St John the Baptist, Wonersh
Church History 20th Century (1901 – 2007)
He has filled them with skill to do all
kinds of work as craftsmen, designers, embroiderers in blue, purple
and scarlet yarn and fine linen, and
weavers—all of them master craftsmen and designers.
This account of the history
of our church acknowledges and has drawn heavily upon information provided in
the following:-
Wonersh History Society
Parishes:
Wonersh - British History Online –
History of the Church by Revd A L
Brown.
Click to return to Church History Overview.
1900-01 Restoration
Proverbs
22:28 Remove
not the ancient landmark, which thy fathers have set.
The church restoration project, probably started in the time of Revd Sherrin, came to fruition under Revd Cunningham. The “principal householders” in Wonersh formed a general committee, including messrs Furnivall, Cowley Lambert, H W Prescott, Sir William Roberts-Austin, Frank Sparkes and Mrs Sudbury. The cost was expected to be about £3000.
The plan from a
well known Victorian architect (Sir Arthur Blomfield)
was to demolish the church and replace it with an imitation Gothic building.
Fortunately when it was determined to refit the church a scheme for careful
restoration submitted by Charles
Nicholson (1867-1949), later to be Knighted, was accepted. He was at the beginning of his career as an
architect and was living at Poynetts on the north border of Blackheath. We are indebted to his vision and good taste. Messrs Nicholson and Corlette were appointed
as architects and Messrs E & J H Holden of Cranleigh as the builder. The
church was closed between April-August 1901 when services were held in
The chancel was restored to its
original length and height and was re-roofed.
The north chapel was reclad in stone and the roof and windows were
copied from old paintings. The floor
level was kept at the raised level set in 1793 a decision that the architect
considered in retrospect could have been addressed. Excavations in some parts of the church floor
revealed 14th c tiles at the
original level and other remnants of earlier church fabric.
The doorway in the tower north wall was closed off and the porch removed which had partially obscured the lancet window. The new north chapel door bearing the date 1902 was cut in the original position of the priest’s door. Unearthed in the chancel were a number of pieces of worked stone from the head of a 15th century door. These were clearly the head of the doorway into the north chapel. The new door was designed along the lines of the original door and the ancient pieces were preserved in the inner north wall of the tower.
At the eastern end of the chapel the altar is built above the old sacristry which had been filled in when the north chapel was built and now cleared and opened out. A concrete wall was built above the original western wall and arches constructed to support the 18th C altar from the chancel which was incorporated in the design. A pavement of 14th C encaustic tiles was re-laid as the altar step, these found in the nave at the original floor level. Excavations outside the east wall did not find any trace of the other half of the sacristry. Some fragments of old mouldings and bosses representing a monkey and a grotesque face were built into the new external battlements of the chapel.
Considerable structural repairs were undertaken, especially to the tower, and the entire church was re-seated and arranged in accordance with contemporary ideas of worship. The ceiling in the nave and chancel was removed. The lath & plaster partitions were also removed between the tower & nave & north chapel, and the chancel & two side chapels. Discovered in these walls were two 15th century oak screens. It was only possible to reconstruct one screen from the remains; this was placed as a parclose screen in the north arch, now moved to the south arch. Of the old 18th C fittings, the old gallery front now forms the deal panelling of dado rail on the north side of the nave and the front of the old pews which flanked the central alley form the dados on the south and west walls. The oak Grantley pew provided the partition in the south chapel (vestry). The balustrade from the old pulpit was used in the staircase leading to the belfry. The old arms and hatchments of the Grantley family were hung in the nave.
Fragments of the ancient Norman font bowl and part of the stem were dug up in 1901, the missing portions made good and the font placed in its present position.
All windows retained the clear glass of the previous Georgian restoration, with the exception of the nave north window which was the first stained glass in the church for over a hundred years.
It should be noted that in order for the restoration to proceed, the 5th Lord Grantley gave up ownership of the south chapel, and gave permission for reburial of the family remains, and repositioning of the large tombs. Special permission was gained for burial in the closed churchyard at Wonersh and the removal outside of one of the large tombs (near the NW wall).
