The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1865-10-17 00:00:00

RR-OPENING OF LurroN CHURCH.

THE usually quiet little village of Lufton was on
Thursday the scene ef one of the most fashionable
áèinblibs ne 11106 lately witnessed. During the
morning of that dat darfiegt after eattiage rotted along
the road leading to our valage, till the tooled Of gaily-
dressed ladies and gentlemen who came to "Liaise at
the ceremony of re-opening our parish church was some-
thing not soon to be forg tten by the simple rustics of
the neighbourhood, who, in their holiday attire, turned
out to take thilf there in the proesedinga Over the
most co ,spicnons point of the really ptettt little church,
via, the bell-gable, floated a beautiful flag, which, as it
waved a welcome to the visitors who thronged the
village, seemed to take its pleasure too on the occuion.
The weather was most propitious, the calm autumn
adrulhine, thotigh not oppressive in it-, warmth, adding by
hi glotieue light to the ijillintesqtle effect of the sur-
rounding
.sgetiery. At eleven o'clock, the titre ap-
pointed for the commencement of the serried, the whole
of the space in the church, both for standing and
sitting, sac crowded to overflowing—bat, before we
notice the pr oeedings enacted within it walls, perhaps
It itatild be as well to give a short notice of the appear-
ance fit the We are indebted to the
courtesy of Mr. I)attis, the VoliMeri for the following
particulars
The old church, which some little time age wes in
inch a ruinous condition as to be oonsidered as no longer
St for use, and was accordingly pulled down, was about
the date of 1250. The new building, which has been
•erected on the old foundation, is of nearly the same date
in arohitectremi the style being that lumwe as the
decorated. The [albite* from whose designs the work
has been carried on, is Et terry, Seq., of London and
the builder, as we have helots Mated, was Mr, Davis,
.Langport. The building is of Hain-bill etane, the
well-known quarries of which are in the info:dime
neighbourhood, wi,h epen-timber roof of stained deal,
of which material all the benches and other fittings are
alto made. It consists of a channel, nave, and porch.
The obancel, which is paved with encaustic tiles, is
fitted tap with brinthes and • reading &A, and is lighted
by • threiplight window at the eisat end, and • small
lspcet olfltl4oe ti bath north and south. It measures
16 feet by 14 feet, and is famished with • communion
table covered with a megntneeet altar cloth of Utrecht
velvet fringed with gold silk, and bearing in its centre
the monogram "I. MS." beautif ally worked in the MOM
material. This handsome article, together with the
necessary adjuncts of cushions, kn.; was the gift of Mire
Newman, to whom the thanks of the parish are sera
tainly due for the splendid present.
The nave contains two rows of benches, in the con-
struot,on of which a substantial yet elegant illed appears
to have been studied. It also cobtains a pulpit, which
althongh only elevated by two steps, is yet ma rum-
eiently commanding position. The passage from the
porch, which is erected on the south aide of the building,
to the &nowt is of blue stone, most of whioh is old, and
on two atones there are some inscriptions relating
speetively to the Chu k and Hooper families, and bearing
date 1663 and 1721, which still retain their original
freshnese of outline ',moat uninspired. The nave is
lighted by five two-light windows in the aides, and one
three-light window in the west-end. It haa a bell-gable,
in which are hung the two old bells formerly belonging
to the building. It is heated by Porritt's hot adr
/meatus. An old font, which is the only vestige re-
aaiaing of anything older than the church' itself, re.
. . .
Axed 0 ' ' of Hasa-bill slope
and • sable

West

end.