Hawkchurch Devon
Church of St John the Baptist, Hawkchurch Devon built mostly of local Greensand chert rubble with later Victorian dressings of ginger-coloured shelly limestone with dark brown streaks, quarried at Ham Hill in Somerset.
The original name of the village was 'Hafoc’schurch' /
"Avekchurche" indicating the presence of a building in Saxon times which sadly does not survive.
The first recorded rector is 1295 when the church belonged to Cerne Abbey in the hundred of Whitchurch
The earliest visible component when the building comprised a nave & chancel only is the two centred chancel arch sitting on 12c responds, one with plainer scalloped cushion capital (south), www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/224714Ns66 the other with interlacing and fighting dragons at the base. www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/L6y6kXJ1Z6
In the mid 12c the north aisle & arcade was added. The rebuilding of the south side with an aisle and arcade in the early English style came later c 1200
The 12c north arcade has wide double chamfered round arches, short round piers and square scalloped capitals. www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/p9xe23sfKq The c1200 south arcade is much more ornate with fine leaf capitals with small figures. www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/N9F774tN25 The eastern respond of the aisle has a more religious theme www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/5p374tTj80
The four stage tower was rebuilt in early 16c . It has a polygonal stair turret on the north side www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/Q0992T403z
The major reconstruction of the church in 1859-62 involved the rebuilding of the choir and external walls of the aisles - The insertion of a taller clerestory in the nave allowed in more light and a new hammerbeam roofs were placed retaining the original external corbels which were reset www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/h6991vJV7H . The south porch was rebuilt, its south doorway still retains its early 13c shafts with leaf capitals www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/72Xf7D26u9 - all overseen by architect John Hicks of Dorchester & financed by the Rev. Edward Cay Adams who made sure all of the Norman work was saved. The writer Thomas Hardy was an apprentice here at this time.
In 1963 the east end of the south aisle was furnished and equipped "as a Lady Chapel in memory of the Briscoe family, descendants of the Revs Edward Cay Adams, priest, rector 1853 - 1873 & son William Pigott Cay Adams, priest, rector 1873 - 1878
Ray Jennings CCL www.geograph.org.uk/photo/7366014
Hawkchurch Devon
Church of St John the Baptist, Hawkchurch Devon built mostly of local Greensand chert rubble with later Victorian dressings of ginger-coloured shelly limestone with dark brown streaks, quarried at Ham Hill in Somerset.
The original name of the village was 'Hafoc’schurch' /
"Avekchurche" indicating the presence of a building in Saxon times which sadly does not survive.
The first recorded rector is 1295 when the church belonged to Cerne Abbey in the hundred of Whitchurch
The earliest visible component when the building comprised a nave & chancel only is the two centred chancel arch sitting on 12c responds, one with plainer scalloped cushion capital (south), www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/224714Ns66 the other with interlacing and fighting dragons at the base. www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/L6y6kXJ1Z6
In the mid 12c the north aisle & arcade was added. The rebuilding of the south side with an aisle and arcade in the early English style came later c 1200
The 12c north arcade has wide double chamfered round arches, short round piers and square scalloped capitals. www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/p9xe23sfKq The c1200 south arcade is much more ornate with fine leaf capitals with small figures. www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/N9F774tN25 The eastern respond of the aisle has a more religious theme www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/5p374tTj80
The four stage tower was rebuilt in early 16c . It has a polygonal stair turret on the north side www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/Q0992T403z
The major reconstruction of the church in 1859-62 involved the rebuilding of the choir and external walls of the aisles - The insertion of a taller clerestory in the nave allowed in more light and a new hammerbeam roofs were placed retaining the original external corbels which were reset www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/h6991vJV7H . The south porch was rebuilt, its south doorway still retains its early 13c shafts with leaf capitals www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/72Xf7D26u9 - all overseen by architect John Hicks of Dorchester & financed by the Rev. Edward Cay Adams who made sure all of the Norman work was saved. The writer Thomas Hardy was an apprentice here at this time.
In 1963 the east end of the south aisle was furnished and equipped "as a Lady Chapel in memory of the Briscoe family, descendants of the Revs Edward Cay Adams, priest, rector 1853 - 1873 & son William Pigott Cay Adams, priest, rector 1873 - 1878
Ray Jennings CCL www.geograph.org.uk/photo/7366014