Lodsworth, St Peter's Church

St Peter's Church, Lodsworth

The origins of St Peter's Church in Lodsworth are uncertain, but it was erected long after the nearby holy well became a destination for medieval pilgrims. The church nave can be dated to the 12th century on stylistic grounds, and the sturdy west tower must have been added around 1300.

History

The manor of Lodsworth was owned by the Bishops of London, but the church was a chapel of ease under nearby Easebourne and only became its own parish in the Tudor period.

The nave roof dates to the 15th century.

14th-century water stoup

The church was restored in 1840 under Alexander Brown, when the present transepts were added. Brown inserted the large neo-Norman window in the south transept. The window is at odds with the rest of the 19th-century restoration, performed in typical 13th-century style.

The most recent alteration came in 1968 when the south transept was transformed into the St Nicholas Chapel, based around an altar of York stone. One feature worth mentioning is a wooden royal coat of arms mounted in the vestry screen. This dates to early in the reign of Queen Victoria. The screen is modern but is made with Georgian panelling.

Despite the heavy Victorian restoration, elements of the medieval church remain, including a holy water stoup outside the west door. This dates to the 14th century. The re-cut font probably dates to the 12th century, although the base is Victorian.

The 12th-century font

Hanging on the north wall is a large painting by William Charles Thomas Dobson, R.A. depicting 'The Widow's Son Raised to Life'.

The oldest memorial we could find was to two generations of the Bridger family of River, a nearby estate. The earliest people mentioned was Sarah Bridger (d. 1745) and her husband William Bridger (d. 1749).

Small brass plaques remember 15 local men who died in WWI and 8 men who fell in WWII.

The Millenium Tapestry

Millennium Tapestry

Mounted on the wall and protected by a curtain to avoid light damage is the Lodsworth Millennium Tapestry, created by local residents to mark the Millennium. The tapestry depicts local scenes and village life.

There are several memorials worth noting. First is a brass plaque to John Boughton, who served in the Boer War with the Middlesex Imperial Yeomanry and drowned in 1901 whilst attempting to save a comrade-in-arms at Clocolan.

St Nicholas Chapel

Visiting

The church is at the end of a paved drive off Church Lane and there is parking on the field in front of the churchyard gate. The church was open when we visited and, as far as we can determine, is regularly open to visitors.

It is worth taking the short walk down the hill, following the lane to the north of the churchyard, to find St Peter's Holy well.