Chitterne All Saints with St. Mary's

The Church of England church of All Saints with St. Mary was built in 1861 on a piece of land given for the purpose by Walter Long Esq. It replaced two earlier churches, one in each of the Chitterne parishes, both of which were demolished except for their chancels. Only the chancel of St. Mary's church now remains.

The foundation stone of the new church was laid by the Venerable Archdeacon Macdonald, vicar, on the 13th of August, 1861, in the presence of Geo. Richards, curate, Henry Hitchcock, William Wallis, John Titt and Frederic Lavington, churchwardens, the architect T.H.Wyatt and Solomon Gayton, the builder. It was consecrated by the Bishop of Salisbury on the 4th of November, 1862. The Rev. George Richards was the new vicar, Archdeacon Macdonald having died in the meantime.

The building cost £2404, the money being raised as follows:-
Archdeacon Macdonald, late vicar   £   1 0 0.. 0.. 0
Walter Long, Esq       2 0 0.. 0.. 0
Rev. Geo. Richards, curate       1 0 0.. 0.. 0
Ditto when vicar         5 0.. 0.. 0
Dean and Chapter of Salisbury       1 0 0.. 0.. 0
Miss Richards (by work, bazaars and collections)       4 0 0.. 0.. 0
Church Societies       3 5 0.. 0.. 0
Raised on the Church rates       5 0 0.. 0.. 0
Other subscriptions       6 0 4.. 0.. 0

Total   £ 2 4 0 4.. 0.. 0

All the stone and timber from the old churches, where suitable, was used in the building of the new, also the paving and flooring. A three light window from the south wall of St. Mary's church and two three light windows from the south wall of All Saints church, plus one two light window from the north wall of the same, were re-used. The gothic screen that separated the nave from the chancel in St. Mary's was erected in the new church and the carved panels from St. Mary's pulpit were used again too, but the ancient font came from All Saints. The font is probably Norman in origin, given the simple design, and the oak cover was made by James Townsend in 1767.

Rev. Herbert Rogers, vicar of Chitterne 1895 - 1900, carved the lectern.

On January 5th 2003 the new Archdeacon of Sarum, The Venerable Alan Jeans, rededicated the newly repaired Church clock. After extensive renovations the striking mechanism was in working order for the first time in many years and the clock was telling the time once again. The works were made possible by the generosity and hard work of the villagers of Chitterne to raise the funds needed at the Flower Festival held the previous summer.

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