Church Of St George, Reforne

Church of St George, Reforne

Former Anglican parish church, now in care of The Churches Conservation Trust. The church was begun in 1754 and consecrated in 1766 to designs of Thomas Gilbert, master stone-mason. A north porch was added in the early 19th century. The building is constructed of Portland ashlar with lead roofs except to the sanctuary, which has slate.

This is a complete 18th-century church and interior with references to Wren's work, particularly evident in the west tower and steeple and the central low cupola which is wider than the nave. The plan is cruciform, symmetrical and unaisled, with a sanctuary apse and west tower. The crossing dome is expressed externally as a low capping rising above the normal ridge level.

The north and south facades are identical in two storeys, each with arched windows above segmental-headed lights. All windows are small-pane casements set in plain raised plat-bands, arranged as 2:3:2 lights. The broad transept arm features a full-width pediment with lunette, and the transept returns have an oculus over a blind segmental-headed light. A central arched doorway with fanlight provides access. To right and left stand brought-forward blockings with semi-domed niches over raised apron panels; windows and panels are repeated on the west face of these blockings flanking the tower.

The tower rises in three square stages topped by a fourth octagonal stage with a pepper-pot cupola. The west front has a window set in a former door opening beneath an oculus, with oculus and blind light on the returns, then a blind arched light to each face of the low intermediate stage. This stage is decorated with aedicular fronts carrying Doric columns with an entablature and urns at the base of the octagonal stage. The apse contains a central light with stained glass over a Royal Commission for the Festival dedicatory panel, an oculus above a blank panel to the south, and an original panelled door to the north. The square north porch has 20th-century flush doors to the north and blind recessed openings to the east and west. A continuous plinth and moulded eaves string course runs around the building, including the tower.

The interior has been carefully restored with plain plastered barrel vaults and a central saucer dome on plastered walls and stone flag floors to the aisles. Paired pilasters at the crossing and chancel entrance carry entablature blocks, with a plain cornice band running throughout. Galleries on three sides feature narrow panel fronts on paired cast-iron columns. Spiral stairs in niches to the east of the transepts are balanced by niches to the west, and a tight stone spiral staircase at the tower base serves the west gallery.

Numbered painted box pews face into the crossing, with special pews flanking the chancel. The pulpit and reading desk flank the east side of the crossing; these are octagonal wooden units on stems with spiral stairs to stick balustrades and wreathed handrails. An oak communion rail with turned balusters and moulded rail stands before a painted reredos displaying the Pater Noster and Credo beneath stained glass of 1878, flanked by panels in responds and arches with the Decalogue. A circular bowl font with gadroons and a wooden cover stands at the west end, with a small pipe organ in the west gallery.

The church contains various monuments, including one in the sanctuary inscribed to Thomas Gilbert, the master builder, who died on 25 July 1776, aged 70 years. Another commemorates John Penn of Pennsylvania Castle, who died in 1834. A full list of monuments appears in the Royal Commission on Historical Monuments volume.

The church was built to replace the decayed St Andrew's. It was itself superseded in 1917 by the completion of All Saints, Easton, and subsequently fell into poor condition. It was rescued in 1979 by the Friends of St George's, has undergone careful and full restoration, and is now vested in The Churches Conservation Trust.