Church of St. Barnabas, Easterton
In 1867, Mrs Louisa Hay gave money for a school at Easterton. It was actually used for a dual purpose; that of a church as well as a school. In 1875 the church of St. Barnabas was built and in 1876 a dedicated National School was built so the school-cum-church was no longer needed.
The parish church is found at the north of the village and is a Grade II listed building.
It is a Victorian construction, built in 1875, on land given by George Bourdieu Rogers. He gave £1,500 for the new church. His house was to be used as a vicarage. Mrs Hay also gave £1,500 and held the advowson (the right to appoint the vicar).
It was built using brick and is composed of a chancel, nave, south porch, vestry and a bellcote. Prior to the erection of this church, people in Easterton attended the church at East Lavington or, for a few years, the temporary building in the parish. With the building of St. Barnabas, Easterton became a separate ecclesiastical parish.
The parish church is found at the north of the village and is a Grade II listed building.
It is a Victorian construction, built in 1875, on land given by George Bourdieu Rogers. He gave £1,500 for the new church. His house was to be used as a vicarage. Mrs Hay also gave £1,500 and held the advowson (the right to appoint the vicar).
It was built using brick and is composed of a chancel, nave, south porch, vestry and a bellcote. Prior to the erection of this church, people in Easterton attended the church at East Lavington or, for a few years, the temporary building in the parish. With the building of St. Barnabas, Easterton became a separate ecclesiastical parish.
A carved wooden screen was built between the chancel and the nave. The church was designed by Mr Christian and the builder James Sainsbury of West Lavington. The red bricks used to construct the church were from the brickfield at Market Lavington, as were many houses built in the parish at that time. There are no pews within the church, as is traditional, but it holds around 150 chairs. The church was consecrated on 10 June 1875 and gave an excuse for the parish to hold a celebratory gala. A speech was given by Doctor Hitchcock, the churchwarden. An organist was employed to play in the church in 1902.
The Vicarage is a large house, as the first Vicar to live there, the Reverend Allsopp, made it his own and extended the original house to accommodate his children- he had five girls and five boys.
The vestry was enlarged in 1953. The centenary of the church allowed for another gala day, with people dressed in costumes parading through the village. There was a bonfire and fireworks.
The Reverend Stacey died in 1951 and a plaque was erected in his memory. He was to be the last vicar at Easterton; the next was to look after Market Lavington as well. A room which was to act as Sunday school was built onto the church in 1981.
The Vicarage is a large house, as the first Vicar to live there, the Reverend Allsopp, made it his own and extended the original house to accommodate his children- he had five girls and five boys.
The vestry was enlarged in 1953. The centenary of the church allowed for another gala day, with people dressed in costumes parading through the village. There was a bonfire and fireworks.
The Reverend Stacey died in 1951 and a plaque was erected in his memory. He was to be the last vicar at Easterton; the next was to look after Market Lavington as well. A room which was to act as Sunday school was built onto the church in 1981.