St Dunstan of Canterbury Orthodox Church facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Dunstan of Canterbury Orthodox Church |
|
|---|---|
View from the northwest
|
|
| 50°43′28″N 1°56′19″W / 50.72444°N 1.93861°W | |
| Denomination | Antiochian Orthodox Church |
| Website | http://www.saint-dunstan.org/ |
| History | |
| Former name(s) | Church of St Osmund St Stephen the Great Church |
| Dedication | St Dunstan |
| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) | G. A. B. Livesay, E. S. Prior, Arthur Grove |
| Style | Neo-Byzantine |
| Completed | 1927 |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Bournemouth and Poole |
| Archdiocese | British Isles and Ireland |
The St Dunstan of Canterbury Orthodox Church is a special church located in Parkstone, Poole, Dorset. It belongs to the Antiochian Orthodox Church, which is a branch of the Christian faith. This church serves the people of Bournemouth and Poole.
This building is very important, so it's a Grade II* listed building. This means it's protected because of its history and unique design. It was built in the early 1900s in a style called Neo-Byzantine. The main architects were G. A. B. Livesay, Edward Schroeder Prior, and Arthur Grove. When it was first built, it was an Anglican church named the Church of St Osmund.
The front of the church, known as the west front, is especially famous. It was one of architect E. S. Prior's last and most impressive church designs. In 2001, the Church of England decided to close it. After that, it became an Orthodox church. It was renamed twice, first as St Stephen the Great Church, and then as St Dunstan's.
Contents
History of the Church Building
The church building has a long and interesting history. It was built in different stages by several architects.
Early Construction: 1904-1905
The first part of the church was built between 1904 and 1905. G. A. B. Livesay, an architect from Bournemouth, designed this section. He built the eastern end of the church.
Livesay used a Byzantine style for his design. He built with bricks and terracotta, which is a type of baked clay. The architects who worked on the church later followed this same style.
The eastern part includes the chancel, which is the area around the altar. It has a semi-domed apse, a rounded space at the end. There's also a semicircular ambulatory, a walkway behind the altar. Inside, you can find a ciborium, which is a canopy over the altar. This part of the church reminds people of the Basilica of San Clemente in Rome.
Later Work by E. S. Prior: 1913-1927
The main part of the church was finished by Edward Schroeder Prior. He was an Arts and Crafts architect. Arthur Grove also helped, focusing on the smaller details. This was one of Prior's last big projects.
Most of the church was built between 1913 and 1916. However, the north aisle (a side section) and transept (the part that crosses the main body of the church) were finished later, in 1927.
Prior used special handmade bricks from Wareham. These bricks had many different colors. He also used his own unique, thick handmade stained glass for the windows.
Building Materials and Design
For the dome over the crossing (where the main parts of the church meet), Prior used reinforced concrete. He also used concrete for the curved ceilings, called barrel vaults, in the aisles.
Sometimes, there were problems with the concrete. Other architects had to fix parts of the building in 1922 and 1950. Below the dome, at each corner of the crossing, there are columns. Each column has four terracotta angels with outstretched wings. These angels are attached to the top part of the column, called the capital.
The West Front's Unique Look
The west front of the church is very impressive. It mixes many different styles, making it look unique. Some people say its design was ahead of its time, like Expressionism.
The main entrance has a double door. Above it, there's a shallow terracotta arch. This arch stretches between two tall, many-sided towers on either side. Higher up, there's a balustrade, which is a decorative railing. Above that, there's a large, round window called a wheel window. It has 12 sections and is filled with geometric patterns of stained glass.
At the very top, there's an arcade, which is a row of arches. Above the arcade is a gable, the triangular part of the wall. The towers on the sides have small, dome-shaped roofs called cupolas, designed in the Byzantine style. The church also has more wheel windows, with 8 sections, at the ends of the transepts.
Change of Ownership: 2001 Onwards
More problems with the concrete ceilings appeared over time. Also, fewer people were attending services. Because of these reasons, the Church of England closed the church in 2001.
After its closure, the building was sold to the Eastern Orthodox Church. First, it was used by the Romanian Orthodox community. Later, it was taken over by the Antiochian Orthodox authority, which still owns it today.
Church Organ
The church used to have a large church organ. It was built in 1931 by John Compton. When the Orthodox Church took over the building, they removed the working parts of the organ. This is because Orthodox services do not use musical instruments. However, the outside structure of the organ is still there.
Images for kids
-
View from the northwest
-
The west front
