Kingston in the Purbeck Hills

Part of the Dorset Online Parish Clerk network

DORSET OPC

History Project

To view the display as a PDF click here

For best results click here to view in full screen mode

Terry - test page only for you to view slide show and download pdf - will add more about project this evening

Terry Hardy’s proposal to construct a long term small display depicting St. James, Kingston was first reported by George Pitman in ‘News from Kingston’ in February. Despite Terry suffering a minor stroke later that month, George informed us in March that Terry was still ‘rattling on with his plans’ for a display in the church. In April, George confirmed that Terry was going to mount an exhibition of his work on Easter Monday in the church. Having had a sneak preview, George commented “I can assure you of the excellence of the photographs and text. You will see parts of the church you have never seen before.”

Well Easter Monday came and what a treat was in store for everyone who visited. As I approached St. James just before 2pm, I could hear the delightful sound of the bells being rung. On entering Terry introduced himself and guided me to the display. Wow! What a display it was. Terry had painstakingly photographed so many aspects of the church building, its unique features and adornments, many taken from some quite intriguing places and angles. No corner or crevice was out of bounds to Terry with the help of Peter Buckle - from underneath the floor, and all the way up those scary spiral steps to the top of the bell housing!

George Pitman was absolutely right about the excellence of the photographs and parts of the church not seen before. It was clear Terry had invested so much time in bringing the project to life, from visiting the church almost daily to capture the fabulous images, to researching the history, preparing accompanying commentaries and then mounting the display in such a way that everyone who attended could fully appreciate and absorb the wonder of this ‘Jewel in the Crown’ of the Purbeck.

Thank you to Revd. Gaynor Burrett, and to Peter and Cynthia Buckle, who opened up the Chancel so that visitors could admire the beauty of so many of its features. Over the course of the afternoon, well over a hundred people had been able to view the display, to listen to the organ being played, to partake of home-made refreshments and to benefit from Terry’s infectious enthusiasm and insight.

Many local craftsmen helped build this fabulous monument between 1873 and 1880 and I’m sure they would have been proud to see this fitting acknowledgement of their craftsmanship and skill.

Below are some images taken on the day of the display - the first image shows Terry proudly showing the display to Revd. Gaynor Burrett, Priest-in-Charge.

If you were not able to attend on the day, you now have the opportunity to view the display from the comfort of your own home - simply watch the slideshow presentation or download in pdf format to appreciate Terry’s images in greater depth.

Martin White

PS. This is just the first phase of the project - we look forward to Terry’s next instalment!

Please note the pdf can take up to 3 minutes to download at standard broadband speeds.

To view the display as a slideshow click here