Saturday 28 August 2021

St John the Baptist, Busbridge

St John the Baptist (also known as Busbridge Church) sits in the village of Busbridge, up the hill from Godalming. The church has associations with Gertrude Jekyll and has some notable arts & crafts fittings. 

The church itself was built in 1865-67 to designs by Sir George Gilbert Scott, and consists of an unaisled nave and chancel, and an attractive central shingled bell tower, supported by an impressive pair of queen-post roof trusses inside. It is most notable for its fittings, which include east and west windows by Burne-Jones (executed by Morris & Co), and a remarkable chancel screen by Edwin Lutyens. This is a lovely, delicate work, suspended from the top of the arch, with Christ in Majesty at the centre of a tree, and angels beneath forming the roots. Lutyens also designed the tomb in the graveyard for the renowned horticulturalist Gertrude Jekyll (1843-1932), who is buried alongside her brother Herbert  Jekyll and his wife Agnes.

The church is the centre of a busy parish life with nearby Hambledon, with a mixture of traditional and contemporary worship (including youth-led services). 

St John the Baptist (Busbridge Church), Brighton Road, Godalming GU7 1XA

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