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Old St Cuthbert's Church, Oborne facts for kids

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St Cuthbert's Church
Oborne old church 02.jpg
Location Oborne, Dorset, England
Built 1533
Listed Building – Grade II*
Official name: Old Parish Church of St Cuthbert
Designated 31 July 1961
Reference no. 1304077
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St Cuthbert's Church is a very old church located in Oborne, a village in Dorset, England. It was built way back in 1533! This church is special because it's listed as a Grade II* building on the National Heritage List for England. This means it's an important historical site that needs to be protected. Today, St Cuthbert's is a "redundant church," which means it's no longer used for regular church services. Instead, it's looked after by the Churches Conservation Trust, an organization that saves historic churches. The Trust took over caring for it on July 23, 1975.

A Look at the Church's Structure

When St Cuthbert's Church was first built, it had two main parts: the nave and the chancel. The nave was the main area where people sat during services. The chancel was the part near the altar, usually reserved for the clergy.

What Remains Today

Sadly, the nave of St Cuthbert's Church was taken down in the 1860s. So, only the chancel remains of the original building. This chancel is quite special because it was one of the last parts of a church to be built in England before the Protestant Reformation. The Reformation was a big change in how churches were run and what they believed.

Restoring the Chancel

After the nave was removed, the chancel became quite neglected. But in the 1930s, a new church leader decided to restore it. He got advice from A. R. Powys, who worked for the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings. This society helps protect old and historic buildings. Powys also helped restore another old church, St Andrew's Church, Winterborne Tomson, in Winterborne Tomson.

The Church's Long History

The land where Oborne is located was given to Sherborne Abbey by the Saxon King Edgar in the 900s. For many centuries, St Cuthbert's was a "chapel of ease" for Sherborne Abbey. This meant it was a smaller church that helped people in the local area attend services without having to travel all the way to the main abbey. This continued until 1539, during a time called the Dissolution of the Monasteries. This was when many monasteries and abbeys in England were closed down.

Inside St Cuthbert's Church

Even though only the chancel remains, it holds many interesting historical items.

  • Tiles and Furniture: You can see mediaeval slip tiles on the floor. These are decorative tiles from the Middle Ages. There are also communion rails, a pulpit, and monuments from the 1600s.
  • Special Features: The church has a pillar piscina and a font. A piscina is a basin used for washing sacred vessels. The font is where baptisms take place. These two items were brought to St Cuthbert's from another nearby place called North Wootton.
  • Old Inscriptions: Look above the windows on the east and north sides. You'll find old inscriptions carved into the stone. These carvings ask for prayers for Abbot John Myer (from 1533) and Sacristan John Dunster of Sherborne. An abbot is the head of a monastery, and a sacristan is someone who looks after the church's sacred items.

A New Church for the Village

In 1862, a brand new parish church was built in Oborne. It was designed by an architect named William Slater. This new church was built on a different site in the village and was officially opened for services that year.

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