Font - St Osmonds Church , Salisbury, Wilt's - Stone Church Artefacts on Waymarking.com

This church was designed by Pugin and has several of the original stained glass windows.

The site on Exeter Street was not only immediately outside the Cathedral Close, but also almost in line with the Cathedral’s eastern end. The Cathedral held the shrine of St Osmund, so Salisbury’s Catholics were determined to recapture the saint, and dedicate their church to him.
The Rev. Dr Ullathorne Vicar-Apostolic of the Western District, laid the foundation stone on 8 April 1847. In a somewhat propagandist report, which was perhaps written or inspired by Lambert, the Salisbury Journal reported how ‘numerous clergy’ celebrated the event which was enhanced by ‘an able choir’ and the presence of local dignitaries, including Lord Arundel the Catholic peer, who laid the second stone. A simple flint church with ashlar stone dressings started to rise up: chancel, nave, south aisle, chapel, south western tower topped by a simple low broached spire and a sacristy beyond the eastern end of the south aisle with an organ gallery above. All in a style that the Salisbury Journal described as fourteenth-century ‘decorated’, and the Builder, in a less gushing report, referred to as an ‘Early Decorated style’ Pugin only visited the site once, on 14 October 1847, presumably because he had complete faith in the builder and work was progressing without problems.

On 2 September 1848 the Salisbury Journal announced that the Rt. Rev Bishop Hendren would consecrate the church on Wednesday 6 September. It would then be opened with a solemn Mass of dedication on 7 September at 10.30 am. There would be Vespers and Benediction in the evening.
The Mass would be sung in plain chant of St. Gregory and while admission was free, those who wished to attend would require a ticket because demand for seats was expected to exceed the supply. The resulting building is both beautiful and simple.
Despite its limited size, the proportions are well balanced, the materials simple and the overall effect, one of beauty.

Approximate Age of Artefact: 1840 c Relevant Website: [Web Link]

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Date Logged Log   10/24/2020 Master Mariner visited it