'Father of modern interior design' church reopens

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.

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."

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.

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