Re-ordering of Finstock Church praised by
Bishop of Dorchester

Originally dating from 1842, the single room chapel of Holy Trinity Church, Finstock, Oxfordshire saw little change following the addition of the choir area and sanctuary in 1906.

Recently the parochial church council decided the building no longer met the needs of the congregation or the community.

With no running water and outdated electrics and heating, their vision was not only to update the facilities but also to reorder the space to make the church more accessible and welcoming. Central to this was to be the provision of meeting areas within the church, whilst retaining the nave and choir for services and musical performances.

Michael Clews was appointed in 2003 with a brief to find a creative solution to the re-ordering and space problems.

The success of the reordering is in the relocation of the rood screen, from the chancel arch to the West end as part of a full height glazed partition. The new meeting facilities, including an upper room, have been introduced behind the partition.

The service of Dedication and Blessing of the new upper room was led by The Bishop of Dorchester, The Right Revd Colin Fletcher, who described the work as, “a very exciting development, one that brings greater flexibility and life, thus enhancing the old with the new.”

The work is currently being considered for the President’s Award, given by the Ecclesiastical Architects and Surveyors Association, for creative re-ordering and new church design.

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