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Holy Trinity, Privett
Church of the Holy Trinity, Privett, Hampshire
The tower, nave and south chapel of a flint church is seen from the south.
The tower, part of the nave and the south chapel of Holy Trinity, Privett
Holy Trinity, Privett is located in Hampshire
Holy Trinity, Privett
Holy Trinity, Privett
Location in Hampshire
51°02′17″N 1°02′10″W / 51.0381°N 1.0362°W / 51.0381; -1.0362
OS grid reference SU 677 270
Location Privett, Hampshire
Country England
Denomination Anglican
Website Churches Conservation Trust
History
Founder(s) William Nicholson
Architecture
Functional status Redundant
Heritage designation Grade II*
Designated 15 May 1978
Architect(s) A. W. Blomfield
Architectural type Church
Style Gothic Revival, Early English style
Groundbreaking 1876
Completed 1878
Construction cost £22,000
Specifications
Spire height 160 feet (48.8 m)
Materials Flint, red tile roofs

The Church of the Holy Trinity in Privett, Hampshire, is a beautiful old church. It is an Anglican church, meaning it belongs to the Church of England. This special building is listed as Grade II*, which means it is very important historically. Today, the Churches Conservation Trust looks after it, making sure it stays safe for everyone to see.

Building a Grand Church

In 1863, a rich man named William Nicholson bought a large estate nearby. He was famous for making gin. Mr. Nicholson built many homes in Privett for his workers. He also paid for the Holy Trinity Church to be built.

The church was designed by a famous architect, Sir A W Blomfield. It was built between 1876 and 1878. There was an older chapel on this spot from 1391. But all traces of it disappeared when the new church was built.

This new church was much bigger than the small village of Privett needed. Because of its size, it was declared "redundant" in 1975. This means it was no longer needed for regular church services.

The church still has its amazing set of eight bells. They are used for traditional Change ringing. Volunteers from other churches help keep these bells in good working order. The bells were made in 1877 by Mears & Stainbank. They came from the famous Whitechapel Bell Foundry.

What Makes This Church Special?

A famous expert, Nikolaus Pevsner, said the church was "exceptionally good." He thought it looked like a big town church, even though it is in a small village.

The church is built in the Gothic Revival style. This style looks like old English Gothic churches. It is made of flint stones with fancy Bath stone decorations. The main part of the church, called the chancel, has smaller chapels or transepts on its sides.

The main seating area, called the nave, has four sections with aisles. It also has a row of windows high up, called a clerestory. There is a porch on the north side. The tall tower has a pointed roof, called a broach spire. It also has funny gargoyles, strong buttresses, and three levels of small windows called lucarnes. The tower is 160 feet (48.8 m) high and can be seen from far away.

Inside, the nave has four-bay arcades, which are rows of arches. There is a tall arch leading to the tower. The square font (where baptisms happen) sits on pillars with detailed carvings. There is a round stone pulpit for sermons. An amazing wrought iron lectern holds the Bible. The chancel area is very fancy with a mosaic floor. It also has special seats called sedilia and a decorated screen behind the altar, called a reredos.

Inside the Church

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