Saturday 21 October 2017

Holy Trinity Theale


I had been visiting Pillboxes along  River Kennet number of years ago when I passed this church on the way home so I stopped off for a few photo's. Unfortunately the church was locked at the time and I have not had a chance to return since. Some history via Wikipedia
"
The parish church is Anglican, and is dedicated to the Holy T rinity. Designed by Edward Garbet, the church was consecrated on 21 August 1832 by the Bishop of Salisbury; it had taken about 15 years to build. The benefactor was Dr Sheppard's wife Sophia, who donated £39,000 for the building of a church, rectory and school, though other sources state that the donation was closer to £50,000. Dr Sheppard had died in 1814 and wished a new church to be built to replace the earlier building. Sophia was supported in the founding of the church by her brother, Martin Routh.
The church, especially the western façade and the buttresses, bears resemblance to Salisbury Cathedral. Nikolaus Pevsner wrote that the church is modelled on the cathedral. In 1833, John Claudius Loudon described the body of the church as "satisfactory" and said that "the tower, and all the turrets, and terminations to the buttresses, are too short". The steeple is positioned to the south-east of the nave, with suggestions that its building was an afterthought. John Buckler built the tower between 1827 and 1828, with suggestions that he modelled the building on Salisbury's bell tower – demolished about 30 years previously – though little artistic and architectural evidence supports this.
Previous rectors and curates at the church include Martin Routh and Edward Ellerton.
The church has been compared to the now-demolished church of St George in Newtown, Birmingham, due to the designers' use of existing architecture, rather than "forcing [...] their own inventions".

Organ

The church's original organ had a single manual and was built by R. W. Rouse of Somerton, Oxfordshire. It was restored in 1933 by G. H. Foskett of London, with funds donated by the Blatch family. The restoration saw the organ moved from its original position in the church's west end to the nave, with preservation of the pipes. A second restoration was undertaken by Richard Bower of Weston Longville. "

 
Looking across the churchyard towards the West end




Above and left the west end and one of the entrances to the church





Unusual the belltower is on the south side with an arch taking you through the tower











Outside the churchyard and the tower with drive leading towards the East end

The Village War Memorial with wreaths left from the Remembrance day service







Looking up at the clock in the tower, right the other side of the Arch that leads through the tower








The North side of the church and churchyard











Some of the Victorian cast rain pipes on the side of the church










The church notice board though at the time I found it unusual that it was in the Diocese of Oxford being the village in in West Berkshire









More of the north side and what is most likely the vestry on the side













I'll leave you with this view towards the west end of the church
If I get a chance to I will return to the church again sometime and try to take photos inside


3 comments:

  1. Quite a sizable church. I'd be interested in seeing the inside.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hello Bill on Sunday morning!

    You present us with real gems on your blog.
    Lovely church and great architecture.
    Bill your photos are fantastic.
    Have a nice Sunday:)
    Lucja

    ReplyDelete
  3. ...Bill, it's nice to see this grand church in a setting with so much green space surrounding it.

    ReplyDelete

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