Sunday, 27 September 2020

All Saints, Idmiston

All Saints is a delightful church, nestled in the lovely Bourne Valley between Salisbury and Andover. In the care of the Churches Conservation Trust since 1978, it is renowned for its fine set of decorative corbels, in the form of carved heads.

The tower is Norman, but heavily restored (the pyramidal cap is Victorian); inside both nave with its 2 bay arcades and the chancel are 13th Century, the chancel retaining its simple Early English lancets. The arches of the arcade and the tower arch are made of alternating grey and green stone, a surprisingly effective form of decoration. The aisles, clerestory, panelled wooden roof and two-storey north porch are all late 14th or early 15th century Perpendicular.

The 37 corbels inside and the gargoyles outside provide a fine gallery of mediaeval carving: these include heavily bearded men (one of whom holds his jaw - presumably a representation of toothache), women with a variety of headdresses, kings and angels. It is thought some may represent villagers.

Fittings include a fine 17th Century monument to Giles Rowbach (d. 1633), depicted kneeling at an altar; a sturdy 14th century octagonal font in Purbeck marble; and memorials to the Bowle family, including John Bowle (1725-88), known for his translation of Don Quixote.

Wednesday, 19 August 2020

St Mary, Overton

At first sight, St Mary's looks like a classic Hampshire Victorian church, many in the area around Basingstoke having been rebuilt in the early to mid-1800s, as local landowners replaced older buildings.

However, a few external clues show that, while the Victorians did rebuild (mostly in 1853, though the tower underwent further work in 1909), the interior retains much of its mediaeval form. This includes the handsome late Norman arcade of around 1180, the chancel of around 1250, and the tower (and west bays of the arcade) in the late 1400s. The roof beams may also date from the same period.

The furnishings are less noteworthy, although the East Window by Kempe is worth a look and in the inner sill of the north east chancel window has a memorial inscription reading: "Hic jacet do. Willms Savage quondam rector istius ecciesie". (Here lies Dominus (Master) William Savage, formerly rector of this church.) It dates from around 1400.

The Church today is the centre of a lively parish life (and they have an excellent and sympathetically designed parish hall, behind the church) of regular services catering for all ages and different styles of worship.

Saturday, 15 August 2020