Kentisbury Church, 10 Aug 1885, Kentisbury

Pencil and wash drawing of Kentisbury Church, 10 Aug 1885, Kentisbury

Kentisbury Church

The parish church of Kentisbury, North Devon, is dedicated to St Thomas. The tower, nave walls and south porch were constructed in the late 15^th or early 16^th century. Like many parish churches, St Thomas' was restored and enlarged by the Victorians. The work here was carried out between 1873-1875 and included the rebuilding of the chancel, adding the north aisle and re-roofing the nave. This pencil and wash drawing was made on the 10^th of August 1885 and shows the exterior of the church some 10 years after the restoration work had been completed. Unfortunately, the artist responsible for this work is unknown.

The restoration work was carried out by Edwin Dolby (1838-1900), an architect based in Abingdon, Berkshire. He restored and rebuilt several Anglican Churches, many of them in Berkshire and Oxfordshire. He had, however, done earlier work in North Devon, being responsible for building the new Church of St John the Baptist at Lynmouth between 1869 and 1870. Dolby was also responsible for building the new premises for Abingdon School, an independent school still in existence today.

The cost of the renovation work was about £3000, which was mainly paid for by the Reverend Thomas Openshaw. Openshaw was the absentee vicar of Kentisbury between 1863 and 1877, not an unusual occurrence at this time when many clergymen held multiple livings. He was a resident of Ramsbottom in Lancashire and his family were involved in the cotton industry of the Manchester area. 

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Prints and Drawings

Sketches of Devon churches