Beautiful little church on the banks of the Knysna Lagoon in a tranquil garden. It fortunately was missed by the devastating fires in 2017.
The church is a replica of a typical English Norman (or Romanesque) Church of the 11th and 12th Centuries.
The Norman style is characterized by the use of the round arch, small windows and very thick walls.
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It was built by Captain Thomas Duthie who had purchased the land from George Rex, as a place of worship for his wife Catherine, daughter of George Rex, his family, servants and friends. It seats just 20.
Lonely Planet describes it as being built by homesick ex pats!
His brother raised considerable money in England for the project.
The plans came from England organized by the Bidhop’s wife, Sophia Gray. Some rare sandstone was found locally and both yellowood and stinkwood from the forest were used. The church plans were possibly an Underwood design from a former Oxford chapel.
The entire pulpit, except for the parapet, was carved out of a single block, known as the ‘Monster Stone’.
The steeple bell, a donation, was cast and brought over from England but before the ship docked… it sank and it was some time before the bell could be retrieved.
The Bishop of Cape Town, Bishop Gray, provided 3 Scottish stone masons to build the church: They are thought to be Alexander Bern and brothers Alexander and Colin Lawrence.
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Bishop Gray dedicated the church in October 1855.
The stained glass windows are dedicated to Duthie’s grandsons, one a farmer and the other a minister and his granddaughter. The Royal family coat of arms and the Bishopric of Cape Town’s are there as well as the Duthie and Barrington’s. A round stained glass window is a poignant reminder of the Second World War. Added in 1955, it is made of shards of glass salvaged from bombed-out Coventry Cathedral in England, which was destroyed during the Second World War.
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