St John's Church, Colston Bassett Explained

St John's Church, Colston Bassett
Country:England
Denomination:Church of England
Religious Order:-->
Churchmanship:Broad Church
Website:www.wivertoninthevale.co.uk/saint-john-the-divine-colston-bassett/
Former Names:-->
Dedication:St. John
Consecrated Date:2 August 1892[1]
Heritage Designation:Grade II listed
Architect:Arthur Brewill
Architectural Type:Gothic
Years Built:1892
Spire Height:150feet
Bells Hung:-->
Parish:Colston Bassett
Benefice:Wiverton in the Vale
Deanery:East Bingham
Archdeaconry:Nottingham
Diocese:Southwell and Nottingham
Province:York

St John's Church, Colston Bassett is an English parish church of the Church of England in Colston Bassett, Nottinghamshire. It is Grade II listed by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport as a building of special architectural or historic interest.

History

St John's Church, Colston Bassett, was built in 1892 by the architect Arthur Brewill at the behest of Robert Millington Knowles of Colston Bassett Hall, High Sheriff of Nottinghamshire.[2] The contractors were Bell and Sons. Five bells were removed from the old church and installed in the tower with a chiming apparatus. The east window was filled with stained glass by Heaton, Butler and Bayne. The pulpit was presented by Major Day of Kingussie (formerly of Colston Bassett Hall), with an upper portion in oak and the lower portion in Cosham Down Bath stone. It was designed by the architect and constructed by Oldham and Knight of Nottingham. The font was the gift of W.K. Marriott, of the Manor House, Barking, Essex, in memory of his parents. The lectern was funded by subscriptions from the parishioners and obtained from Whippel and Co. [3]

However, the work of 1892 was of poor quality and the church soon needed restoration. This was begun in 1934 by Charles Marriott Oldrid Scott. The work involved restoration of the spire which had become fractured by the corrosion of iron cramps[4] at a cost of £280 . The western side of the church which was in danger of collapsing owing to the delapidated conditions of the foundations was restored by Sir Edward and Lady Le Merchant[5] at a cost of £1,000 .

The building was reopened by the Bishop of Southwell, the Henry Mosley on 12 August 1936, while instituting a new vicar, the Rev. John Booth.[6]

St John's replaced an earlier parish church dedicated to St Mary, which had become ruined and was further from the village.[2] [7] Substantial remains of it can still be seen and are listed Grade 1 in the List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historical Interest. They date from the Anglo-Saxon, Norman, Gothic (the building's greatest size was reached in 1470), and Georgian periods. The churchyard remains in use.[8]

War memorial cross

The churchyard contains a war memorial cross which is Grade II listed It was created by Farmer & Brindley and dedicated by the Bishop of Southwell on 22 May 1920.[9] The cross is of Portland stone and is 12feet high. It bears the inscription:

To the memory of the men of Colston Bassett who gave their lives in the Great War 1914-1919. Arthur Anderson, Albert Birkin, Alfred Faulks, John Green, Albert Lane, Charles Newton, Ernest Parnham, Thomas Parnham, Alfred Richards, Robert Rogerson, Amos Shaw, Benjamin Sheppard, John Wagstaff, Edwin Westman.

Current parish status

St John's Church, Colston Bassett is in the Wiverton group of parishes,[10] which also includes:

Notable memorials

Old Rectory

The Old Rectory dates from 1834 and was designed by Henry Moses Wood.[11]

See also

Notes and References

  1. News: . St John’s Church, Colston Bassett . Nottingham Evening Post . England . 3 August 1892 . 25 May 2024 . British Newspaper Archive . subscription .
  2. Book: Pevsner, Nikolaus. Nikolaus Pevsner . 1979 . Nottinghamshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England) . 106 . Harmondsworth, Middx. Penguin . 978-0300096361.
  3. News: . St John’s Church, Colston Bassett . Nottinghamshire Guardian . England . 6 August 1892 . 25 May 2024 . British Newspaper Archive . subscription .
  4. News: . Colston Bassett . Grantham Journal . England . 28 July 1934 . 25 May 2024 . British Newspaper Archive . subscription .
  5. News: . Church Restoration . Leicester Evening Mail . England . 3 January 1935 . 25 May 2024 . British Newspaper Archive . subscription .
  6. News: . New Vicar of Colston Bassett . Grantham Journal . England . 15 August 1936 . 25 May 2024 . British Newspaper Archive . subscription .
  7. http://southwellchurches.nottingham.ac.uk/colston-bassett-st-john/hintro.php Southwell church history site Retrieved 11 December 2019.
  8. Colston Bassett site Retrieved 5 October 2016.
  9. News: . Memorial Cross Dedicated by the Bishop of Southwell . Grantham Journal . England . 29 May 1920 . 25 May 2024 . British Newspaper Archive . subscription .
  10. Wiverton Group Retrieved 5 January 2015.
  11. Book: Colvin, Howard . 1995 . A Biographical Dictionary of British Architects 1600-1840 . Yale University Press . 1072 . 0300060912.