Church Of St John

Church of St John the Evangelist, West Bay

Built in two phases by architect W.H. Randoll Blacking, this church was constructed between 1935 and 1939. The south aisle was completed in 1935, while the nave was finished between 1936 and 1939. The building is located near the small fishing harbour of West Bay, approximately two miles south of Bridport, in a tight urban setting hemmed in by the main road and neighbouring buildings.

The church is constructed of roughcast rendered stone with limestone dressings and slate roofs. Its design reflects Arts and Crafts movement principles, expressed through simple, traditional forms rather than more obvious Voyseyesque characteristics. The exterior features a white rendered finish contrasted with yellow limestone dressings and mainly flat-headed windows with simple mullions. The east and west gables are coped; the west gable carries a clock face and small bellcote above two high, evenly placed two-light windows. The angles are defined by slightly irregular long-and-short quoins, while buttresses with a single sloped set-off punctuate the side elevations. The north and south walls feature three-light windows. The south aisle has a very shallow roof slope hidden behind a flat parapet. The principal western entrance is recessed within a square opening.

Internally, the church comprises a five-bay nave with no separate chancel, a three-bay south aisle with a porch at its west end, and small vestries east of the aisle. The simple interior has white-painted rendered walls and a gently curving ceiling with plaster ribs and iron ties. The nave's five-light east window is of late Perpendicular form with cinquefoil cusping and tracery—the only overtly Gothic feature. A piscina sits beneath a concave gabled opening, with a matching aumbry to the north. The three-seat sedilia features elegant segmental arches of dressed stone. Floors throughout are of polished stone. The three-bay arcade comprises square piers without capitals supporting chamfered segmental arches. The aisle ceiling has painted timber ribs forming square panels, with small curved braces rising from stone corbels against the walls. Another piscina is located at the aisle's east end.

The reredos features five panels formed by downward continuation of the window mullions. The central crucifixion was installed in 1939, with flanking saints added in 1940 and outer panels in 1950. The lectern, pulpit, stalls and communion rail are of limed oak with simple but high-quality design and craftsmanship. The pulpit has linenfold panels and a wineglass stem. The communion rail in the south aisle is Neo-Georgian, with moulded rail, panelled newels and turned balusters. A small Victorian font from the predecessor church is retained. The organ case's upper part, in 18th-century oak style, was brought from Bryanston School chapel at Blandford in the 1970s. The principal stained glass is the east window by Christopher Webb (1959), depicting Portland lighthouse and a sailing vessel. A south aisle window contains two ex-situ panels of Christ and St Peter, brought from St Andrew, Bridport when it closed in 1978, possibly by Heaton, Butler & Bayne, circa 1865. The seating was replaced in the late 20th century with upholstered oak chairs.

History and Context

West Bay developed as a small fishing harbour at the east end of Chesil Beach. In 1862, a mission church was opened in an upper room of a harbour cottage under the auspices of Burton Bradstock, some miles to the west. Following years of fundraising, architect W.H. Randoll Blacking was commissioned in 1926 to design a permanent replacement. The foundation stone was laid on 28 May 1935, by which time the plans had been modified to include a Lady Chapel in the south aisle. The south aisle opened on 10 November 1935, serving as a temporary church while the nave and its furnishings were completed. The church was formally opened on 21 May 1939, at a total cost of approximately £6,000. The original plans included a west gallery, though it is unclear whether this was executed. The site has no churchyard, being tightly bounded by the main road to the south and west, and by buildings to the north and east. In 1927, West Bay west of the river mouth was incorporated into the parish of Bridport.

W.H. Randoll Blacking (1889–1958) was a pupil of Sir Ninian Comper and one of the foremost church architects of the early 20th century. He practised from Salisbury, served as Diocesan architect for Winchester and Cathedral architect at Coventry, and maintained a long professional association with stained glass artist Christopher Webb from after the First World War onwards.