Bothenhampton
Holy Trinity Church, Bothenhampton is located in an ancient village of one main street that extends to several hundred modern homes. Bothenhampton is separated from Bridport to the west by a few yards of ancient flood plain beside the River Asker and Morrisons supermarket (protected by modern levees) Clergy include Revd Kay Watters and Graham Purse, our Local Licensed Minister.
Holy Trinity Bothenhampton was Edward Prior’s first church. He undertook an extensive study of local churches and developed a sophisticated analytical approach to designing the building, and a philosophy that sought to build appropriately for its religious function. The roof was the most radical feature of the church, later forming the model for the great roof at Prior’s masterwork at St Andrew’s Church, Roker. Elements of Richard Norman Shaw’s influence remain, particularly in the porch but Prior’s knowledge and love of Early English church architecture in particular dominate. Prior was careful to use local materials, selected with skill and handled with craftsmanship. He was also able to develop furnishings and decoration to provide a holistic design for the church and its fittings.
At Bothenhampton, Prior designed the font, the altar rails, the choir stalls, chest and the doors. The altar table was designed with William Lethaby and executed by Augustus Mason. All the furnishings were in English oak. Lethaby designed the altar front in gesso, with intertwined wild roses, leaves and stems. A wrought iron chancel screen was added in 1895. The East window is by Christopher Whall which was one of the first glazed with a new kind of glass known in the craft as Early English glass, devised by Professor Prior, who with Christopher Whall raised the standard of our modern stained glass craft. One of the lights in the window was shown at an exhibition in London as an example of this new glass”
Our servery project was completed in 2017 and thanks went to so many people for their support, not only financially, but also for the design of the woodwork by Ron Emmett MBE. The Servery has made a marked contribution to social events within the church and for the village.
