St Eustace
Ibberton's Parish Church, dedicated to St Eustace, is over 600 years old. It is situated in a beautiful rural setting reached only by a steep halter path en route to the Wessex Ridgeway.
The main part of the church is thought to have been built between 1380 and 1400, the North Aisle being added round about the year 1500. The dedication of the Church to St Eustace is very uncommon in England, there being as far as it is known, only two other Churches dedicated to this Saint, one at Tavistock in Devon and the other at Hoo in Suffolk. The story of St Eustace who, whilst out hunting, saw a vision of the cross between the antlers of a deer, is depicted on a screen in Westminster Abbey.
During the second half of the 19th Century the building fell into disrepair, the final collapse occurring in 1889. In 1892 Mr George Loder of the nearby village of Okeford Fitzpaine was commissioned to construct a corrugated iron and timber building in the Village for use as a temporary Church, and services, including Baptisms, were held there from the Spring of 1893 until the Summer of 1909. Marriages, however, had to be solemnized in the nave of the dilapidated Church.
The restoration of the old Church was started in 1902 under the direction of the Rev L S Plowman (Rector from 1899-1927) and was re-opened by the Bishop of Salisbury on 17 July 1909, the total cost of the work being in the region of £1,500. (The temporary Church is now used as a Village Hall). The pulpit is made from the wood of an ancient pulpit which once stood in a Norfolk Church.
Please note that only 4 x 4s would be possible to reach the top of this hill so I recommend parking at the bottom and walking up – give your calf muscles a work-out!
Once at the top the views are spectacular from the church grounds and the church itself is a little gem.
Congratulations to Earwax UK, Goowithabrain and GuyverSA on joint FTF!
"If anybody would like to expand to this series please do, I would just ask that you could let Sadexploration know first at churchmicro@gmail.com so he can keep track of the Church numbers and names to avoid duplication.
There is also a Church Micro Stats & Information page found via the Bookmark list"