Holy Trinity Church, Trowbridge
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Holy Trinity Church, Trowbridge is a Grade II* listed 19th-century
Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the State religion#State churches, established List of Christian denominations, Christian church in England and the Crown Dependencies. It is the mother church of the Anglicanism, Anglican Christian tradition, ...
church in
Trowbridge Trowbridge ( ) is the county town of Wiltshire, England; situated on the River Biss in the west of the county, close to the border with Somerset. The town lies south-east of Bath, Somerset, Bath, south-west of Swindon and south-east of Brist ...
, Wiltshire, England, which had
parish church A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the Church (building), church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in com ...
status until 2011. It is commonly known in Trowbridge as 'The Church on the
Roundabout A roundabout, a rotary and a traffic circle are types of circular intersection or junction in which road traffic is permitted to flow in one direction around a central island, and priority is typically given to traffic already in the junct ...
', as it is encircled by a one-way traffic system.''Holy Trinity, Trowbridge: Church History'' John Baxter, June 1988


History

The Trowbridge manor which included the land on which the church stands was bought in 1807 from the fifth Duke of Rutland, who retained the patronage. It had been noted that the existing parish church could barely hold a twelfth of the 12,000 population, and so plans were set in motion to build a new, larger church. In 1835 fund-raising appeals were begun by Francis Fulford, the then-rector of the parish church of St. James, with estimated construction costs of £4000. The total cost of the church was £5,251 (equivalent to £ in ), towards which a grant of £1,676 (equivalent to £ in ) was provided by the partly at the cost of the Church Building Commissioners. The building contractors for the church were Charles and Richard Gane. A. F. Livesay of Portsmouth was appointed as architect. Other works of his included the recently completed
Holy Spirit Church, Newtown Holy Spirit Church, Newtown is a parish church in the Church of England located in Newtown, Isle of Wight. History The church dates from 1835 by the architect A. F. Livesay, and was built on the site of a ruined medieval chapel. Architectural ...
, on the Isle of Wight. Livesay's design is in the Early English architectural style, and is based on elements of
Salisbury Cathedral Salisbury Cathedral, formally the Cathedral Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is an Church of England, Anglican cathedral in the city of Salisbury, England. The cathedral is regarded as one of the leading examples of Early English architecture, ...
, including the vaulting and bosses of the north and south aisles in the Cathedral. The church was built of poor-quality Westwood stone, with the interior having iron and plaster columns (the plaster painted to mimic marble such as the
Purbeck marble Purbeck Marble is a fossiliferous limestone found in the Isle of Purbeck, a peninsula in south-east Dorset, England. It is a variety of Purbeck stone that has been quarried since at least Roman times as a decorative building stone. Geology S ...
of Salisbury cathedral's columns), and plaster scribed with false ashlar blocks to mimic high-quality stonework in the vaulting and walls. There were four porches, one of which (the south porch, the main entrance to the church nowadays) is situated under an embattled tower. The windows were originally plain, clear glass. Unusually, the church is not oriented east/west, but rather north-east/south-west. The foundation stone was laid in 1837, with the builders Richard and Charles Gane. 7,000 people attended the ceremony, indicating the importance of the event. The building took just over a year to complete, and cost £6,415 and 12 shillings. It was consecrated by the
Bishop of Salisbury The Bishop of Salisbury is the Ordinary (officer), ordinary of the Church of England's Diocese of Salisbury in the Province of Canterbury. The diocese covers much of the counties of Wiltshire and Dorset. The Episcopal see, see is in the Salisbur ...
on 1 November 1838. At this time it had a west gallery which extended as far as the first set of iron columns, and the organ, actually a seraphine, was also at this end of the church. A plaque on the south wall states that on consecration it held seats for 1033 parishioners. Other alterations to the arrangement of the church's layout have since been made. The clergy vestry was in the south-east corner, in the area now occupied by the toilets off the south transept. The north-east porch is now the flower vestry, and the font originally stood where the organ is now, but was replaced by a newer font in 1874. In 1852 a new organ was installed in the west gallery, and in 1861-2 new heating apparatus was installed. In 1866 the first marble wall monument was erected. In 1871 the south transept was turned into a side chapel for weekday services. To mark the church's 50-year jubilee in 1888, the west gallery was removed and the organ moved to the chancel area and choir stalls added alongside. The font was moved to the west gallery at the same time. In 1898 the west end of the church was partially re-seated. In 1901 the first serious report on the church's fabric showed the folly of using the relatively cheap Westwood stone, with weak buttresses and weathered stone. Between 1902 and 1904 the chancel was raised above the level of the nave and screens erected forming and organ chamber on the north and a choir vestry to the south. In 1908 the reseating of the church was completed, reducing the seats from 1033 to nearer 750. The All Saints' chapel (at the eastern end of the church) was refurbished in 1911. In 1914 the high altar
reredos A reredos ( , , ) is a large altarpiece, a screen, or decoration placed behind the altar in a Church (building), church. It often includes religious images. The term ''reredos'' may also be used for similar structures, if elaborate, in secular a ...
with credence table, Bishop's stall and sedilia was erected, the work of A. L. Moore of London. The reredos is of carved oak with panels of
opus sectile ''Opus sectile'' is a form of '' pietra dura'' popularized in the ancient and medieval Roman world where materials were cut and inlaid into walls and floors to make a picture or pattern. Common materials were marble, mother of pearl, and gla ...
, showing adoring angels in the centre, with the Nativity to the left and the Resurrection to the right, with flanking portraits, two on either side, of the four Archangels - Michael, Gabriel, Raphael and Uriel. In 1927 a reredos was dedicated in the All Saints' Chapel, showing the Transfiguration, and signed by A. L. and C. E. Moore and dated 1924. In 1940, a screen was erected between the
Lady Chapel A Lady chapel or lady chapel is a traditional British English, British term for a chapel dedicated to Mary, mother of Jesus, particularly those inside a cathedral or other large church (building), church. The chapels are also known as a Mary chape ...
(in the north transept) and the nave. A new choir vestry at the west end of the nave was built as a memorial to those who died in World War II. The font was moved from this area and placed under the Norris window in the south transept. The names of the 56 members of the parish who died in the war are carved on the screen, on either side of the central door. The screen was dedicated in 1951. In 1955 the former choir vestry in the All Saints' Chapel was converted to a side chapel. In the 1970s, the development of the new Trowbridge inner relief road involved the demolition of a few buildings near the church, and the creation of a one-way traffic-light controlled roundabout around the church, effectively isolating it. It soon gained the local nickname "The Church on the Roundabout". In 1980-1 the vicar's vestry was converted to toilets, the font was moved to near the main door, and a screen to match that in the Lady Chapel was erected between the south transept and the nave. This area was used as a crèche. At the same time a simple, movable wooden nave altar was installed. The pews were removed in 2000 and replaced with chairs.


