A wonderful old colour photograph/card (Many thanks to Major [Retd] Janet Brodie-Murphy) showing Knightwick Church, from a newly planted Bridge Orchard.
The old black and white Church Cottage is on the right and the Talbot Hotel middle of photo and then in the distance is the Turnpike House.

The following article used the spelling of Doddenham as we now know it as an older version 'Dodenham'. It tells of St. Andrew's, of Doddenham, dilapidated and falling down, being replaced by the new St. Mary's the Virgin, with the Rev. Octavius Fox, laying the cornerstone. At a site near Knightsford Bridge at the base of the AnkerdineHill.

Also that the parochial church of Knightwick, also dilapidated, will be pulled down and replaced by a mortuary chapel.

The Worcester Chronicle and Provincial Railway Gazette. - 7th June, 1854.

NEW CHURCH FOR KNIGHTWICK AND DODENHAM

On Thursday the ceremony of laying the chief stone of a new church for the joint accommodation of the inhabitants of Knightwick and Dodenham took place. The necessity for a new building as a place of worship here has long been felt, The small chapel of Dodenham is in miserable plight. The roof is open to the tiles, the rain pours in upon the congregation in bad weather, and the place is far too dilapidated to be put into a proper state by any repairing. The parochial church of Knightwick is equally unfit for the celebration of Divine worship. Its massive walls are falling outwards from sheer antiquity, the pews are high mouldy boxes of oak and deal, and the pulpit is simply a more elevated box, of the most primitive construction. Like Dodenham chapel, this structure is entirely unworthy of renovation, and it will be pulled down to make room for a mortuary chapel, which will occupy the site of the present chancel.

The fund for the erection of the new church has been chiefly raised amongst the parishioners; E. E. Williams Esq., who owns considerable property in the neighbourhood, and different members of his family, having contributed very liberally. The patrons of the living , the Dean and Chapter of Worcester, gave £100., the Diocesan Church Building Society £65. Mr. Freeman, of Gaines, gave the ground for the new edifice. It is almost the only piece of freehold land in the neighbourhood available for the purpose, and is situated near the bridge, within the angle formed by the junction of the road from Worcester to Knightwick, and that from Martley to the same place. It lies immediately at the foot of Ankerdine-hill, and the site is highly convenient for the inhabitants of the united district, but it possesses one disadvantage, which is, that it lies almost too low for the church to be seen at any considerable distance. Could the building have been placed upon the side of the hill, about 100 yards from the spot selected, the situation would have been highly picturesque and charming. The nature of the tenure of the land at the place to which we refer was such, however, as to render it impossible to choose so preferable a site.

The new church is to be erected in the style prevailing about the close of the thirteenth century - the Geometrical, according to designs furnished by Mr. Perkins, of this city, the well known architect. The contractor for the masonry is Mr. Norman, also of this city; and Mr. Shelswell, of this city, is the contractor for the carpenter's and joiner's work. The material to be employed in the structure are grey stone from the Ankerdine Hill for the walls, in random courses, a hard grey stone from Bringsty Common for the buttresses and coigns, and Bath stone for the windows, doors, weatherings for the buttresses, and the dressings generally.

The roof will be covered with Broseley tiles, with ornamental crest tiles on the ridge. The building will consist of a nave, chancel. vestry, porch, and spire. The walls will be massive and perforated with windows with varied Geometrical tracery in the heads, those in the nave having two lights, and that in the east end three. A stout buttress will run up at the west end to support an elegant octagonal spire of Bath stone, which will rise to the height of 64 feet, with canopied windows in each face just above its junction with the roof. The west end will contain a window on each side the buttress. The porch will be roomy and handsome, with side windows, and will be placed on the north; and at the junction of the chancel and nave on the same side a small vestry will be erected with a communication to either the exterior or the chancel. The apex of the roof of the nave will be nearly thirty feet above the floor, and the length of the nave and chancel will be nearly 70 feet. The floor of the chancel will be raised one step above that of the nave, and the floor of the space for the communion table a step above that of the rest of the chancel. The floor will be of wood under the sittings, but of red and blue tiles laid diagonally everywhere else, except near the communion, where encaustic tiles will be used. Deal benches with solid ends will be provided for the congregation, with a couple of stalls in the chancel. The roof will be open, with foliated principals dressed and stained. The outer doors will be of oak with hinges, locks, and latches in character with the style of the church. The communion rail will be of oak, moulded, and fixed on wrought-iron ornamental support. Foliated crosses in Bath stone will give a finish to the various gables.

The business of laying the chief stone, though conducted in a very simple manner, without any attempt to add any interest to the event beyond what naturally belonged to so solemn a ceremony, nevertheless drew together a considerable portion of the population of the neighbourhood.

The company consisted of the principal parishioners with their families, the churchwardens, a few clergymen, and visitors from the neighbourhood. The school children, male and female, each bearing a large bouquet of flowers, occupied the front rank of the spectators.

The rector of the parish, the Rev. Octavius Fox, took position near the place where the stone was to be laid, having near him the architect and the master mason. The rector then read the service appointed for laying the foundation-stone of a church. On arriving at a point in the service where the order directs that the stone shall be laid, the rector proceeded to perform that portion of the ceremony. A cavity had been cut in a stone in the foundation, and within this opening was placed a glass tube, hermetically sealed, containing a parchment with the following inscription :—

" To the honour of the most Blessed and Holy Trinity, and after the name of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the first stone of this church, henceforth to be the parish church of the one parish of Knightwick and Dodenham, was laid on the first day of June, Anno Domini eighteen hundred and fifty-four,
" By me, OCTAVIUS Fox, M.A., Rector of the said Parish.
" JOHN SMITH WALKER, " EDWARD SOUTHHALL, Churchwardens.
"ABRAHAM EDWARD PERKINS, Architect."

Next the rector took the trowel and spread mortar over this stone, and the chief stone was lowered upon it. The level and mallet were then used by the reverend gentleman, and the laying of the stone was completed. Then the remaining prayers of the service were read, the people joining devoutly in the responses. No address was delivered, the rector having preached upon the subject on the previous Sunday. The assembly dispersed itself almost immediately upon the conclusion of the service.

The school children were hospitably entertained by a gentleman in the neighbourhood, and the workmen were provided with a dinner at the Talbot Inn.

 

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