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Welcome to the Web pages for St Birinus Church, Morgan’s Vale. The church is situated in Morgan’s Vale Road and was built in the late 19th century to serve the communities of Morgan’s Vale and Woodfalls in the parish of Redlynch.

After Morgan’s Vale school was built in 1869, the classroom was used for worship and strong links still exist with the school. The church, consecrated in 1896, was designed by F S Ponting in an Italianate style and built using local red brick and tiles. The windows of the Chancel and Nave are of Bath stone with tracery in a ‘flowing’ style. The east window and one in the north wall are of stained glass. An oak framed Bellcote containing a single bell rises above the Baptistery. A rood screen originally separated the Nave from the Chancel, but with the exception of the beam supporting the Cross, this was removed when rush seating was replaced with pews. The organ was dedicated in 1900 and the churchyard consecrated in 1923.

Birinus was a missionary Bishop from Rome who came to England and converted Cynegils, King of the West Saxons. He was given Dorchester in Oxfordshire as his See and earned the title ‘Apostle of Wessex’ by converting many people and building churches for them. In AD 638 he consecrated the first church in Downton and also laid the foundation of a much smaller church where Winchester Cathedral now stands. Birinus died in AD650 and was buried at Dorchester but his remains were later moved to Winchester.

contact : Peter Loudwell
Tel : 01725 511823
Email : pdloudwell@breathemail.net


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