A HISTORY OF HOLY TRINITY CHURCH, BOTTISHAM
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THE PORCHES
The south porch has always been an important meeting place for
informal talks between parishioners and greetings by the clergy after a religious
service. Before the reformation the first part of the wedding service took place in
the porch before proceeding into the church for Nuptial Mass (Tricker). The
north porch at Bottisham was converted into a vestry but the south porch retains
its traditional use. Both the original doors of the north porch have been replaced.
The east window of this porch was removed in 1839 to make way for a fireplace.
On the exterior, above the north porch door, is a niche with a hood-mould
originally containing a statue: it was probably destroyed at the time of the
Reformation or the Commonwealth. The south porch has rich mouldings:
Hailstone reports that when the plaster was removed, during repairs in 1870, traces
of bright vermilion colour on the moulding were revealed. A niche, similar to that
over the north porch, was decorated with chocolate-coloured crosses upon a
vermilion background. Relham’s drawing (c. 1800) shows that there was a
sundial positioned over the niche. Like so many paintings and small features of
the church, the sundial was plastered over during restoration in 1870. Either side
of the entrance to the south porch are two Renaissance-style stone tablets which
were probably monumental, but no inscription remains.
There were numerous changes to icons during the Commonwealth. The
‘Composite Register’ contains items confirming the 17th century to be one of
upheaval. Unfortunate Vicar Crosland, was sequestered in March, 1664, when he
was said to be ‘.....a timeserver and one that observes, bowing towards the east,
standing up at Gloria patri, reading the second service at the communion table
and, such like superstitious worship and popish innovations in the church’.
(C.R.O. P13/1).,
THE NAVE EXTERIOR
The contemporary nave was built in the ‘Decorated’ style of the
fourteenth century. Over the succeeding centuries, modifications and changes
have been made. The nave was built by craftsmen, employed for specific features
of the architecture, consequently a local style is recognised in the fabric of the
building. Braun (1970) records that travelling amateurs, especially those returning
from the Crusades, played a great part in the introduction of new ideas in church
building. In later centuries, builders were professionals and the individual touch
was largely lost. From 1348, the number of craftsmen was reduced by the ravages
of the Black Death; Bottisham church was built prior to that population loss.