St Luke's Church, West Orchard facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St Luke's Church
Religion
Affiliation	Church of England
Ecclesiastical or organizational status	Active
Location
Location	West Orchard, Dorset, England
Architecture
Architect(s)	Thomas Henry Wyatt
Architectural type	Church
Architectural style	Early English

St Luke's Church is a special church in West Orchard, Dorset, England. It belongs to the Church of England. Most of the church was rebuilt between 1876 and 1877. A famous architect named Thomas Henry Wyatt designed this new part. However, one older part, called the chancel, is from the 1400s! This church is also a "Grade II listed building." This means it's an important historical building.

Church History: A Look Back

The Old Church

Before the current building, there was an older church at West Orchard. In 1859, a book called the Post Office Directory described it. It said the church was a "small Gothic structure." This means it was a small building in the Gothic style.

In 1650, records show it was a "chapel-of-ease." This means it was a smaller church. It helped people who lived far from the main church. The main church was St Andrew's Church in Fontmell Magna.

Rebuilding the Church

In 1876 and 1877, St Luke's Church got a big makeover. It was rebuilt thanks to two important people. Lady Westminster and Lord Wolverton paid for most of the work. Lady Westminster also gave some land next to the church. This land was used to make the churchyard bigger.

The rebuilding cost about £1,500. This was a lot of money back then! Thomas Henry Wyatt, an architect from London, drew the plans. Mr. T. B. Miles from Shaftesbury was the builder. They kept the east end of the old church. This part became the new chancel.

The church reopened with a special event on July 17, 1877. There was an early Holy Communion service. Two important church leaders gave speeches. One was Rev. R Lowndes, a Canon from Salisbury Cathedral. He was also the rector of Sturminster Newton. The other was William Thomson, the Archbishop of York.

Later Changes

In 1952, West Orchard became part of the parish of East Orchard. A parish is an area looked after by a church. Around 1958, some repair work was done to the church.

Church Design and Features

Building Materials

St Luke's Church is built from green stone. This stone came from a place called Semley Hill. It also has special decorations made from Bath stone. The roofs are covered with tiles from Donhead. They have stone decorations called copings and finials.

Parts of the Church

The church has several main parts. It has a nave, which is the main area where people sit. There are also north and south aisles. These are passages on the sides of the nave. The chancel is the area near the altar. There is a south porch, which is an entrance area. On the north-east side, there is a vestry. This is a room where clergy get ready.

At the west end of the church, there is a double bell-cot. This is a small structure made of Bath stone. It holds the church bells. The chancel is the oldest part. It was built in the late 1400s. The vestry's east wall has a window from the 1400s too. It looks just like the windows in the chancel.

Inside the Church

The church's windows are filled with special glass called Cathedral glass. The floor in the chancel is covered with beautiful tiles. These are called encaustic tiles. They came from a company called Maw & Co in London. The chancel also has a reredos. This is a decorated screen behind the altar. It is made of mosaic work.

Many of the church's fittings are from the 1876–77 rebuild. These include the stone pulpit, where sermons are given. The font, used for baptisms, is made of Caen stone. There is also a brass lectern, where readings are done. The seats in the nave are made of stained wood. The seats for the choir and in the chancel are made of carved pine. The railing around the altar is made of oak. It stands on polished brass and iron supports.

Outside the Church

Near the churchyard gate, there are two old fonts. One is round and dates back to the 1100s. The other is octagonal (eight-sided) and is from the 1400s.