ἄγγελος, a translation of in the Hebrew Bible ; a similar term, ملائكة , is used in the Qur'an...
s. When it arrived in the church, it had a crack. It was returned to the makers, who replaced it with the one currently in use. Perhaps the most striking feature inside the building is the quality of the woodwork, constructed from oak
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
grown on the Kingston Lacy
Kingston Lacy
Kingston Lacy is a country house and estate near Wimborne Minster, Dorset, England, now owned by the National Trust. From the 17th to the late 20th centuries it was the family seat of the Bankes family, who had previously resided nearby at Corfe Castle until its destruction in the English Civil War...
Estate. However also of note, are the pew
Pew
A pew is a long bench seat or enclosed box used for seating members of a congregation or choir in a church, or sometimes in a courtroom.-Overview:Churches were not commonly furnished with permanent pews before the Protestant Reformation...
s, each end of which is carved with a Bankes' family fleur-de-lys, as well as the splendid choir stalls. The glittering tiled reredos is by Carters of Poole, who used 'battered brass' to form the golden wings of the angels and mother-of-pearl for their halos. On either side, it is flanked by Sanctus angels engraved directly into the stone.
The stunning east window depicts depicts Ralph Bankes sitting on Christ's lap with his sisters, Viola and Daphne, looking on. Mrs Bankes is reputed to have been devoted to her rather sickly son, but not to her two daughters. To the right, further panels of Mary and Martha, the Good Shepherd and the Calming of the Storm. There is a small organ by the Positive Organ Co. Immediately below the organ and attached to the wooden panelling is a simple, but moving record of the sixteen men who did not return from the First World War; which was unveiled on 2 April 1921. The eight Bankes' family pews are at the back of the church. Standing over the pew, is a copy of the Wimborne Minster (where most of the Bankes are buried) astronomical clock and above and behind, the west window features the historical family armorials with a fleur de lys and the various bride's arms. Before the building of St Stephens, the window was in Wimborne Minster.
Until the building of this church, the people of Cowgrove and Pamphill had to go to Wimborne Minster for services. However, the new church was within the parish of Wimborne Minster and not a parish in its own right. This had to wait until 1922, when as a result of Mrs Bankes' efforts and her endowment of £6,000, the benefice of St Stephen's was finally established with its own vicar
Vicar
In the broadest sense, a vicar is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior . In this sense, the title is comparable to lieutenant...
. The beautiful grass enclosure in which the church rests remains unconsecrated and consequently has never been used for burial. The stone cross in front of the church is a memorial to Walter Bankes, Mrs Bankes' husband and benefactor.