Windows

On each side of the east window is a window to the memory of Charles Gane, one of the builders of the church, who died in 1866. That on the left represents the
Resurrection Resurrection or anastasis is the concept of coming back to life after death. Reincarnation is a similar process hypothesized by other religions involving the same person or deity returning to another body. The disappearance of a body is anothe ...
, and that on the right the
Ascension Ascension or ascending may refer to: Religion * "Ascension", the belief in some religions that some individuals have ascended into Heaven without dying first. The Catholic concept of the Assumption of Mary leaves open the question of her deat ...
. The maker is unknown. On the south wall near the east end of the church is the memorial window to the Revd Digby Walsh, vicar of the church for eleven years and who died at the age of 39 in 1869. The maker was A. L. Moore of London. In 1906 Alice Ewing, the wife of the vicar Robert Ewing, died, and a window in her memory was inserted in the north wall. Robert died a few years later in 1908, and the magnificent east window was inserted in 1909 in his honour. The window was also designed and made by A. L. Moore, and the left-hand upper window depicts the
Crucifixion Crucifixion is a method of capital punishment in which the condemned is tied or nailed to a large wooden cross, beam or stake and left to hang until eventual death. It was used as a punishment by the Achaemenid Empire, Persians, Ancient Carthag ...
, with Mary, John and Mary Magdalene; the window below shows Christ telling Peter "Feed my lambs", a reference to Dr Ewing's educational work. The right-hand upper window represents the
Ascension Ascension or ascending may refer to: Religion * "Ascension", the belief in some religions that some individuals have ascended into Heaven without dying first. The Catholic concept of the Assumption of Mary leaves open the question of her deat ...
; the light below shows the aged grandmother and mother teaching the scriptures to
Timothy Timothy is a masculine name. It comes from the Greek language, Greek name (Timotheus (disambiguation), Timόtheos) meaning "honouring God", "in God's honour", or "honoured by God". Timothy (and its variations) is a common name in several countries ...
, the subject of Dr Ewing's last sermon, preached the day before he died. Jesus is shown in the upper rose; some of the stonework was cut away to allow a greater area for the stained glass image. In 1913 the small window above the flower vestry door in the north wall was inserted in the memory of Harry Moore, the church organist who had died the previous year. It shows St. Gregory holding a sheet of
plainsong Plainsong or plainchant (calque from the French ; ) is a body of chants used in the liturgies of the Western Church. When referring to the term plainsong, it is those sacred pieces that are composed in Latin text. Plainsong was the exclusive for ...
. In 1937 the windows in the south transept were dedicated in memory of Florence Norris. They show the charity of
Dorcas Dorcas (), or Tabitha (), was an early disciple (Christianity), disciple of Jesus mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles (, see discussion Acts 9#The healing of Tabitha (9:36–43), here). She lived in the port city of Jaffa, Joppa, today absorb ...
top left; beneath is St Martin on horseback with a beggar. The top right window shows Jesus at Bethany in the house of
Simon the leper Simon the Leper ( Greek: Σίμων ὁ λεπρός, ''Símōn ho leprós'') is a biblical figure who lived in Bethany, a village in Judaea on the southeastern slope of the Mount of Olives. He is mentioned in the Gospels according to Matthew ...
, and below is Jesus healing
Lazarus Lazarus may refer to: People *Lazarus (name), a surname and a given name * Lazarus of Bethany, a Biblical figure described as being raised from the dead by Jesus * Lazarus, a Biblical figure from the parable of the Rich man and Lazarus * Lazar ...
. The windows were made by Morris & Co. In 1945 the windows were erected in the Lady Chapel in memory of Arthur Stancomb. They were designed to echo the style of the windows in the chapel in the south transept. The top left light shows Christ the good shepherd, with St. Francis beneath him. The top right light shows Jesus with the little children, and below is
St. Christopher Saint Christopher (, , ; ) is venerated by several Christian denominations. According to these traditions, he was a martyr killed in the reign of the 3rd-century Roman emperor Decius (), or alternatively under the emperor Maximinus Daia (). ...
, patron saint of travellers.