1901 to 1981
The Incumbents
of this Parish during this period are recorded as being-:
1898-1906
Philip
Cunningham,MA
1906-47
Algernon
Leslie Brown,MA
1947-53
Robert
1953-80 Hugh G B Anthony,MA
Improvement continued after the
restoration. Stained glass windows were
installed , five of which are by Archibald Nicholson, brother of the
restoration architect. The east window
of the Lady Chapel was the first, installed in 1902 and the large east window
in 1915. The last window was installed
in 1938. The choir stalls were given in 1906 and “the motif of their design was
to illustrate the Psalter” There are two
clergy stalls which originally had carvings which subsequently were moved onto
the rood screen; this screen between
the nave and chancel, originally contemplated in the reordering, was erected in
1930.
The organ was built in 1885 by TC Lewis for John Courage, a member of the brewery family. It was almost certainly initially installed in the great hall at Snowdenham, the Courage family house in Bramley, and was presented to Wonersh church soon after the restoration in 1901.
The pulpit was beautifully carved in walnut panels by Dr C Ede of Bramley.
In 1902 Lord Ashcombe returned the great tithes to Wonersh & Shamley Green and handed over patronage of Wonersh to Selwyn College, thereby ending the period of impropriation that has lasted for some 350 years.
A small porch was added on the west
wall of the nave in 1913.
The cover of the
font, which was given in 1915, contains under
a canopy a reduced copy of the statue of the Madonna & Child in
The church was first lit by electricity in 1927.
The copies of religious paintings hung in the nave and Lady Chapel were given in 1927.
For most of our history the Parish has been in the See of the ancient Diocese of Winchester. From 1927 it became part of the newly formed Diocese of Guildford.
A scheme was
launched in 1928 uniting Blackheath with Chilworth, comprising portions of the
parishes of Wonersh, Shalford and St Martha’s, into a separate Church District.
After a trial period it was decided to continue the scheme and aim to make the
District into a Parish. An Endowment Fund was set up with a view to raising the
£300pa income to enable the parish to be formed. The fund was completed in 1937 and the new
Parish of Blackheathand Chilworth consecrated by the bishop of
In 1930 the Rood Screen was given, this being part of the original design concept of the architect, Charles Nicholson.
In 1934 Wonersh House was demolished, and afterwards the grounds adjacent to the church gifted in Trust to the Village, to be known a Church Green Trust. The brick walls of the estate, on the boundary with the church, were retained and have listed status.
A marble figure of the Madonna as the “Second Eve” treading on the serpent in the niche of the Lady Chapel, said to be Italian 18th C, was given in 1948.
In 1958 the old six bells were taken out and recast and together with two new bells were re-hung as a peal of eight.
1981 to Date
The Incumbents
of this Parish during this period are recorded as being-:
1981-90
Tom
Farrell,BD
1990-95
Malcolm K
Williams,MB,BS
1996-2006
Jeffery Wattley,
BScEcon, BA
2006- Ian
Scott-Thompson
Periods in the
history of Wonersh church had previously been marked by major building or
restoration. However with the arrival of
Revd Tom Farrell in 1981 there began a major revival in the fellowship and a steady
increase in numbers which continues to this day. By 1988 alterations to the church were
necessary to make the best use of the whole church in order to ensure a proper
rapport between leaders and congregation, which was considered vital for
continued growth of the church, the quality of worship and the fostering of
fellowship. This re-ordering was fiercely opposed by some (including the Victorian Society) and this
resulted in a
The re-ordering removed the 1930 rood screen which was relocated against the east wall of the chancel behind the altar. The crucifix atop the screen was repositioned high on the west wall of the nave. The altar was moved to the second step in the sanctuary, and the sides of the surrounding frame slightly opened out enabling the minister to stand behind the altar table and look directly at the congregation.
The 16th c tomb in the Lady Chapel was relocated alongside the west wall of the tower (no remains were found in the tomb), and the floor lever raised several inches to match that of the chancel. The screen between the chapel and chancel was relocated and eventually incorporated as part of the display cabinet in the new porch.
The pulpit was
realigned to face
At the same time the heating and sound systems were installed.
In 1985 a new Vicarage was built in the grounds adjacent to the church, and the old Vicarage in The Street was sold.
In 1995/6 a new porch complex was added to the west of the church. This comprises a multi-purpose meeting room and small kitchen, as well as toilet and office facilities. The meeting room was named the Selwyn Room and the new extension dedicated by the Bishop of Guildford in 1996.
In 1998, under a pastoral re-organisation, Blackheath was rejoined with Wonersh to form the Parish of Wonersh with Blackheath, sharing the ministry team.
A modern audio/visual system was installed in 2003 and the whole church wiring and lighting renewed in 2006.
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St John the Baptist in
2006. |
