Wherwell Church Restoration Project - Introduction

150 years ago the Iremonger family, the then Lords of the Manor at Wherwell, sponsored the rebuilding of the village Church St. Peter and Holy Cross at a cost of £2,597. This is the cost as recorded in the Lambeth Palace Library records.

 

 

In the records it is also noted that the rebuild replaced the Norman church that was in a ‘dilapidated state owing to old age’ and enabled a further eighty eight pews to be added to accommodate ‘the poorer inhabitants of the community’. It also incorporated a private chapel for the Iremonger family.

 

 

The Parish Church Today

 

In March 2011 the villagers and community of Wherwell embarked on a major restoration of the Grade 11* listed Church, including essential repairs, at an estimated overall cost of nearly £500,000!

 

 

The rebuilding between 1856 and 1858 overlaid the footprint of the Norman Parish Church built in the 12th century – as distinct from the Conventual Church, with its spire as tall as the spire of Salisbury Cathedral, attached to the adjacent Wherwell Abbey and built in the late 10th century. This Church and the Abbey were destroyed at the time of the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1539.

 

The ‘new’ Church was designed by the well known Victorian church architect Henry Woodyer, with Pevsner describing the bell turret and spire and being “lively and rather Scandinavian”. The builder was a local firm owned by a Mr. Holdway.

 

                                                                                            Norman Parish Church circa 1830

 

The work today is being undertaken by A. E. Hughes and Sons Limited of Leatherhead with the Radley House Partnership of Winchester as the Church Architects and well-known for their work on historic buildings.

 

On the 11th December 1858, as reported in this paper at the time, the then Bishop of Winchester, the Very Reverend Charles Richard Sumner, with a full retinue and numerous clergy in attendance consecrated the ‘new’ church being “ushered in by a merry peal very early in the morning” and with the Bishop “preaching an eloquent and striking discourse, in language such as few can command …….”. Additionally it was noted that “with the church being very favourable for sound not a single word from the Right Rev. need have been lost on the attentive hearers , and, it is hoped, was not!”   It is hoped that their Bishop will be able to visit and conduct a service of blessing in the restored church early next year.

 

 

The work to be undertaken is being broken down into 3 principal phases:

 

1) Restoration of the Nave roof and the re-shingling of the tower and spire,

 

2) Renewal of the heating system, and

 

3) Bringing the peal of five bells back to full-circle ringing.

 

Read more about Phase 1 >>

 

 

Restoration Brochure Four-page brochure describing in detail the complete restoration project More »

Set of Donor Forms Full set of forms, including Bankers Order and Gift Aid Declaration   More »

More »