Redecoration and repair

The first episode of redecoration and repair of the church interior and churchyard occurred during Digby Walsh's tenure as vicar, i.e. sometime between 1858–1869, with a second taking place in 1884. Records are unclear about the intervening period, but the church was again redecorated completely in 1967-8, and as part of the redecoration the half-shafts of the pillars on the walls were removed, apart from at the far east and west ends of the church. In 2009 the church was repaired and redecorated internally, with the colour scheme changing from blues and stone colours to reds, pinks, white and gold.


The churchyard

A
Portland stone Portland stone is a limestone geological formation (formally named the Portland Stone Formation) dating to the Tithonian age of the Late Jurassic that is quarried on the Isle of Portland in Dorset, England. The quarries are cut in beds of whi ...
cross was erected as a memorial to the fallen of World War I from the parish. It bears 147 names in total, and was dedicated in 1921. Many of the gravestones were removed in 1977.


Status

When the church was built, it was a
chapelry A chapelry was a subdivision of an ecclesiastical parish in England and parts of Lowland Scotland up to the mid 19th century. Status A chapelry had a similar status to a Township (England), township, but was so named as it had a chapel of ease ...
of the town's parish church, St James'. A parish was created for it in 1839 by combining the tithings of Studley and Little Trowle, with boundaries defined largely by the
River Biss The River Biss is a small river in Wiltshire, England. It is a tributary of the River Avon, Bristol, Bristol Avon. The river rises on Salisbury Plain and passes through Westbury, Wiltshire, Westbury and Trowbridge, before meeting the Avon at Wid ...
and the Trowle Brook. Studley (then a rural community) became a separate district in 1858, after the building of St John's church there in 1852. In 1976 the church was designated as
Grade II* listed In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, H ...
. The building ceased to be a parish church in December 2010 when its parish was divided between four neighbouring parishes, and the building then became a
chapel of ease A chapel of ease (or chapel-of-ease) is a church architecture, church building other than the parish church, built within the bounds of a parish for the attendance of those who cannot reach the parish church conveniently, generally due to trav ...
within the parish of St. Thomas the Apostle, Trowbridge. A proposed merger with the nearby Methodist church at Wesley Road never took place. Holy Trinity continues in use for the evening services formerly held at St. Thomas's, and for outreach work within Trowbridge, youth work, concerts, a mothers and toddlers group, and other activities.http://www.wiltshiretimes.co.uk/news/inyourtown/trowbridgenews/4498349.Future_of_landmark_church_in_Trowbridge_has_altared/


See also

*
List of Commissioners' churches in southwest England A Commissioners' church is an Anglican church in the United Kingdom built with money voted by Parliament of the United Kingdom, Parliament as a result of the Church Building Act 1818, and subsequent related Act of Parliament, Acts. Such churches ...


References


External links


Wiltshire Community History page on the Church

Parish of St Thomas, Trowbridge
{{DEFAULTSORT:Trowbridge, Holy Trinity Church of England church buildings in Wiltshire Commissioners' church buildings Churches completed in 1838 Grade II* listed churches in Wiltshire 19th-century Church of England church buildings
Holy Trinity The Trinity (, from 'threefold') is the Christian doctrine concerning the nature of God, which defines one God existing in three, , consubstantial divine persons: God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ) and God the Holy Spirit, three ...