"Father of modern interior design" church reopens

The exterior of St Bartholomew's Church in Sutton Waldron. The light-coloured stones have a brown steeple on them and there are trees surrounding the church, with countryside in the background. Google Street View

St Bartholomew's Church in Sutton Waldron has been closed since April for renovation work

Steve Harris & Rachel Russell
South of England

An historic church decorated by an architect often dubbed the father of modern interior design is set to reopen after receiving a £130,000 grant.

St Bartholomew's Church in Sutton Waldron also has plans to highlight the significance of architect Owen Jones' unique design of the building.

The church has been closed since April for renovation work to ensure the Grade II-listed building remains in good shape and prevent issues such as damp.

The reopening on Friday will be celebrated with a concert featuring the Dorset String Quartet and soprano singer Rachel Kerensa.

The ceiling of the church which has brown panelling with blue squares in between and gold stars. The rest of the wall is red and there is also a cross.

Owen Jones' unique design of the church was inspired by his trip to the Alhambra in Spain

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Ian Pinder, who is part of the Sutton Waldron Parish Church Council (PCC) and helped with the refurbishment, said Jones was born in 1809 and "really laid the foundations for interior design as he was inspired by his travels to the far east, the middle east and Greece in particular".

"He also lived in the Alhambra, in Spain, for a while, where he was inspired by the design and decoration in the old buildings, so the designs you see here are as a result of his study in those areas and reflect his time there," he added.

He said: "We believe this is the only church left that has Owen Jones' complete set of works, other than another church in London which has some of his designs."

Ian Pinder smiling at the camera inside the church. He is wearing glasses and has grey hair, while wearing a grey striped shirt and a black jacket.

Ian Pinder said the reopening of the church on Friday will be celebrated with a concert

More of the church's designs with red, blue and white painted on the windows. There is also a wooden plinth with religious text painted on in blue and red.

The latest restoration has also been funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and local charity, Friends of St Bartholomew's

Mr Pinder explained that Jones' designs were discovered when the church underwent repairs in the late 1970s to fix damp and a leaky roof.

They discovered his colourful designs and patterns had been painted over with a whitewash in the 1950s, but they are now back on display for all to see.

Mt Pinder said the restoration had been funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and local charity, Friends of St Bartholomew's.

Secret Dorset: The lost treasures of Sutton Waldron

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