The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1870-05-17 00:00:00

OON3HCR&TION OF WEST LIILWORTEt
CHURCH.

The rain which we have been anxiously expecting ma
long has at length some, but, unfortunately for West
Lalworth, a day too soon for the agreeable conclusion
of a work, in which the parish has been deeply inter-
ested for the last twelve moths.

The old church had false into ruinous decay. and
it wes found that it could not be restored with advan-
ftge ; uoder these cirankastsnom. it waa rewired to
erect • new building on a new site, and the woak ban
beep very eueessdally riesompltabed, so that West
Lelworth has now aa piety a church se there isib the
county, and owe affording tha'pariabioners eomfortabi•
aecommodatiod. The excellent Vicar has been the
mainspring of the undertaking, and with hie owa heads
has materially tided the good work. HO found many,
however, to aid him amongst which the following were
his earliest suppoeiers - The ehurobwerdene (Mr.
William Randall and Mr. Thomas Ramsdell, janr.), Rev:
pr.bond.r, Bond, of Creech Orange,T. Coombs, Req.
(Dorchester), Mr. M. Randall (West Farm), Kr.
Samuel Tucker (St Andrew's). Mr. George Rills,
(Remote), Kr. William Dom. (Kest Farm), the late
Mr. Thomas Randall (Ilamboro), Mr. W Longman
(Relbulsh) : also R. 3. Weld, Req. (lealworth Castle),
and Mr. Fowler (Manor-house, Milborne St Andrew),
owners of lAtlerorth parish.
. . .

•
The church standar.* • pine of ground newly taken
in from the adjacent 'common, said, in peasants( from
the Cove to the village, lies to the left hand, adjoining
the south boundary of the turnpike road to Wenfritb.
Tin content& of the new churchyard will be somewhat
over a quarter of an acre, including a garden not yet
in hand, but which will ultimately be oomprieed within
the boundary. A new road, stnking across from the
Cove to the highway, will give immediate neer to the
churchyard on the south side, end there is another gate.
11 on the north side opening into the Winfrith road.
The building asinine the features of the Geometrical
Gothic style of architecture, and consists of • nave,
north aisle, ohneel, traesept (of which a portion is
lied off as • vestry), end a tower, built ea yet only
to the height of the lowest stage, the execution of the
rssnsining two stare being deferred until additional
fonds are forthcoming for the pu leash mach
to be einrisd, since the wild aiuiy ehereeter of the
surroulandsaape seems almost to demand, in an
pl
artistic t of view, the bold and square outline
which • the tower posses, though unfortunately
only existing as yet, in the Aral:nieces office, on sheets
of perishable paper. The sithation chosen- for this
member of the eddies is the south•weet aide of the
nave, the base forming a porch to the entrance hen.
This plan, though not so usual as that in whish the
tower stands at the wen end of the nave, help, to form
a whole of considerable pietonsequeeess, and, ens were
this not so decidedly the oses, the ineneeiked enedoooe
of a purposely-built porch by the arrangemest, woald
be an ample jostidcation for it. w., add in peeving that the west facade of the nave being thus free from
encumberanes, exhibit& its whole height hops hue to
apex, thus making the meet of its dimension to the
eye of In observer—an advantage which is lost when
the only gads exposed directly to view is that of the
chancel or smaller end. Passing round the north-wen
corner to the north side of the building, we perceive that the small transept at he east cod judiciously
varies and relieves the length of this front from
monotony.
The churn on the inside, though unpretentious' and
simple in its deteils, min boast of a fur shoe of ores,
mentation grouped at points where it le likely to tell
most effecnvely. To this end a bold and crisp style of
carving is adopted for the capitals of columns and the
sculptured work penally —bolder and snaps than
would be iutrodused into work of this thereeter by
following the striae analogy of style—"architecturol
ayochrosiem" as it is termed by antiquarians and
artiste. But here, an in other plane, • free treatment
'hes been the rule---an unhesitating use being mada of
new esthetic matter and ideas whin hen of late been
bibed from testimonial examples Ol the style. The
nave, aisle, and transept are 'pained by a red of
stained and varnished timber-work, resting on tinges
which in their turn spring from carved etone °oriole is
the walls. The chancel roof I. bezegonal, each side of
the polygon being boarded diegosally, and divided ink
panels by moulded ribs, a carved truss of heavier work-
mnship marking the limits of the aaarariaam. Os the
right and left of the thanoel are glans of nitlllide4
woodwork, the front panelling if whin is bentinated
on the south side by the pnyer desk, aphelia( piece of
pannelled sad trended oak -work, Le memos* wont
stands near the entre of the nessal ••••-
---po the
served Igen of the herd baling areparrsa by a
globe (waists the summit at in di a amines alabonaely
worked ligent Mend bard woods Tba