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 The
mother church of
Dartmouth is the
church of Saint
Clement Townstal;
and stands some
350ft above the main
town, on the narrow
tract which, since
ancient times, has
been a right-of-way
from the coast
through Longcross to
the River Dart
crossing at
Hardnesse.
Its south side, sunk
below the level of
the graveyard, seems
to cower from the
winds that must have
buffeted the
hill-top settlement.
Tunstal or Dunestal
meaning "the walled
clearing, or
homestead on the
hill" is mentioned
as a manor held by
Walter de Douai in
the Domesday Book.
Townstal is a Saxon
word.
The church building
is of a beautiful
and stately
character and has
many interesting and
unusual features.
The present fabric
dates partly from
the 13th Century
with some Norman
traces. The
transepts are of
great length, that
on the North being
33ft and that on the
South 31ft. The
Altar is unique. It
dates from James I
and may have
replaced an older
stone Altar.
The font is of
Purbeck stone and
dates from the 13th
or possibly early
14th Century. The
modern lid is of
wood. It would
appear that at one
time there was
undoubtedly a rood
beam in the fine
Chancel arch. A
modern carved wooden
Crucifix painted and
gilded hangs in the
Chancel arch and
provides some
colour.
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The
Saint Clement's
Project |
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The Project
The
project
involves
these basic
elements,
1. Disabled
access via
the North
Door. This
involves
lifting the
floor a few
inches to
its original
level and
lowering the
door step.
Also a small
porch will
be included.
2. Disabled
Toilet under
the Tower
and a new
screen at
the back of
the Church
3. Catering
facilities
at the North
West end.
(There is
only a stand
pipe at
present)
4. A movable
screen
across the
St.Francis
Chapel to
make a Choir
Vestry
5. The Font
to be moved
to the south
to make it
possible for
a Baptismal
party to
gather
around it.
6. The
pulpit to be
moved to the
other side
of the
Chancel Arch
so that it
is in a more
central
position.
7. A new
altar will
be
positioned
below the
Chancel
arch, where
it will be
visible from
all parts of
the Church.
8. The
present pews
will be
replaced by
moveable
seating, so
that the
interior can
be used in a
flexible way
when
necessary.
9. Access to
the bell
ringing
chamber will
be provided
via the
tower steps.
10. New
Choir Stalls
will be
installed.
11. New
heating and
lighting.
The heating
will use the
existing
boiler.
The result
should be a
beautiful,
prayerful
church
building,
which is
attractive
and
adaptable
for other
suitable
uses.
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This
artist's
impression
shows
the
view
to
the
East
Window
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This
artist's
impression
shows
the
view
to
the
north
west |
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The work has
started…
It is late
April and
the beech
tree at the
northern
gate of the
churchyard
is about to
burst into
new leaf. It
is the same
with the
renewal of
the church.
The changes
for a new
period in
the long
history of
St Clement’s
that we
proposed all
those years
ago,
discussed
and agreed,
then turned
from a
vision into
detailed
plans, have
finally
begun. The
work has
started.
It is a year
since the St
Clement’s
Church
Appeal was
opened with
the issue of
the first
bulletin.
Much has
happened in
that year.
The response
so far to
the appeal
has been
magnificent.
Donations
from
individuals
and local
organisations,
together
with church
funds, are
close to
£200,000.
All of these
monies have
come from
within the
parish of
Dartmouth
and give us
cause for
celebration.
The sum is
sufficient
to deal with
the changes
to the
fabric of
the church
and we have
contracted a
local
company,
Bovey
Construction,
to implement
the plans,
under the
eye of our
architect,
Paul
Heighway.
Now that the
building
work is
under way,
we can look
ahead to the
fitting out
of our
revitalized
church and
seek the
funds to do
so.
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A faculty
has been
granted for
the
re-ordering
This is
ecclesiastical
language
which means
that
permission
has been
granted for
the changes
to the
church. This
permission
came from
the
Chancellor
of the
Diocese of
Exeter on 21
April. It
has taken
what some
may consider
to be a long
time for the
Diocese to
grant the
faculty but
St Clement’s
represents
hundreds of
years of
history and
proposals
for change
had to be
carefully
assessed and
opinion
sought from
conservation
and heritage
bodies and
all who have
interest in
the church
before a
decision was
made.
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Just one
week after
the builders
were given
access the
transformation
has been
remarkable,
as you can
see in these
photographs.
The pews and
their timber
flooring,
which rested
across the
support
walls, have
been taken
out. Also
removed have
been the
slate slabs,
which
covered the
solid
foundation
seen in the
photograph,
and the cast
iron grids,
which
covered the
heating
ducts.
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View from
the nave
towards the
east window.
No, the
window has
not been
taken out,
the detail
has been
lost in its
overexposure. |
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The pews
were simply
designed and
had very
little
artistic
merit. But
they are of
good quality
pitch pine
timber and,
as such,
have value.
They have
been sold to
help fund
the
replacement
seating.
The removal
of the pews
revealed a
number of
burial
cavities, as
shown in the
picture.
Although
empty, an
archaeological
survey was
carried out
in these and
the other
under-floor
areas.
Nothing of
consequence
was found.
It is
possible
that
anything of
significance
was removed
when the
flooring was
lowered by
the
Victorians.
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 Before the
floor is
re-laid, a
grid of
heating and
services
ducts will
be
constructed.
Then the
existing and
new slates
will cover
the entire
floor of the
nave. The
level of the
replacement
floor will
be raised to
that
existing
before the
Victorian
alterations.
It will then
conform with
the base of
the pillars
and also
facilitate
access into
the church.
In the
chancel the
crumbling
limestone
slabs round
the
monuments
are to be
restored
with new
matching
lias
limestone.
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The Appeal
continues..
We now have
to gather
funding for
fitting out
the church.
Our target
is £50,000.
The greater
part of this
expense is
with the
chairs
(£30,000)
but, also to
be provided
are the
altar and
altar rails
(£5000), the
kitchen and
refreshment
facilities
(£13,000),
and other
items.
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The chairs
should have
a timeless appearance,
look good
when stacked
or viewed in
rows and
offer at
least a
50-100 year
life
expectancy.
We have
found a
chair which
we think is
exactly
right for
our
purposes. It
is the chair
which is
used in
Canterbury
Cathedral.
Such a chair
is
craftsman-made
of oak and
is not
cheap.
Together
with
provision
for a small
discreet
plaque
giving donor
details we
are seeking
the sum of
£200 for
each chair.
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How you can
help finish
the project
There are a
number of
ways. If you
wish to
donate one
or more
chairs,
please
contact the
Parish
Office
Click Here
. If you
donate a
chair, we
will contact
you about
the details
for the
plaque.
If you wish
to make a
donation for
some
specific
item in the
fitting out
of the
church or
simply a
general
donation to
the Appeal,
please
contact the
Parish
Office
Click Here
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Further
information
Contact: The
Rev. Simon
Wright, The
Parish
Office, St
Saviour’s
Church,
Anzac
Street,
Dartmouth
TQ6 9DL.
Tel: 01803
835543
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