Holy Trinity Church, Weymouth facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Holy Trinity Church
Religion
Affiliation	Church of England
Ecclesiastical or organizational status	Active
Year consecrated	1836
Location
Location	Weymouth, Dorset, England
Architecture
Architect(s)	Philip Wyatt
Architectural type	Church

Holy Trinity Church is a special Church of England church located in Weymouth, Dorset, England. It was built using strong Portland stone between 1834 and 1836. Later, it was made bigger and changed inside from 1886 to 1887. This church is considered a very important building, known as a Grade II* listed building. It was designed by an architect named Philip Wyatt. People say it has interesting architecture and is in a key spot near Weymouth's Town Bridge.

History of Holy Trinity Church

Building the Church

Weymouth was growing, and more space was needed for people to worship. For a long time, the main church was All Saints in Wyke Regis. There was also a smaller church, called a chapel of ease, dedicated to St. Nicholas. This older chapel was built in the 1100s but was badly damaged during the English Civil War.

The Reverend George Chamberlaine, who was in charge of the churches in Weymouth and Wyke Regis, decided to build Holy Trinity Church. He paid for it all himself! The plans for the new church were drawn up by Philip Wyatt.

Construction and Opening

The first stone for the new church was laid by Rev. Chamberlaine's wife on September 1, 1834. Mr. Fooks and Fawn from Weymouth were the builders. Philip Wyatt was the supervisor. Sadly, he passed away in 1835. His nephew, Matthew Wyatt, took over and finished the project.

Holy Trinity Church was officially opened on August 6, 1836. The ceremony was led by the Bishop of Winchester, Charles Sumner. Once the church was finished, Holy Trinity became its own separate church area, or parish, no longer part of Wyke Regis.

Making the Church Bigger

As Weymouth continued to grow, Holy Trinity Church became too small for everyone. People wondered if they should build a new church or just make the existing one larger. Since they couldn't find a good spot for a new church, they decided to expand Holy Trinity.

Plans for making the church bigger and better were created by Messrs. Crickmay and Son. Work started in 1886, with Mr. Arthur Clarke of Weymouth as the builder. The architects supervised the work. Holy Trinity Church reopened on April 12, 1887, though some work continued into 1888.

Changes Inside the Church

The architects decided to change the inside of the church completely. The original layout was not very good, with narrow seating areas and the altar (the table used for religious ceremonies) placed at the side.

Here are some of the big changes they made:

• The altar was moved from the north side to the south end of the main hall, called the nave.
• A gallery (a balcony area) on the south side was removed.
• New sections, called transepts, and a porch were added on the south side.
• On the north side, the original altar area was made bigger to create another transept and a room for the organ.
• A brand new altar area and choir section were built at the east end of the church.
• Arches were added along both sides of the nave.
• New rooms for the clergy (church leaders) and choir were built.
• A special area for baptisms was created near the west entrance.
• All the floors were redone.
• New benches were put in for seating.
• The windows were replaced with new glass.

Other Churches in the Parish

The Holy Trinity parish also had two smaller churches, or chapels of ease.

• An iron church called St Nicholas was set up in Buxton Road in 1894. A new building replaced it in 1964, but this church closed in 2018.
• The church of St Martin was built on Chickerell Road between 1907 and 1908. It closed in 1965 and has since been turned into homes.