Church of St John the Evangelist, Milborne Port

The chancellor Regimbald (a survivor from Edward’s reign into William’s) rebuilt his Minster at Milborne Port in “a sumptuous hybrid style.” It would seem logical to assign the now-demolished nave to this period, since the surviving south doorway of the nave was incorporated into the 1860s rebuild and is of Saxo-Norman design. The church was part of the original endowment of Cirencester Abbey by Henry I, and held by them until the dissolution of the monasteries. An attempt was made around 1199 to make the church a prebend in Wells Cathedral however this was unsuccessful. In 1543 Winchester College acquired control and held it until 1824 when it passed to the Marquess of Anglesey and he sold…

The chapel roof has been dated at 1641. In 1712 a west gallery was built for the singers and there was also an east gallery by 1747. The west gallery was enlarged in 1812-14 and in 1826 a two-bay north aisle with a gallery was added to the nave. In 1841 the east gallery over the rood screen was taken down.